AMN Celebrates Five Years
Five years. One thousand, eight hundred and twenty-five days. In aftermarket years, that’s no more than the blink of an eye. Still, for an industry that has kept America rolling for nearly a century, a lot has changed in the last five years. Five years ago today, on Sept. 13, 1999, aftermarketNews.com (AMN) was launched. Since then, AMN has published more than 19,000 unique, industry-specific news articles, editorials, interviews and features.
Executive Interview with Hoon Chung, President & CEO of DST, Inc.
Our latest edition of “Executive Interview” features Hoon Chung, who was recently named president and CEO of DST, Inc., in Mission Viejo, Calif. Chung has more than 20 years of management experience in supply chain management and technology deployment services. Prior to his role as the Automotive Group senior vice president and general manager at Activant, he was the COO of Adexa, Inc., which delivers intelligent enterprise business planning and performance management solutions that link strategic, tactical and operational aspects in optimizing enterprise-wide supply chain planning and synchronization. Chung recently talked with aftermarketNews.com about his new appointment to lead DST, what he envisions for the company’s future and what he brings from his experience in other industries.
ArvinMeritor Files Lawsuit over Transmission Patent Infringement by Eaton Corp.
ArvinMeritor has filed a lawsuit in Charlotte, N.C., Federal Court against Cleveland, Ohio-based Eaton Corp. for infringement over a transmission patent. The patent covers an ArvinMeritor transmission automation technology, which was developed for the ArvinMeritor ESS transmission, a model that has been superceded by higher technology. ArvinMeritor seeks an injunction to stop the sale of Eaton Transmission models UltraShift and AutoShift, which use this technology, as well as for damages for past infringement.
Alltrade Launches New line of HOT ROD Branded Automotive Tools
Shop tool and equipment maker Alltrade Tools LLC recently launched a new line of branded automotive tools and garage equipment, using the Hot Rod magazine name for the new brand. Alltrade teamed up with PRIMEDIA Enterprises, the licensing merchandising division of PRIMEDIA Inc., which publishes HOT ROD magazine. This is the second HOT ROD product line to launch following last year’s debut of the HOT ROD line of garage furniture produced by Sauder Woodworking.
Denso’s Thai Unit Aims to Raise Quality, Lower Costs
Autoparts maker Denso Corp.’s Thai unit will work to improve quality while lowering the cost of its products, President Shinji Takeuchi of Denso (Thailand) Co. told The Nihon Keizai Shimbun daily newspaper. The launch of Toyota Motor Corp.’s Innovative International Multi-purpose Vehicle project, in which it produces common automobile models overseas and exports them around the world, is expected to have an impact on the way autoparts makers operate in Southeast Asia.
Charting Your Supply Chain DNA — The Integrated Operating Model
In our previous article, we outlined five key challenges facing today’s supply chain architects. Starting this week, we want to present a dramatic new approach to supply chain engineering that responds to these challenges.
AutoXray Products Now Available Through AutoZone
AutoXray’s line of automotive diagnostic scan tools can now be purchased via special order at AutoZone locations. AutoXray markets a wide range of products including the EZ-Scan line of diagnostic scan tools as well as its newest innovation the EZ-Charge Check that allows the user to monitor the performance of the battery through the AutoXray scan tool. AutoXray’s range of products can be used by both professional technicians as well as consumers.
Bridgestone Announces First Half Results
Bridgestone Corp., parent company of Bridgestone Americas Holding (BAH) Inc. announced consolidated financial results for the six-month period ending June 30. The company reported consolidated net sales of $10.64 billion and net income of $482 million.
Charting Your Supply Chain DNA
How do you develop an integrated operating system that can simultaneously improve working capital, enhance revenue and margin, and improve order-to-delivery speed and predictability? One innovative approach is to select and configure a unique blend of capabilities and strategies, or “supply chain DNA,” across the dimensions of process, information, cash and organization. Over the coming weeks we’ll present a multi-part roadmap to executing that approach-and in the process, achieving all three benefits at once.
Visteon Village Opens in Michigan
A corporate headquarters is often chilly, remote and austere. Visteon Corp.’s new home is more like a friendly village square, and that’s by design. Visteon Village, as the auto-parts supplier calls its new corporate center in Van Buren Township,Mich., is modeled after a small town, with human-scale buildings that cluster together, and an array of attractions from shops to a waterfront promenade to make life more pleasant for employees.