Compiled by SEMA Editors
 Bill Herrmann | |
Design Engineering Inc. Announces Bill Herrmann as Vice President of Operations
Design Engineering Inc. (DEI) has announced Bill Herrmann has joined the company as vice president of operations. He will report directly to DEI CEO David Markley. Herrmann has more than 30 years’ experience in industrial and chemical distribution and chemical and food manufacturing. He has spent most of his career within the supply-chain procurement, logistics, forecasting, operations management and inventory-control disciplines. Prior to joining DEI, Herrmann worked at Palmer Holland, Sandridge Food Corp. and Lubrizol/Noveon, where he minimized asset risk, improved communication and brought new and innovative approaches to the companies’ warehouse and service networks.
Hopkins Names New Senior Vice President of Operations and Vice President of Product Design and Regulatory Compliance
Hopkins Manufacturing Corp. has announced the addition of David Moore as senior vice president – operations and L. Curtis Strong as vice president of product design and regulatory compliance. Both positions are based out of the Hopkins headquarters in Emporia, Kansas. Moore will lead and direct manufacturing, supply chain and distribution operations for all Hopkins locations, including Emporia, Kansas; Miami, Oklahoma; Carson, California; Urbandale, Iowa; Blenheim, Ontario; Juarez, Mexico; and Ningbo, China. Strong will be responsible for all product design and regulatory compliance matters for Hopkins. He will support the Hopkins’ growth strategy by ensuring innovative, quality and cost-effective product designs that comply with laws and regulations. In addition, he will be responsible for the Hopkins patent portfolio and strategy.
 Southpaw lead character Billy Hope, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, takes to the ring to face an opponent in a light-heavyweight championship fight. Photo Credit: Scott Garfield courtesy of The Weinstein Co. | |
Royal Purple to Appear in Summer Sports Drama Thriller, Southpaw
Royal Purple has announced that it will appear in The Weinstein Company’s summer sports drama thriller, Southpaw, opening July 24. Audiences will be able to spot Royal Purple during a scene at the end of the film, where Royal Purple’s logo and branding will be visible in several places. Southpaw tells the story of a reigning light-heavyweight champion at the top of his career who experiences a tragedy that takes a toll on his family and career. Lead character Billy Hope, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, must get past his demons to redeem himself. Fellow stars that are a part of his journey within the motion picture include Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker and Rachel McAdams.
Garage Gurus’ Automotive Training Center Opens in Atlanta Area
Atlanta-area automotive-repair professionals attended the recent grand opening of a state-of-the-art “Garage Gurus” regional training center in Norcross, Georgia. Garage Gurus is a nationwide technical education network established by global vehicle components supplier Federal-Mogul Motorparts to help automotive technicians, shop owners, service writers and other front-line industry professionals keep pace with the latest vehicle technologies. The new training center, which will provide support to the nearly 5,400 Greater Atlanta repair businesses, is the fourth of up to 15 locations scheduled to open this year across the United States. Federal-Mogul Motorparts also operates Garage Gurus facilities in Greater Chicago, Van Nuys, California, and the Bronx, New York. Three additional Garage Gurus locations in Baltimore, Dallas/Fort Worth and Rancho Dominguez, California, will open later this week.
Eastwood Co. on Road to Recovery After Recent Fire
On July 9, the Eastwood Co. sustained fire damage to its headquarters in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. No one was injured in the fire, which was contained to a small section of the building. However, parts of the warehouse and distribution center were severely damaged, affecting the company’s ability to ship customers’ orders. Smoke and water damage also affected the company’s offices and contaminated merchandise in the adjacent portions of the warehouse.
The Eastwood Co.’s shipping operations have been temporarily delayed while fire investigators and cleanup crews continue their work. Eastwood is working with vendors, business partners and local authorities in assessing the situation to be fully back in operation as soon as possible. Customers can continue to place orders on eastwood.com and Eastwood will provide shipping updates, as they become available. The company has opened its Pottstown retail store, and Eastwood’s retail store in Alsip, Illinois, which opened in April last year, has remained open throughout this event. If customers have any questions, they are being asked to email orderhelp@eastwood.com.
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