Compiled by SEMA Editors
 David Ramirez |
Design Engineering Inc. Appoints David Ramirez Vice President of Operations
Design Engineering Inc. (DEI) has announced David Ramirez as the company’s new vice president of operations. Ramirez joined the company in May and has more than 30 years of experience in systems management, quality control, logistics, sales and marketing, in addition to purchasing and operations. For 10 years, Ramirez worked in the wholesale sporting supply business for a Southern California distribution center, followed by seven years with Buckeye Sports Supply in Canton, Ohio. Prior to joining DEI, Ramirez worked for MAG Instruments as senior planner/plant manager before joining Edelbrock Corp. as the company’s international product manager with the primary duty to expand key product lines and improve and streamline the international sourcing process. There, he expanded brand offerings to the large retail chain stores and designed a new product line, the Edelbrock White Stripe Filter. Other key positions include serving as operations manager for Spectre Performance in Ontario, California, where one of his primary duties was to design, source, market and distribute performance products to national chains and internet retailers, and as director of sales and marketing for Specialty Products Inc. in Los Angeles.
 (L–R): MTMA Promotion winner Matt MacCallum, Robert DeJarnette of Mickey Thompson Tires & Wheels and Fair Isle Ford owner Peter MacDonald. |
Winner Announced in Biggest MTMA Power Promotion to Date
Mickey Thompson Tires & Wheels has announced the winner of its latest Mickey Thompson Marketing Alliance (MTMA) Power Promotion. Matt MacCullum, parts manager at Fair Isle Ford in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, took home the ’18 Polaris RZR after his entry was drawn out of more than 500 in the sweepstakes. The giveaway was the biggest in the history of the MTMA. The Mickey Thompson MTMA program is designed to provide dealers with marketing assistance along with rewards. As an MTMA member, dealers receive cash-back rewards by purchasing Mickey Thompson or Dick Cepek tires and wheels through designated warehouse distributors and promoting Mickey Thompson and Dick Cepek in retail stores.
 Tom Marx |
Tom Marx to Present “Heavy Duty Mergers, Acquisitions and Ownership Changes: A Survival Guide” to Heavy Duty Leadership Professionals at Northwood University
For the sixth consecutive year, Tom Marx, partner, Hart Marx Advisors, will be a featured presenter at the 2018 University of the Aftermarket Heavy Duty Leadership program. Marx will provide industry leaders insight on how to successfully navigate various changes inside and outside of their businesses. He will lead a session entitled “Heavy Duty Mergers, Acquisitions and Ownership Changes: A Survival Guide” at the Sloan Family Building, headquarters for the University of the Aftermarket, on the campus of Northwood University in Midland, Michigan, during the July 8–13 program. Marx’s session will examine the climate of today’s consolidating marketplace, providing young executives with the knowledge they need to face real-world scenarios. He will explore the inner-workings of M&A transactions, with a focus on the differences in valuation and multiples between public and private companies, as well as small and large companies. He will discuss trends in market dynamics that drive consolidation as well as the difference between strategic and financial buyers, looking at their metrics and motivations.
 Jacki Lutz |
Jacki Lutz Appointed Automotive Communications Council President
Jacki Lutz, head of global marketing and communications for Schrader Performance Sensors, will step into the role of president of the Automotive Communications Council (ACC). She has been active in ACC for four years and was involved on the events committee before serving on the board the past two years. Last year she served as vice president.
Falken ZIEX ZE001 A/S Chosen as Factory Standard Tires for Mazda Motor Corp.’s Latest Model Mazda6
Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. has announced that it has begun supplying Falken ZIEX ZE001 A/S high-performance tires to Mazda Motor Corp. for use as factory standard tires on its latest model Mazda6, which went on sale this past spring.
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