Compiled by SEMA Editors
 Rick Phillips | |
Yokohama Tire Corp. Announces Organizational Changes
Yokohama Corp. of North America (YTC) announced several organizational changes effective February 1. Rick Phillips was promoted from senior director, commercial and OTR sales, to vice president of sales, consumer, commercial and OTR. He will report to Takayuki Hamaya, YTC chief operating officer. Larry Kull, former senior director, tire business planning and sales operations, is now senior director, consumer sales. He will report to Phillips. Fred Koplin, former senior director, consumer sales, is now senior director, marketing. He will report to Hamaya. Andrew Briggs, former senior director, marketing, product planning and technical services, is now senior director, tire business planning, product planning and sales operations. He will report to Hamaya.
Action Car and Truck Accessories Acquires CTP Distributors
Action Car and Truck Accessories located in Eastern Canada has acquired CTP Distributors/Custom Truck Parts Inc. of Western Canada. The union enhances the company's competitive positioning within the wholesale, retail and fleet upfitting sectors while offering more choices and greater convenience.
"Now that we will be combined under one umbrella, CTP and Action will be the only truly national aftermarket accessory company that deals in all aspects of the aftermarket accessory business in Canada," said Bill Kluyt, CEO of CTP Distributors Inc. "I am very proud of CTP and what we have accomplished in 22 years, but even more proud and excited of what the combined efforts of CTP and Action will bring to the aftermarket accessory business in Canada!"
In addition to enhancing the wholesale and retail sectors, the new landscape will position the company as the largest commercial fleet installation network in Canada, a segment of the business with tremendous opportunity and growth potential. The combined companies will now consist of four major distribution centers (Surrey, Edmonton, Pickering, Moncton), four secondary distribution points (Calgary, Grande Prairie, Winnipeg, St. John's), 37 retail stores with installation facilities and e-commerce stores catering to wholesale, retail and commercial fleet segments.
"Action has the utmost respect for what the team at CTP Distributors has achieved and I have followed their success in becoming the largest and best source for truck accessories in Alberta and British Columbia." said John Chamberlaine, president and CEO of Action Car and Truck Accessories. "Combining our two entities to become Canada's undisputed overall national leader will allow for opportunities for all involved."
Surf City Garage Names Kahn Media Agency of Record
SCG Brands—parent company of Surf City Garage and Paradise Road Car Care—has announced that it has retained Ventura County-based Kahn Media Inc. as its agency of record. Kahn Media will be charged with public relations, social media marketing, brand journalism and strategic communications to help the Orange County-based company market its washes, waxes, polishes and surface care products, which are available nationwide and in more than 20 countries across the globe. Kahn Media will work with Surf City Garage and its associated brands to promote product awareness, educate enthusiasts about premium car care trends and forge new relationships in the automotive industry.
“Mopar Road Ready” Program Set to Launch in 2015 to Help Teen Drivers
Mopar has set plans in motion to give a helping hand to young drivers across the United States with an advanced driving program called “Mopar Road Ready,” designed to teach safe and defensive driving techniques. Sponsored by The Chrysler Foundation and supported by Mopar, the program is dedicated to training and educating teenage drivers will be available to those between the ages of 15–19 with a learner’s or driver’s license and at least 30 hours of driving experience. Three two-day sessions will be offered in Pomona, California, (February 14–15), Gainesville, Florida, (March 21–22) and in the Detroit area (May 2–3) free of charge to registered teens and their parents and guardians.
Mopar will work collaboratively with the NHRA Motorsports Museum and B.R.A.K.E.S (Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe), two nationally recognized non-profit 501(C)(3) organizations that share similar missions of promoting the importance of safe and responsible driving. Young drivers who are interested can register online.
PDRA Extends Partnership With VP Racing Fuels
The Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) has announced it has extended its partnership with VP Racing Fuels, which will be designated “Official Fuel of PDRA” through 2017. As part of the agreement, VP will provide trackside fuel service for the all-eighth-mile drag-racing series and post season awards up to $1,000 in each class for the series championship.
 Adam Booth | |
MotoUSA Names Adam Booth Off-Road Editor
Motorcycle USA has announced the hiring of Adam Booth as its new off-road editor. Booth brings 17 years of publishing industry experience and a lifetime of off-road enthusiasm to the MotoUSA staff. Effective immediately, he will lead off-road content production for the publication’s 1 million unique monthly visitors. Booth joins MotoUSA after working at Dirt Rider for the past three years, where he served as senior editor. Prior to that, he spent seven years as associate editor for Dirt Bike. In addition to his motorcycle magazine experience, he also logged a seven-year stint as editor of BMX Plus! magazine.
As off-road editor, Booth's role includes bike reviews, multi-bike comparisons, technical features and industry news. He will be based in the company’s Irvine, California, office. Former MotoUSA off-road editor Justin Dawes remains on staff as senior editor. Dawes will continue to contribute dirt- and street-related feature content. He will also continue leading MAG Media Group’s ATV/UTV website, 4WheelDirt.com, where he serves as editor.
RxSpeed Launches as One-Stop Shop for Automotive Parts
RxSpeed, a comparison search engine for the motor vehicle aftermarket, has officially launched, featuring the an advanced product database showing consumers where to buy products at the lowest cost. Following the announcement of its beta version at the 2014 SEMA Show, RxSpeed.com has completed its usability testing and released its latest version for general availability. The company plans several more updates heading into the spring of 2015. RxSpeed is designed to aggregate automotive parts and retailers using its proprietary software platform. According to the company, RxSpeed is built on big data, taking in millions of records every week from a variety of brand sources, then organizing that data by linking the correct vehicle-fitment databases and part-category databases. The end result is an easy-to-use search engine that links shoppers to parts for their year, make and model vehicles, providing a list of retailers selling those products. RxSpeed currently features 470 different brands representing more than 1 million parts with 27 million vehicle applications to search in its database.
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