The Week in Review (June 9-13,2008)
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, just click on the link that says "News Archives" at the
NGK Opens Third U.S. Plant
NGK Spark Plugs (U.S.A.), Inc. recently marked the opening its third manufacturing facility in the U.S. with a grand opening ceremony May 19 for its new state-of the-art plant, located in Sissonville, near Charleston, W.Va. The plant will have a capacity of 20 million spark plugs per year for original and replacement equipment markets in the U.S., and is expected to provide more than 80 new jobs in the region.
Retired GM Exec Appointed to MPA Board
Motorcar Parts of America has appointed Duane F. Miller to its board of directors, expanding the board to seven members. Duane Miller, 60, retired in April 2008 after a 37-year career with General Motors Corporation. He most recently served as executive director for General Motor’s Service and Parts Operation, responsible for all field activities, GM Parts (original equipment), AC Delco (aftermarket), GM Accessories business channels and the Global Independent Aftermarket business. His career with General Motors included numerous assignments and increasing responsibilities, commencing as a merchandising representative for the former AC Spark Plug division.
General Motors Recognizes Best Suppliers
JACKSONVILLE , Fla. – General Motors Corp. recently recognized 97 companies with its highly coveted Supplier of the Year Award. There are 57 multiple-year winners among this year’s nominees. “GM is proud to honor our best suppliers with the Supplier of the Year Award, an award that we believe is the most meaningful honor in
What Impact Do Private Label Products Have on the Aftermarket?
Private label has become an especially hot topic in the automotive and heavy duty distribution businesses. In fact, private label sales are growing at the expense of manufacturers’ brands around the world. The importance of making the right private label decisions for all manufacturers, distributors and retailers will continue to grow. D. Bruce Merrifield, Jr., president, Merrifield Consulting Group, Inc. and Bill Wade, president, Wade & Partners, are working on a joint project in this area, and will share their results at the 2008 Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS) in Chicago. Click on the full story to read an excerpt from their presentation.
Aftermarket Professionals Graduate from University of the Aftermarket’s Leadership 2.0 Program
Leadership 2.0, the University of the Aftermarket’s Executive Development Program, concluded on Friday, April 18, with a graduation ceremony for its 19 participants. Participants in this year’s program represent a wide-array of aftermarket companies at all levels of the industry. Part I was held at Northwood University’s Troy campus in September 2007.
VIDEO FEATURE: LDN Fun Run Raises $6,000 for GAAS Scholarships
A record number of aftermarket execs laced up their running shoes for a worthy cause last week. The Leadership Development Network (LDN) hosted its annual Fun Run benefit during the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) Spring Leadership Days, which took place April 9-11 in Bonita Springs, Florida. While in Bonita Springs, aftermarketNews Editor Amy Antenora talked with LDN Chairman Jason Porrini about the history of the Fun Run, as well as his own experiences as one of the first participants in LDN’s Next Generation Club program.
OBITUARY: AIM Inc. Founder Tom Clayton
Thomas "Tom" Craig Clayton, 57, Cartersville, Va., died April 6, after a long, hard-fought and brave battle with cancer. Tom worked in the automotive parts business for his entire professional career, starting in 1973 with the ACDelco division of General Motors. In 1990 Tom founded AIM Inc., where he served as president until 2008. He built the business from its inception into a nationwide automotive parts buying group.
From Counterman.com: Maintenance vs. Repair — The Impact on Parts Sourcing
by Gary Goms Knowing what maintenance parts your customers need will make their vehicles safer and more reliable — and your revenue greater. Most people remember the tale of Rip Van Winkle sleeping for 20 years and waking up in an entirely new and unfamiliar world. Today, a jobber can awaken to a completely new
Icahn Now Controls 75 Percent of Federal-Mogul Stock: Deal Closed with Asbestos Trust Fund
From Detroit Free Press Billionaire investor and chairman of Federal-Mogul Corp. Carl Icahn bought half of the stock in the Southfield, MI-based parts supplier last week, giving him control of three of every four company shares. Icahn exercised his option to buy 50.1 million shares of the company for $900 million, according to a filing