UAW Organizes at Dana to Shore Up Membership
The UAW has organized about 2,000 workers at five Dana Corp. plants from Michigan to Tennessee as the union seeks to rebuild its active ranks and regain power in the auto industry. Along the way, the union faces opposition not only from workers who don’t want a union but also from those who want a tougher union that would fight and win better wages, benefits and working conditions. To them, the UAW has become too conciliatory as it strives to gain members.
Axles, Wheels on Crown Vics Investigated
Ford Motor Co.’s Crown Victoria sedans, the subject of lawsuits over fatal fires and a recall of some 2003 models for potential wheel cracks, face a U.S. inquiry after police departments said axles broke or wheels fell off. The investigation covers 287,819 police and civilian 2003 models of the Crown Victoria and the similar Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Car, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on its Web site. Two police fleets reported that axles broke or wheels fell off on a total of four cars, without accidents or injuries, the agency said.
Goodyear to Seek Millions in Loans
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., on the verge of posting its third straight annual loss, said Tuesday it plans to take on an additional $300 million in loans to fund its turnaround. The Akron, Ohio, company said it is also taking steps to follow through on a promise made last year to the United Steelworkers of America to complete a large bond sale. The sale is designed to improve the company’s strength and protect union jobs.
Family Affairs at Two North American Supplier Giants Could Spell Trouble
The family ownership rampant among mid-sized German suppliers is sometimes seen as a liability compared to North America’s bottom line-obsessed car parts makers. But last week, two of North America’s biggest suppliers — Lear and Magna — looked more like fickle family enterprises than the publicly traded automotive giants they are.
DST Unveils New Automated Email and Fax Options for its DSTWare Suite of Products
DST Inc. has launched new automated e-mailing and faxing options for users of its iSeries-based DSTWare suite of products. KeyesMail and KeyesFax were developed by Computer Keyes, a Woodway, Wa.-based software developer. Both KeyesMail and KeyesFax are full function automated packages for the iSeries systems.
Delphi Becomes Official Safety Supplier to IRL
In the first-ever agreement of its kind, Delphi has been designated the “Official Safety Supplier” to the Indy Racing League (IRL). Beginning this year, the league’s safety and rescue team will become the Delphi Indy Racing League Safety Team. The Delphi Indy Racing League Safety Team includes 15 trained professionals who will attend all IndyCar Series and Menards Infiniti Pro Series events to handle on-site emergencies. In addition, Delphi will provide new safety technologies for safety vehicles used by the team and will provide hydraulic sled testing and analysis services at the Delphi Safety Systems Test Center, a state-of-the-art safety testing facility in Vandalia, Ohio.
Modine Expands Aftermarket Radiator Model Coverage
The aftermarket division of Modine Manufacturing has added more than 100 complete replacement radiators to its 2004 product line. The expanded radiator line, currently available, includes thousands of applications from domestic and import cars and light trucks. Modine’s aftermarket supplies replacement radiators both nationally and internationally, including distribution through major national accounts like NAPA, Pronto, Parts Plus, APA, independent automotive parts distributors, and more than 25,000 local repair outlets.
“DST Asks”: Adding Service/Installation as an Additional Profit Center in a Parts Enterprise
How many readers know that Starbucks, the ubiquitous coffee retailer, actually began operating as a coffee roaster in Seattle, selling bags of whole bean coffee in Pike Street Market? It took a visionary leader, Howard Schultz, coupled with an ambitious operating plan and enterprise management technology to morph the business into the worldwide coffeehouse chain and merchandising success story we see today. And this all happened in an incredibly short period of time…with growth from 17 outlets in 1987 to 7,225 outlets today. All of this was based on the simple premise, “We already have customers who buy our coffee beans — what if we brewed the coffee for them, too?” We see a similar opportunity in parts distribution.
Prestolite Electric Sells UK Facility
Prestolite Electric Holding, has sold the Acton (London, England) manufacturing facility of Prestolite Electric Limited, the company’s UK subsidiary. Prestolite sold the subsidiary to Lemon Land Limited for approximately $47 million. The Acton facility had a book value of $9 million. In connection with the purchase, Prestolite retained the right to occupy the facility through the end of 2004.
Johnson Controls’ Earnings Up 17 Percent
Johnson Controls Inc. said quarterly earnings rose 17 percent, with both its automotive parts and building controls businesses reporting double-digit sales gains. Johnson Controls also eliminated a few dozen jobs at its Milwaukee controls division, even as it plans to expand the business by about 100 jobs, the company said Wednesday.