Shortage of Technology-Oriented Mechanics May Lead to Higher Repair Costs
Motorists, already facing soaring gas prices, can expect higher repair costs in the future because of a lack of qualified mechanics. Even as today’s cars and trucks become more technologically advanced, there are fewer students who can read well enough to understand manuals that explain how to repair them, mechanics and automotive instructors say.
Indiana Visteon Workers Approve Four-year Pact
After a 15-day strike marred by violence, workers at a Visteon Corp. auto parts plant in Bedford, Ind., approved a contract Sunday that union leaders say includes wage concessions and a guaranteed limit on job cuts. Union members at the Bedford plant voted 528-410 to accept the four-year contract, announced Saturday, said Tom Jones, vice president of International Union of Electrical Workers-Communications Workers of America Local 907. Employees were to report for work on Tuesday.
MACS President to Speak at Australian Mobile A/C Conference
MACS president and COO Elvis Hoffpauir will deliver a presentation on mobile A/C service trends in the U.S. at the 2004 Wire & Gas Training Convention and Trade Show in Brisbane, Australia. Hoffpauir will be among a number of leading experts to speak about vehicle air conditioning design and future trends at the event, which takes place June 11-14.
Stoneridge Appoints New COO
Automotive electrical components manufacturer Stoneridge, Inc. has named Edward Mosel as its new COO. He succeeds Gerald Pisani, who was named president and CEO in May. Mosel joined Stoneridge in 1988 when the company acquired Joseph Pollak Corp. At the time, he was vice president of sales and marketing. Mosel was named vice president and general manager of Stoneridge’s switch products division in 1996, and vice president and general manager of the switch and sensor group in 2000.
Visteon Talks Continue
Visteon Corp. and union leaders were to resume talks Tuesday to try to end a 10-day strike by 1,026 workers at an Indiana factory, the union said. Management at the Bedford, Ind., plant requested a return to the bargaining table for the first talks since the walkout began, International Union of Electrical Workers-Communications Workers of America Local 907 said on its Web site.
TRW Automotive Launches Safety Electronics Production in China
TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. has launched production of airbag electronic control units (ECUs) from its wholly-owned subsidiary in Anting, China. The company has invested $11 million in the 12,000-square-foot facility to date. The plant currently employs 120 people and expects to double that number as production increases in 2005.
DST Asks: Parts Distributors — Do Your Customers Order Parts Online?
Help Wanted – Parts Counterman, Requirements: Must be willing to work 365 days per year, 24 hours per day. Understands and has committed to memory a world-class multi-line parts catalog. Always knows correct pricing of each item. Processes parts orders in nanoseconds. Never puts customers on hold. Works for electricity – no salary or extra benefits. Any bets on how many responses you’ll get to that classified ad? Selling auto parts would be a lot easier and less costly if you could make those kinds of hires. Actually, it turns out that such resources are available today, just not human resources, the kind we would advertise for in the local paper. Instead, we might call them “cyber-employees” – a new species that forms the backbone of e-business and works in the world of browser-based technology on the Internet.
CSK Auto Corp. Reports First Quarter 2004 Results
CSK Auto Corp., parent company of CSK Auto Inc., has reported its financial results for the first quarter of fiscal 2004. Sales for the 13 weeks, which ended on May 2, increased $19.7 million to $397.1 million from $377.4 million for the 13 weeks ended May 4, 2003. Same store sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2004 increased 5 percent compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2003.
Temporary Workers Maintain Production at Visteon Plant Under Strike
Visteon Corp. is using temporary workers in an attempt to maintain production at its Bedford, Ind., plant while union members continue to strike. The strike, which began Sunday, is being led by members of the International Union of Electrical Workers-Communications Workers of America Local 907. In April, Visteon announced it would halt product of fuel-delivery modules at the plant, which could mean the loss of up to 600 jobs for the plant.
Violence Breaks Out During Strike at Visteon Plant
State troopers in riot helmets kept watch over a picket line outside a Visteon Corp. plant in Bedford, Ind., after weekend confrontations between strikers and security guards reportedly left some union members with injuries. The strike began early Sunday after members of the International Union of Electrical Workers-Communications Workers of America voted to reject a contract offer from the auto parts supplier.