Executive Interview with Roger McCollum, President of N.A. Williams Company
Through our Executive Interview feature, we give executives free reign to express their views on anything from the state of their corporations to recent legislative news to future trends in their niche markets. Here you see what matters to the newsmakers themselves. This week, we hear from Roger McCollum, president of N.A. Williams, the Atlanta, GA-based manufacturer’s rep firm.
Exide Appoints New Executive Vice President and General Counsel
Exide Technologies has appointed Barbara Hatcher executive vice president and general counsel. Hatcher brings more than 20 years of corporate legal practice experience to this position, the last eight of which have been in the battery manufacturing and distribution business. She joined Exide in 2000 through the company’s acquisition of GNB Technologies Inc.
Visteon Appoints Asaf Farashuddin as Vice President, Corporate Strategy
Visteon has appointed Asaf Farashuddin as vice president, corporate strategy, effective April 18. Farashuddin will report to Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mike Johnston and, as a member of Visteon’s global leadership team, will be esponsible for shaping corporate strategy and promoting the company’s long- term growth.
Meineke’s Ken Walker to Lead Talk on Growth and Acquisitions at Financial Symposium
Ken Walker, president and CEO, Meineke Car Care Centers, will moderate a panel entitled, “Growth and Acquisition Financing Strategies,” during the 2006 Aftermarket Financial Symposium (AFS). Hosted by the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA), the 2006 AFS is scheduled for Sept. 26-27 at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Chicago. AFS is geared toward CFOs, financial service providers, investment analysts, CPA firms and others with interests in the automotive aftermarket.
Siemens VDO Appoints Harry W. Zike as CFO
Siemens VDO has appointed Harry W. Zike to executive vice president and CFO of the company’s North American operations effective Feb. 1. Zike, based at the company’s North American headquarters in Auburn Hills, MI, is responsible for overseeing all financial and administrative functions of the company’s North American operations.
Dana’s Stock Hits New Low Amid Troubles
Dana Corp. crashed to at least a 36-year-low on Friday when shares fell 52 percent in heavy trading amid reports that the struggling auto parts maker has hired a restructuring company. The Toledo, OH-based company has hired Miller Buckfire & Co., which often helps businesses facing financial trouble, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday, quoting people familiar with the matter.
Modine Names New Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
Modine Manufacturing Co. announced that Gregory Troy has joined the company as its vice president and chief human resources officer, reporting to President and Chief Executive Officer David Rayburn. Troy, a seasoned executive with more than 17 years of international human resource experience with Fortune 100 companies, will lead Modine’s global human resources functions, including recruiting, training, employee development, strategic development, employee relations and benefits and compensation.
Smaller Auto Parts Suppliers Find Strength in Numbers
Mergers and acquisitions are helping automotive parts suppliers survive tough times, a new industry report says. But unlike the frenzy of highly publicized mega deals in the 1990s, many of the current mergers and acquisitions are smaller and more focused, said Mark Short, author of the report from the Ernst & Young Global Automotive Center in Troy, MI. In some cases, small and midsize companies are pairing up to take business away from larger competitors.
Aftermarket Financial Symposium Registration Now Available
Registration for the 2006 Aftermarket Financial Symposium (AFS) is now available on the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) Web site, aftermarket.org. Hosted by AAIA, the 2006 AFS is scheduled for Sept. 26-27, 2006 at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Chicago, IL.
Steel Prices To Remain High, Roland Berger Predicts
Rising steel prices have caused pain for many U.S. industries and significant relief is not on the horizon, according to Roland Berger Strategy Consultants. Since 2003, steel prices have climbed by more than 150 percent. Hot-rolled coil prices — a benchmark for pricing — reached a record high of $756 per ton in September 2004 and averaged $744 per ton in 2005. The consulting firm says the recent spike in prices was caused by several factors including increased consumption by China and India, recent consolidation within the U.S. steel industry and continued growth in demand for steel in the U.S.