MOVERS & SHAKERS: GRAY HENDRICKS, GALE BANKS, ULTRA AXLE, FREEDOM GRILLS AND MORE

Haynes Manuals Inc. hired Gray Hendricks as national accounts manager. This addition will help the company provide additional focus and sales support to all Haynes customers throughout North America. Hendricks will be responsible for calling on national retail automotive chain stores. He was most recently the divisional merchandise manager in the merchandising department of CSK Auto where he was in charge of the back room, repair-parts buyers for the company. Gray was with CSK for 24 years and held many positions in the CSK organization.

Freedom Grill’s Vice President of Marketing Steve Glor has made it to the final five in the Tostitos Beat My Tailgate contest. Glor’s truck, “The Carnivore,” opens up into a complete sports bar and grill with the push of a button. This extreme tailgating truck has bedsides that unfold into wood countertops, four flat screen TVs in the bed, two satellite receivers and two Freedom Grills (one in the front and one in the back). The truck will be judged on overall display of team or school pride, theme of tailgating display and presentation of ideas. For more on the contest, visit  www.beatmytailgate.com/Home.aspx.

The latest edition of the 2009 Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Pro Racing Rulebook (PRR), containing regulations for the SCCA World Challenge, SCCA Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup and Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup, is now available on the SCCA Pro Racing website at www.sccapro.com. The PRR has undergone major revisions for 2009. In addition to the new World Challenge Touring Car rules, which have been reworked to cut costs for teams, each section has undergone an extensive review by the SCCA Pro Racing technical department to provide clear and concise language.

Gale Banks Engineering will be honored with a special exhibit at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum on Wednesday, December 3, at 3:00 p.m. A number of Banks’ record-setting machines and engines will be on display, including the world’s first diesel road-racing pickup GMC Sierra, the Dodge Sidewinder Dakota and Chevrolet Sidewinder S-10, and the El Mirage dry lakes modified ’53 Studebaker. The exhibit will run through September 2009. 

Adam’s Polishes Inc. announced the launch of its newest dealer, Adam’s Hawaii & Platinum Detailing. Adam’s Hawaii recently launched its complete line of Adam’s detailing products at Ferrari, Audi and Maserati dealerships of Hawaii, Ace Hardware Hawaii and at the flagship store, Adam’s Hawaii & Platinum Detailing. Co-owners of Adam’s Hawaii—Roy Nishimura and Alex Lee—have also created partnerships with Servo Toyota, the Honolulu Fire Department and the Hawaii State Fire Department.

Ultra Axle LLC, an affiliate company of Omix-Ada Inc., has acquired the assets of Alloy USA Inc. and Precision Gear Inc. in a liquidation process. Ultra Axle is currently in the process of moving the Alloy Axle and Precision Gear on-hand inventory to Georgia and upon taking an inventory count, the entire Alloy USA and Precision Gear current inventory will be available for immediate purchase.

The Marx Group received four awards in the 2008 Automotive Communication Awards (ACA) competition. The awards were presented to The Marx Group for work done on behalf of AAEQ Manufacturers and Recyclers.  In the Business-to-Consumer category, The Marx Group received an award for the article “Going Green is Great for the Bottom Line” and another for the AAEQ website at www.AAEQ.net. In the Business-to-Business category, The Marx Group received an award for its ad campaign to a distribution/retail audience titled “Hard to Find Parts” and one for “Ad - Best Use of Graphic” for its "AAEQ Box of Chocolate" ad. Designed to applaud companies/agencies that provide automotive information through outstanding advertising, marketing and PR efforts, the Automotive Communication Awards are sponsored by the Women’s Board and supported by the Automotive Communication Council. The awards were presented during the Car Care Council Women’s Board reception at AAPEX 2008 in Las Vegas.