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Automotive advertising veteran Max Butler was named the marketing vice president of Global Vehicles USA. He joins Global Vehicles following 17 years of Saturn marketing for three advertising agencies in Atlanta. Global Vehicles USA is the distributor for Indian automaker Mahindra & Mahindra, which is in the process of launching its first vehicles in the United States.
National Sprint Car Hall of Fame member Emmett Hahn will be the Grand Marshall of the 14th Annual Budweiser Oval Nationals, November 6–8, at the Perris Auto Speedway. Hahn is a former champion driver who currently runs the American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) sanctioning body and promotes the well-known Chili Bowl for Midgets every January.
PPG Industries appointed Domenic Brusco to senior manager, industry relations for North America Automotive Refinish. Brusco will be the company’s lead liaison for industry stakeholders, and he will work with industry leaders to identify and seek solutions to business challenges that face the automotive aftermarket industry. Brusco joined PPG in 1988 as a refinish territory manager in Boston, Massachusetts, and has held several sales and management positions within the company.
Eaton Corp. named Eric Zahrai manager for Aftertreatment Marketing and Strategic Partners for its Truck Group. In addition to providing marketing leadership for one of Eaton’s newest businesses, Zahrai will also take the lead for managing the relationship with Eaton’s strategic commercial vehicle supplier partners, Dana Holding Corp. and Bendix Heavy Vehicle Systems Group. His most recent position was sales and marketing manager – Europe.
HUGHES Telematics has completed the successful initial testing in Europe of its in-Drive aftermarket telematics solution. The services available through in-Drive include emergency calling (e-Call), breakdown assistance (b-Call), diagnostics monitoring and emissions testing, stolen-vehicle tracking and geofencing.
The family-owned N.A. Williams manufacturers’ rep firm was named the new factory representative for the Peterson Manufacturing Co. N.A. Williams will serve the Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas markets.
Continuing its long-running support of Jay Blake and the Follow A Dream Race Team, Permatex will provide a corporate sponsorship for the team as it competes for the 2009 NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car Series Championship. Permatex has partnered with Jay Blake and his Follow A Dream Race Team since 2004. Blake, owner and crew chief of the Follow A Dream Race Team, is totally blind after losing his sight in a tire explosion more than 10 years ago.
General Parts Inc. (GPI), parent company of CARQUEST, announced that it will only accept valid Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) standard ACES 2.0 and PIES 6.1.1 or later data from its suppliers for entry into its Product Data Management System (PDMS). GPI chose Illumaware LLC for an exclusive contract to use its Evokat software as an ACES and PIES validation tool for the nearly 200 companies in the GPI supply chain. Each supplier’s data must pass validation before being entered into the PDMS.
Edge Products launched a new racing division, Edge Racing. The new brand of products are designed for diesel motorsports enthusiasts who participate in sled pulls, drag racing, dyno competitions and other off-road events. The Race Evolution for the 2006–2009 Chevy/GM Duramax and the 2003–2009 Ford Powerstroke are the first of many products to be launched under the Edge Racing brand.
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WC Vision will continue its partnership with SPEED to broadcast all 10 rounds of the 2009 SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Championships. This year’s broadcasts, which will be produced the Internal Combustion Group, will combine each SPEED GT and SPEED Touring Car round into a single, one-hour program. Broadcasts will continue to air tape delayed on SPEED.
Automotive trim suppliers Guardian Automotive and Siegel-Robert Automotive have combined to form SRG Global Inc. The privately held company has manufacturing operations in North America, Europe and Asia and is headquartered in Warren, Michigan. Guardian Automotive’s European trim operation—formerly known as Lab Radio—is also part of SRG Global.
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Goodguys Rod & Custom Association founder and Chairman Gary Meadors is working on a '48 Chrysler Town and Country convertible. He's not going it alone. With the help of some old friends, and working off a sketch by Thom Taylor, Meadors has appointed Bob Bauder of Crestline, California, as captain of the build, which features completely new wood installation courtesy of Cincinnati Woodworks and intricate wood-finish work from the gang at Wood N Carr. The color will be a deep maroon with warm, rich wood tones.
Under the long smooth hood will sit a 2006 Dodge Viper “Gen 3” SRT 10 with an automatic transmission. An Art Morrison chassis with coilovers and four-wheel disc brakes will get the big Woodie riding in ultra-cool, ultra-low fashion. The bright work will be handled by Sherm’s Plating. Seventeen-inch Chrysler wires and whitewalls finish off the look. In sticking to the Meadors signature, the goal is to have an extremely low, stock-appearing classic Chrysler for comfortable long-distance cruisin’ and profilin’.
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