Canadian parts distribution group Uni-Select has been making many headlines in recent weeks, and this week was no exception. After starting off the New Year with a few organizational changes and an amicable split from the Automotive Distribution Network, Uni-Select announced on Tuesday that it will acquire Cartersville, Ga.-based program group Automotive Information Management Inc. (AIM). Uni-Select President and CEO Richard Roy said the acquisition is in line with the company’s plans for “continuing to develop the U.S. market and becoming a consolidator to program distribution groups that have distinctive branding while continuing to maintain and operate existing business relationships with member customers.”
Also highly read this week was our Jan. 11 Executive Interview with Safety-Kleen’s Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing Eric Zimmer. In this exclusive interview, Zimmer talks with aftermarketNews about EcoPower, the company’s new, environmentally friendly motor oil, which was unveiled this past fall at AAPEX.
While Toyota tries to move forward, technical trouble keeps reeling it back in. After adding new models to the list of vehicles recalled for the separate issues of floor mat entrapment and sticking accelerator pedals this week, Toyota is now also seeing reports emerge over brake concerns on the 2010 Prius. NHTSA has opened a preliminary investigation into the matter, and Toyota says it will cooperate fully. In the meantime, Toyota announced a comprehensive plan to fix sticking accelerator pedals on recalled vehicles. Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) said its dealers nationwide have received the parts, information and training necessary to fix accelerator pedals on the recalled vehicles and that repairs have begun.
Back in Michigan, R. L. Polk & Co. is busy moving into new corporate headquarters. Polk is moving to the Travelers Tower II building in Southfield, Mich., from its current location in the First Center Building, also in Southfield. Polk will occupy nearly five floors in the new building, including more than 138,000 square feet of commercial space. Chairman, President and CEO Stephen Polk said the move will enable the company to continue to produce and provide outstanding support and solutions for customers, while realizing cost savings through an efficient re-design of its space.
The final item in our list of the most-viewed news on AMN this week comes from Affinia Group, which has sold its Commercial Distribution Europe business unit, known as Quinton Hazell, to Klarius Group Limited and Auto Holding Paris S.A.S. The divestiture enables Affinia to focus on its core businesses and global growth strategy. Quinton Hazell is a diverse aftermarket manufacturer and distributor of automotive components throughout Europe. The company has approximately 750 people and is headquartered in Hinckley, Warwickshire, which is also its main U.K. warehousing and distribution operation. It also has other locations in the U.K., France, Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland, Italy and Spain.
