CARQUEST Selects 2004 TECH-NET Professional/ASE Technician of the Year
Richard Robb of Elkhorn, Wis., has been named the 2004 TECH-NET Professional / ASE Technician of the Year. Owner of Hi-Tech Automotive, he is an ASE certified master automobile technician with L-1 certification. Robb was selected for the award after meeting the criteria set by CARQUEST and excelling on the Spring 2004 ASE automobile certification exams. Robb became an automotive technician in 1975. He started Hi-Tech Automotive 12 years ago and today his business has four bays.
Rift Harming Auto Industry
The tense relationship between Detroit’s automakers and their suppliers was on display Wednesday as executives from both camps spoke about cooperating and collaborating while taking subtle or direct swipes at each other.
Spectra Premium Concludes the Acquisition of Trimag
Spectra Premium Industries Inc. (SPI), a North American manufacturer of automobile, light-truck and heavy-duty truck aftermarket parts, has completed its acquisition of a 90 percent of interest in Trimag, L.P. Investissement Quebec will own the other 10 percent of interest in Trimag.
Cooper Standard Automotive Forms Joint Venture in China
Cooper-Standard Automotive, an operating group of Cooper Tire & Rubber Co., has formed a joint venture company with Saiyang Sealing Products Co. of China. Through the joint venture, the two companies will manufacture and sell automobile sealing systems for under the name Cooper Saiyang Wuhu Automotive. The joint venture will manufacture sealing components for the C307 program for Changan Ford.
Valvoline Responds to Article in Detroit Free Press
Valvoline Co. recently shared with aftermarketNews.com a letter written to the editor of the Detroit Free Press responding to an article that questioned the legitimacy of some specialty motor oils. The article, “Don’t be fooled by pricey, fancy oils, experts warn,” was published July 15 in the Detroit Free Press and was picked up by other associated national newspapers such as the Kansas City Star. In the article, Free Press Auto Critic Mark Phelan stated that the “bewildering variety of oils” on the market today may be a waste of money, according to the “variety of industry experts” with whom he spoke. In a letter to the editor, Dr. Fran Lockwood, senior vice president technology for Valvoline, responded to the article and defended the claims that Valvoline and other motor oil manufacturers make about their products.
Car Care Council Women’s Board Announces 2004 Post-Secondary Scholarship Recipients
The Car Care Council Women’s Board has announced that Vanessa Cappadona of Florence, Ky., is the recipient of the 2004 Women’s Board $1,000 scholarship. Cappadona will be recognized during the Women’s Board reception on Tuesday, Nov. 2, at the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) in Las Vegas, Nev.
British Columbia Safety Council to Sell SmarTire Products
The British Columbia Safety Council (BCSC), an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to reducing injuries and accidents, has agreed to act as a reseller of SmartTire Systems’ advanced tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS). The BCSC will sell and promote the entire family of SmarTire products for buses, RVs, commercial vehicles and automobiles as part of its various fleet and corporate driver training courses.
CARS Opens Online Registration for 2004 Event
Online registration for the 2004 Congress of Automotive Repair and Service (CARS) is now available on the CARS Web site www.CARSonline.org. Online registration for the 2004 Congress of Automotive Repair and Service (CARS) is now available on the CARS Web site www.CARSonline.org.
Lord Corp. Takes Automotive Body Repair Product Line to Latin America
Lord Corp., maker of Fusor Automotive Repair Adhesives metal and composite bonding solution for automotive body repair, is launching its training curriculum and product line in Latin America through its Latin American counterpart, Lord de Mexico.
Much of Coastal U.S. May Follow California on Car Emissions
California’s plan for sharp cuts in automotive emissions of global warming gases could eventually lead much of the coastal United States to turn to vehicles that are substantially cleaner, and by extension more fuel efficient, than those in the rest of the nation.