People Places & Racing News

Movers & Shakers: B&M Acquires Flowmaster; John Nodson Named The Marx Group VP of Market Research

B&M Acquires Flowmaster Inc.
The B&M Automotive Group expanded its portfolio of industry brands with its recent addition of Flowmaster Inc. The popular Flowmaster Inc. joins the B&M Racing and Performance, Hurst Shifters and Hurst Driveline Conversions team of aftermarket brands. "Flowmaster is an exciting acquisition for B&M from both a fit and synergy standpoint," said Nate Shelton, chief marketing officer, B&M Automotive Group. "We look forward to the product and business growth opportunities associated with this great brand." According to a Flowmaster announcement, Flowmaster's three facilities, totaling more than 400,000 sq. ft., are dedicated to producing exhaust products that are easy to install and provide immediate performance gains—features that the company feels are a perfect fit with the B&M Automotive Group portfolio.

MotorzTV to Premiere on Pursuit Channel
Duke Networks LLC's "Motorz TV" will premiere on the Pursuit Channel cable and satellite network starting Wednesday, April 6. Hosted by Chris Duke, the show will air every Wednesday night at 10:00 p.m. (PDT). According to a release from Duke Networks, the Pursuit Channel is the number-one channel in satellite distribution among full-time outdoor networks. "Motorz TV" provides aftermarket installation tips step-by-step in layman’s terms, in a typical garage setting, using common tools.

Gene Winfield
Gene Winfield

Winfield Award to Be Presented at Syracuse Nationals
The Winfield Award—named after famous car customizer and builder Gene Winfield—will be presented during the 2011 Syracuse Nationals, which is set for July 15–17. All vehicles that are ’37 or newer that have been chopped, channeled or sectioned are eligible for the award. Winfield will pick 12 vehicles from the entries, and those will be reduced to the "Select Six" that will be in contention for the award. The six finalists will receive a custom award, jacket and $500. The actual Winfield Award winner will be announced on Saturday evening (July 16) during the event's annual dinner dance.

Nodson Named The Marx Group VP of Market Research
The Marx Group
named John Nodson as its vice president of market research. Nodson, who has been with The Marx Group since 2009 as a market and strategy specialist, will provide the company with a dedicated leader to expand its market research department, according to company president and CEO Tom Marx. In addition to his role with The Marx Group, Nodson is the president of Sagacious Advisor Group (SAG). SAG works with management of select companies by becoming part of their team to help overcome challenges, take advantage of timely opportunities and develop new businesses.

KC Couse Joins Roush Yates Engines
Roush Yates Engines
added KC Couse to its Roush Yates Performance Products division sales force. Couse has more than 30 years of racing experience throughout all motorsports, and he most recently was the drag-race manager at CV Products.

Yokohama Receives Gold Alliance Supplier Award
Yokohama Tire Corporation’s
off-the-road (OTR) division was awarded a Gold Alliance Supplier award for 2010 from Birmingham, Alabama-based Vulcan Materials Company, which annually honors its top suppliers. This is the fourth-consecutive year that Yokohama has earned the honor. Vulcan is a major producer of construction aggregates, which includes crushed stone, sand and gravel used in nearly all forms of construction. “Being honored by Vulcan is extremely gratifying because the criteria for earning a Vulcan Award is based on product, service, support, ease of transaction and value, all of which we take pride in providing to our customers,” said Gary Nash, Yokohama vice president, OTR sales. “Earning their Gold award validates our efforts for maintaining a top level of service for our customers.”

HRE Unveils New Website
HRE Performance Wheels
unveiled an all-new website that the company feels will help its customers highlight their passion for automobiles. Expanded content is laid out in a unique split-screen format and features photography with a lifestyle focus, fully integrated Facebook and Twitter feeds, large high-res image galleries for each wheel line broken down by consumer category (motorsport, street, luxury) and a digital concierge service for a hands-on wheel-design experience.