People Places & Racing News

Movers & Shakers: John Passante Joins Brenton Productions; Soo Il Lee Named Hankook Tire America President; and More

 John Passante
 John Passante

Automotive aftermarket executive, trainer and inspirational speaker John Passante has joined Brenton Productions Inc. as executive vice president. He will continue his role as president of The Organizational Development Group Inc. as he assists Brenton Productions in its production of automotive series for national TV networks. Prior to this appointment, Passante was senior vice president for CARQUEST, senior vice president of human resources for Moog Automotive and senior director worldwide human resources for Delphi Products and Service Solutions.

The Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) is currently seeking nominations for its second annual Worker of the Year award to be presented at the 2010 SCCA National Convention in Las Vegas. The Worker of the Year will be presented to the volunteer who shows the greatest commitment to SCCA motorsports activities, be it in Club Racing, Rally or Solo. This person should personify the SCCA volunteer; an individual who gives their time and effort toward creating and operating a successful SCCA event. Nominees need a minimum of five years of service with SCCA events and may not be a paid SCCA staff member, current board member or any member who is a paid consultant to SCCA. Submit nominations to president@scca.com or by fax to the attention of the SCCA President at 785/232-7228. The deadline is Monday, November 30.

Scosche Industries announced that it has won a Best of CES Innovations Design and Engineering Award in the in-vehicle control/OEM integration category for its stereo replacement interface PN#GM25-SWM. According to the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the prestigious award recognizes the most innovative consumer electronics products in the industry's hottest categories and is a hallmark for the best-designed products in consumer technology.

CARQUEST Auto Parts extended its relationship with Hendrick Motorsports and the No. 5 Chevrolet driven by Mark Martin through the 2011 NASCAR season. The two-year agreement will showcase CARQUEST with primary sponsor placement in eight points races annually beginning in 2010. CARQUEST began its relationship with Hendrick Motorsports in 2002 as the organization's Official Auto Parts Supplier and a major associate sponsor of the No. 5 Nationwide Series team with driver Ricky Hendrick.

Soo Il Lee
 
Soo Il Lee
 

Hankook Tire Co. LTD. named Soo Il Lee as its new president for Hankook Tire America Corp. (HanAm), effective December 1, 2009. In addition to his duties as HanAm president, Lee will also serve as COO for the company’s business operations throughout the Americas, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America. Lee will replace H. Y. (Greg) Pae, who is returning to the company’s global headquarters in Seoul, Korea, after spending the last several years as president of HanAm and COO for Hankook’s business units in the Americas.

Express Lube was awarded the President’s Award within the Automotive Oil Change Industry category from Royal Purple. The award recognized Express Lube for sales, marketing and customer service excellence. This marks the second industry accolade Express Lube has received this year. The company was also featured as a success story in Oil and Lube News magazine.

SnugTop has entered into a distributor agreement with Jotto Desk to begin offering the Jotto-Cargo Slide cargo management system through SnugTop’s dealer network.

 Revolutionary Lift
 Among the people highlighted on "Cool Tools" featuring the Revolution Lift is Melvin Meisberger of New Marion, Indianapolis, who owns one of the first four-post lifts made by Revolution Lift.

The Revolution Lift RFP9 four-post lift, a brand of Vehicle Service Group, will be featured in an episode of the DIY network program “Cool Tools” during prime time on Thanksgiving. The episode, “Garage Workshop,” will air for the first time at 9:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 26, as part of the show’s Thanksgiving marathon. It will be repeated at midnight and will also air on November 28, November 29 and December 19. Here is a complete schedule and episode description.

Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. hired Glen D. Watson as regional sales manager for the company’s Region 240, which includes Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee. Watson's addition marks his return to the company; he worked for Toyo Tires from 1996–2001 in regional sales. Most recently, Watson worked for ABSCO Fireplace & Patio providing retail support, training, and serving as a retail coordinator.