Movers & Shakers: Amy Coleman Joins Toyo as Senior Director of Marketing; Venchurs Inc. Unveils XPLORE Grand Cherokee

Toyo Tire USA Corp. Names Amy Coleman Senior Director of Marketing
Toyo Tire USA Corp. hired Amy Coleman as senior director of marketing. She is responsible for leading all aspects of the company’s marketing and will focus on business growth while enhancing brand awareness. The department includes advertising, sales promotions, communications, web initiatives, dealer support, sponsorships and events. According to Toyo, Coleman has an extensive marketing background and recently served as the director of marketing for Fleetwood RV Inc. for more than 15 years.

General Tires Announces Winners of Fast Five Sweepstakes
In April, General Tire announced that it was the official tire of Fast Five and to celebrate, the company launched the Fast Five Sweepstakes where five lucky winners would win several prizes. The winners are: Daniel Luscomb of Garland, Texas, who won the grand prize of a trip for two to Brazil; Jennifer Brown of Cortland, Ohio, who took home a world-famous custom Fast Five Gibson guitar; and Christa Lewis of Clayton, North Carolina, Loc Do of Garden Grove, California and Theodore Becker of Dixon, Illinois were all recipients of four brand-new General tires.

Venchurs Inc. unveiled the newest XPLORE Adventure Series vehicle, the XPLORE Grand Cherokee—a hand-built, special-edition Jeep for enthusiasts that want a premium SUV that's at home on a dirt trail. The vehicle is finished in a matte clear titanium gray paint with a charcoal leather interior by Katzkin. Underneath it features a modified suspension package and some very serious hardware from Mopar, BFGoodrich and Method Racing. XPLORE Grand Cherokees will initially be available only as built-to-order custom vehicles from Venchurs. A donation will be made to the National Park Foundation for every XPLORE Jeep sold.

EngineQuest Launches "Head to Vegas" Promotion
EngineQuest launched its "Head to Vegas" promotion through which the grand prize winner will receive a seven-day, six-night trip for two to attend IMCA's Duel in the Desert event at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in November. The first-place prize winner will receive a set of high-performance EQ Cylinder Heads. There are also multiple second- and third-place prizes of IMCA- and EQ-branded wearables, including jackets, hats, sweatshirts and tees. More information and complete contest rules are available at www.enginequest.com/headtovegas. The promotion ends September 30, 2011.

Suzuki Starts Kizashi Kicks Road Tour
Suzuki launched its Kizashi Kicks Road Tour, July 1, at the Meadowlands State Fair in New Jersey. The tour features a variety of activities for the public, which include a ride on the motorized sofa from the Kizashi Kicks television commercial; a teen safety driving clinic; mini-Suzuki remote-control race cars; and the chance to participate in a head-to-head comparison drive against some of the vehicle's competitors: the Honda Accord, the Hyundai Sonata and the Audi A4. Participants will also have the unique opportunity to experience micro-cars and concept vehicles available only in Japan. Visit www.kizashikicksroadshow.com to register and for more information.