The debate over electronic vs. paper catalogs continues to cause a stir today, and in this week’s Executive Interview,Tom Aliotti, senior vice president and general manager of the Activant Solutions automotive business group, talks about the role that technology, and electronic catalogs in particular, will play in the future of the aftermarket. In the interview, Aliotti breaks down the process for getting accurate and timely manufacturer data and what manufacturers can do to speed up the process.
Another industry veteran featured in our top five this week is Brent Windom, who served as vice president of marketing and merchandising for MAWDI, prior to Uni-Select’s acquisition of MAWDI in 2004. This week it was announced that Windom, who has been working with Uni-Select since the acquisition, has been named vice president, marketing and product development, North America, for Uni-Select. In this role, Windom will oversee all marketing and product management efforts, and will also be responsible for customer related training, corporate store inventory management and the company’s web-based initiatives.
AMN readers were very interested this week in the surprising announcement of the closing of the legendary Crane Cams in Florida. However things have taken a turn for the better as the days go on. The business, which unexpectedly closed its doors and laid off all employees at the end of February, is now said to be restructuring. According to media reports, the 56-year-old business in Volusia County, Fla., is expected to reopen within 30 days.
In the distribution world, this week O’Reilly Auto Parts announced online parts ordering capability for the stores acquired in conjunction with its purchase of CSK Auto Parts last year. Websites have now been launched for Checker Auto, Schuck’s Auto, Kragen Auto and Murray’s Auto Parts, which were previously part of CSK.
The final news item in our round-up of the week’s top news comes from Timken Corp. The Canton, Ohio-based supplier recently announced that it is realigning the organization to improve efficiency and reduce costs in light of the challenging economic times. Timken said it expects to save $30 to $40 million as a result of this realignment. In conjunction, a number of leadership changes have been made, moving several executives to new assignments in key areas of the business.
