People Places & Racing News

Movers & Shakers: ProMedia Promotes Chris Vopat to National Sales Director; Matt Payne Hired as Transworld Sales Manager

 promedia, chris vopat
Chris Vopat was promoted to national sales director by ProMedia LLC, home of the NMRA, NMCA, and NMCA WEST event series.
  

ProMedia Promotes Chris Vopat to National Sales Director
ProMedia LLC, home of the NMRA, NMCA and NMCA WEST event series, announced that Chris Vopat was promoted to national sales director. Vopat, who spent five years at Petersen Publishing before joining ProMedia, has worked for the company since 1999 and was most recently publisher of NMRA's Race Pages magazine and sales manager for NMCA's Fastest Street Car. He will be responsible for all sponsorship, magazine, website and business-to-business sales.

Grote Joins DOE's Lighting Facts Program
Grote Industries announced that the company has joined the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Lighting Facts program to provide correct, accurate and useful information for all of its LED work lamps. The move was made to support an ongoing, companywide initiative to provide better LED lamp-performance information. Grote has submited its work lamps to DOE-approved labs for testing for several months, and the data is then sent to the DOE for approval and certification. Once that process is complete, the DOE awards Grote an official label that carries the key certified data. The DOE-approved labs provide the data that appears on the Lighting Facts label, including light output (Lumens), watts (power consumption), lumens per watt (efficacy) color accuracy (based on the accepted color rendering index (CRI) index), light color (correlated color temperature [CCT]—indicating relationship to actual daylight) and warranty information.

 matt payne, transworld
Matt Payne has joined Transworld Products as sales manager.
  

Matt Payne Hired as Transworld Sales Manager
Transworld Products has named Matt Payne as sales manager. Payne, who has more than 14 years of sales experience in the automotive aftermarket, will identify new opportunities with SEMA manufacturer members looking to source abroad. Transworld Products is an experienced import service company specializing in international product development and component part sourcing for OE manufacturers and distributors. 

Meyer Distributing and Armor Deck Join Forces to Expand Product Lines, Customer Base
Meyer Distributing Inc. has joined forces with Armor Deck Inc. in Saddle Brook, New Jersey. According to a recent announcement, Meyer will use its logistical capabilities to bring enhanced service to the Armor Deck platform and supply the company with new product categories. “Armor Deck has a well-established presence in the Northeast,” says Nicholas Gramelspacher, vice president of sales and marketing for Meyer. “Coupling our technology and their experienced staff should allow Armor Deck and Meyer to achieve new heights in this key market.”

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Troy Ladd
 
  

Troy Ladd Chooses B’Kos Media & Marketing to Represent Licensing and Endorsement Efforts
Hollywood Hot Rods owner Troy Ladd has named Los Angeles-based B’Kos Media & Marketing as its agency of record for licensing and endorsements. B’Kos Media will handle licensed products in all categories for Hollywood Hot Rods and manage all endorsement deals for Ladd as the Burbank, California, custom car builder seeks to leverage his brand's awareness across multiple automotive and lifestyle categories.

“My goal is to take Hollywood Hot Rods and Respect Tradition to a global consumer base,” said Ladd. “We build the highest quality custom cars and are looking forward to bringing that quality and attention to detail to our customers who are looking for automotive accessories and lifestyle products. B’Kos Media has a unique position in the market with extensive experience in both the automotive and licensing businesses which we feel will best suit our goals."

Hollywood Hot Rods has won numerous awards, including “Trendsetter Of The Year” and multiple “Builder Of The Year” awards. The company’s automotive creations have been featured on the covers of 20 magazines both nationally and internationally and the company has garnered more than 150 magazine features. Additionally, Ladd has been featured on television shows, including: "Hot Rod TV," "Rides," "Car Crazy" and "American Icon: The Hot Rod."

 coddington
Jo Coddington will sign autographs in the Champion booth(#25221) at the 2013 SEMA Show.
  

American Hot Rod Celebrity Jo Coddington to Appear at Champion Booth During 2013 SEMA Show
Jo Coddington of television’s "American Hot Rod" fame will represent and sign autographs for Champion Classic & Muscle Motor Oil at the upcoming SEMA Show in Booth #25221. "I was napping on a creeper as a kid", said Coddington. “My father and other family members had been in the automotive business all their lives. I raced go-karts and, with the aid of two pillows, could drive the family's ’53 Chevy at the age of 12, and then aced sand-rails in hill climbs and other speed events.”

Coddington's enthusiasm for all things motorized has taken her down the path of the hot-rod industry and landed her as an unlikely expert in the field. She took business and investment classes at Arizona State University and landed a job as an investment advisor, which she credits for her business savvy. Later, working with her iconic car-builder husband, the late Boyd Coddington, she became an integral part of the operational management and success of the business, plus the knowledge and education being around Boyd really fine-tuned her understanding of the hot-rod industry.

“It’s amazing. Today, Jo continues to wear many hats. First and foremost, she is the dedicated keeper of Boyd Coddington’s legacy. She travels the country on Boyd’s behalf doing numerous speaking engagements, trade shows and motorsports events,” said Karl Dedolph, director of performance and racing products at Champion Oil.

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