By Amy Antenora
The Week in Review offers a snapshot of the most highly read stories of the week as seen on aftermarketNews. To access the complete stories, simply click on the highlighted links. If you missed reading one of our daily news emails, click on any of the dates listed at the bottom of the page to begin catching up on the latest industry news.
While it’s no crystal ball, tapping into the thought-leadership available through leading aftermarket executives is a great way to take the ‘pulse’ of this industry. For this week’s Ask the Industry feature, we compiled sharp and insightful comments from several veteran industry executives, responding to one common question: How do you envision the aftermarket in the next five to 10 years?
Another highly read story on aftermarketNews this week brought word of promising news for Federal-Mogul – the company expects to emerge from Chapter 11 by the end of the year. On Wednesday, Federal-Mogul’s Fourth Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization was affirmed by the U.S. District Court, bringing to a close a long process that began in 2001. Stay tuned for our exclusive interview with Jose Maria Alapont, chairman, president and CEO of Federal-Mogul, which will be published later this month.
One other major North American parts supplier took the lead in our ranking of most-read stories this week. On Wednesday, Affinia Group announced that it has acquired certain assets of Ontario, Canada-based Brake Pro, Ltd., expanding the company’s presence in the medium and heavy duty friction market. The purchase includes manufacturing equipment, friction formulations and unrestricted rights to the brand name.
According to national reports, gas prices are nearing $4 per gallon in some parts of the country this week. A new study from the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) highlights the impact soaring gas prices are having on motorist habits. Nearly six in 10 people surveyed claim their driving behavior has changed due to rising gas prices. Ninety percent of those who responded to AAIA’s survey said they are driving less thanks to rising gas prices while 75 percent are taking better care of their cars as a result.
Finally, rounding out our list of highest-read articles on AMN this week is a Knight/Ridder report titled “Automobile Recycling Business Has Changed Dramatically.” The article highlights what the aftermarket industry has been closely watching take place over the past several years — the transformation of aftermarket crash parts distribution into a multi-million dollar industry.
To view all of the news from the past week, simply click on the link for each corresponding day:
