Compiled by SEMA Editors
Reinhardt to director of retail marketing.
4 Wheel Parts Names Kathryn Reinhardt Director of Retail Marketing
4 Wheel Parts has announced the promotion of Kathryn Reinhardt to director of retail marketing. She brings more than 15 years of experience in the automotive aftermarket industry to the company. Her expertise in new-product launches, vendor relationship building, and category marketing has catapulted her into this new role where she will lead the go-to-marketing strategy, planning and execution of the 4 Wheel Parts retail and house brands marketing.
“Kathryn’s made a significant, positive impact in her short time at 4WP, strengthening our partner brands’ marketing efforts as well as 4WP’s overall marketing presence,” said Jason DiFuccia, vice president of category management and marketing.
Reinhardt represents 4 Wheel Parts and its manufacturing brands on the SEMA Board of Directors, she is the immediate-past chairwoman of Truck & Off-Road Alliance (TORA) and the current chairwoman of SEMA Cares.
Air Lift Company Named One of West Michigan’s Best & Brightest Companies to Work for Six Years in a Row
For the sixth year in a row, Air Lift Company has been chosen as one of “West Michigan’s Best & Brightest Companies to Work For.” The award is given to companies that follow human resources best practices. Air Lift Company earned recognition for its commitment to employees, safety and community through unprecedented circumstances due to COVID-19. View all of the winners featured online.
NAMA’s 4th Overseas Tire Production Base in Southeast Asia
In 2021, NAMA plans to build an additional tire production base in Southeast Asia. So far, NAMA has three production lines based in Thailand and Vietnam (i.e., TBR-Thailand, TBR-Vietnam, and PCR-Vietnam tier-1 factory)
The new investment project will involve purchases of more than 150 SKUs and 300 tire molds. The SKUs will include: HP tires in 32 sizes, ranging from 14-18 inches; UHP tires in 39 sizes, ranging from 17-24 inches; HT tires in 55 sizes, ranging from 15-22 inches; MT tires in 11 sizes, ranging from 19-24 inches; and RT tires in 21 sizes, ranging from 17-24 inches. To ensure consistency in tire quality, NAMA will work with top designer teams to develop the most unique and aggressive tread patterns. Additionally, they will pay antidumping duties and can be the “importers of record.” They can also use DDP shipping to assume the potential risks associated with transporting goods until the buyers receive them.
Boellstorff, Brandon Bisch and Kaitlin Mathison.
Speedway Motors Promotes Four to Leadership Roles
Speedway Motors has announced four recent promotions within the company. Richard Thomas has been promoted to director of operations. Thomas, who has held various leadership roles in the U.S. Navy, first joined Speedway Motors in 2018 in the compliance department, where he helped oversee regulatory compliance, including the California Air Resources Board (CARB). In his new position, Thomas will oversee Speedway Motors’ warehouse capabilities, including the Nebraska, Arizona and West Virginia-based engineering teams and IT teams, a group comprised of about 200 employees.
Andrew Boellstorff has been promoted to director of digital product and technology. With more than 15 years of experience, he held positions at GT Exhaust, EMIT Technologies, Nebraska Book Company and Spreetail before joining Speedway Motors in 2018 as a senior product manager. In his new role, Boellstorff will oversee all aspects of development and analytics.
Brandon Bisch has been promoted to director of e-commerce. First joining the company as a customer care specialist and purchasing assistant in 2005, Bisch has held various roles, including quality control, marketplaces manager, and, most recently, business unit manager for the e-commerce team.
Kaitlin Mathison has been promoted to director of marketplaces. First joining Speedway Motors in 2015 as a sales associate, she later held positions including SEO analyst, marketplaces specialist, and, most recently, business unit manager, where she helped lead the marketplaces team toward growth. In her new role, Mathison is responsible for the entirety of Speedway Motors’ presence on eBay, Walmart and Amazon.
Pep Boys Extends Scholarship Deadline for Aspiring Automotive Technicians
Pep Boys invites those studying to become technicians to apply for one of the 15 scholarships available in the annual Find Your Drive scholarship program. The application window has been extended until Friday, June 4, at 12:00 a.m. (EDT), and winners will be notified by Tuesday, June 15. Scholarships awarded through the program this year will total $100,000 to celebrate the Company’s centennial and continue the “Race to 2026” initiative, designed to recruit talented technicians in the automotive industry and close America’s skills gap. To be eligible for consideration for a scholarship, students must be pursuing an automotive technician degree or certification through a full- or part-time college or trade school program and meet certain academic requirements, provide a written or video essay, and submit two letters of recommendation. Students can begin the application process and find additional details and eligibility requirements at www.pepboys.com/findyourdrive.
ElectraMeccanica Breaks Ground on U.S. Assembly and Engineering Technical Center
Designer and manufacturer of electric vehicles, ElectraMeccanica Vehicles Corp., commemorated the start of construction for its new U.S. Assembly and Engineering Technical Center with a groundbreaking ceremony held in Mesa, Arizona.
The 235,000 square foot facility is located on 18 acres of land adjacent to the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway airport. It will include an assembly and manufacturing plant, a research center, 22,000 square feet of office space and 19,000 square feet of lab space. To maintain ElectraMeccanica’s asset-light model, the building will be leased from the Developer, Marwest Enterprises LLC. When operational, the facility will have a production capacity of up to 20,000 vehicles per year and employ upwards of 200-500 people. The current completion date is slated for Spring 2022.
The SOLO is a purpose-built, three-wheeled, all-electric solution for the urban environment. Engineered for a single occupant, it offers a unique driving experience for the environmentally conscious consumer. The SOLO has a range of 100 miles and a top speed of 80 mph, making it safe for highways. The SOLO features front and rear crumple zones, side impact protection, roll bar, torque-limiting control as well as power steering, power brakes, air conditioning and a Bluetooth entertainment system.
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