Compiled by SEMA Editors
Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association Appoints Gold Eagle Co. CEO Marc Blackman to Board of Governors Leadership Role
Gold Eagle Co. has announced that Marc Blackman, CEO of Gold Eagle Co., has been appointed to serve as vice chairman of the 2017 Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA) Board of Governors. The AASA is committed to helping provide aftermarket suppliers with the tools they need to drive their businesses forward. Blackman will assume this appointment alongside industry colleague Joe Pomaranski, vice president and general manager, North American Aftermarket, Tenneco, who will take the reins as chairman of the association. Additional new board members include: Kathy Jorge, vice president and general manager, Delphi North America; Jack Ramsey, senior vice president, North America Aftermarket, Gates Corp.; and Eric Sills, president and chief executive officer, Standard Motor Products Inc.
 Dave Muzic |
Dave Muzic Joins SCE Gaskets
SCE Gaskets has hired Dave Muzic as the company’s new senior product manager. With nearly three decades of experience in the performance aftermarket, Muzic will bring a wealth of product knowledge and understanding to SCE. He spent 29 years at Mr. Gasket Co., where he helped in the development, launch and sales of performance head gaskets, engine fasteners, overhaul gasket sets and more. He also helped create new-product launch strategies, key product improvements, promotions and continued support to customers and racers.
 (L–R): Matt Burrows, Yokohama; Billy Eordekian, 1-800EveryRim OEM Wheels; CTDA President Chris Barry, ITDG; TIA President Tom Formanek, Stellar Industries; Gianlucca Grioni, Pirelli; and SEMA WTC Chairman Joe Findeis, The Plus Sizing Guide. |
TIA & SEMA Wheel & Tire Council Chiefs Featured at California Tire Dealers Association/1-800EveryRim Luncheon
Seventy-six attendees representing 46 companies attended the California Tire Dealers Association (CTDA)/1-800EveryRim New Year Luncheon, held January 12, at the Dal Rae Restaurant in Pico Rivera, California. Gold sponsors were Federated Insurance, Yokohama Tire and Pirelli, while silver sponsors consisted of Lakin Tire and Voxx Wheels. 1-800EveryRim – OEM Wheels was the luncheon host. Tire Industry Association (TIA) President and Regional Sales Manager of Stellar Industries Tom Formanek’s presentation included a summation of what the presidential election might mean to the tire industry. SEMA Wheel & Tire Council (WTC) Chairman Joe Findeis of “The Ultimate Wheel & Tire Plus Sizing Guide” spoke about the benefits of using the “WTC Ride Guide” as it assists dealers with vehicle performance relating to wheel and tire sizing. Chris Likert of Federated Insurance spoke as CTDA’s official liability Insurance vendor, while CTDA Director Dave Redfern highlighted the benefits of CTDA membership. CTDA President Chris Barry of The Independent Tire Dealer Group (ITDG) served as Master of Ceremonies.
The University of the Aftermarket Foundation Now Accepting Automotive Scholarship Applications
The University of the Aftermarket Foundation is now accepting applications for automotive scholarships at its Automotive Aftermarket Scholarship Central website. The application deadline is March 31, 2017. Interested candidates can view a wide array of scholarship opportunities from more than 30 industry organizations. Hundreds of scholarships are available for students enrolled in college and ASE/NATEF certified automotive, collision and heavy-duty post-secondary schools. By completing a single application online, students can be considered for multiple scholarships for the 2017–2018 school year. New to the scholarship offerings are five $5,000 scholarships from the University of the Aftermarket Foundation. A full list of scholarships is featured on the Automotive Aftermarket Scholarship Central homepage, and there is a page outlining each organization’s scholarship details, eligibility requirements and awards. To apply for as many scholarships as possible, applicants should thoroughly read the individual pages to ensure they include the proper information required by each organization. For more information about the University of the Aftermarket Foundation and available automotive scholarships, visit www.UofAFoundation.com.
Cirkuit Networks Inc. Launches New Cirkuit Commerce Website
Cirkuit Networks Inc. has announced the launch of its new Cirkuit Commerce website, www.cirkuit.com. The Cirkuit Commerce e-commerce platform was previously known in the motorsports and street-rod industry as SEO-Cart. Operations manager Clint Sparks stated that the rebranding of the SEO-Cart name to Cirkuit Commerce was done to consolidate the e-commerce service under the Cirkuit corporate name providing greater continuity with the various services that Cirkuit Networks offers its clients.
 Paco Agrafojo |
Permatex Appoints Paco Agrafojo as Director of Marketing
Permatex has named Paco Agrafojo to head up its marketing team. As director of marketing, Agrafojo will be responsible for driving product innovation, engaging consumers through the brands and providing Permatex’s retail partners with viable solutions to drive their category growth. He will also support the sales team efforts in business development for the retail, traditional and international channels. Prior to joining Permatex, Agrafojo spent five years with Newell Brands/The Yankee Candle Company, serving first as the director of customer marketing and then as the director of category and customer analytics. In these roles, Agrafojo was responsible for leading the development of a divisional business analytics team, the analytics of marketing and promotional activities and new product launch strategy for the wholesale division. Before The Yankee Candle Company, Agrafojo worked as the director of trade marketing for Med Foods Inc., and as a senior category manager for Heineken USA.
CRP Industries Receives 2017 WorldatWork Seal of Distinction for Employee Engagement
CRP Industries Inc. has received a 2017 Seal of Distinction from WorldatWork—a non-profit HR association and compensation authority. The WorldatWork seal is a unique mark of excellence designed to identify organizational success in total rewards effectiveness. The 2017 recipients will be recognized during the WorldatWork Total Reward Conference & Exhibition, which will be held in Washington, D.C., May 7–10, 2017. CRP Industries Inc. Director of Human Resources Rachael Sobon made the announcement on behalf of the company. Established in 2012, the WorldatWork Seal of Distinction is awarded to companies that meet defined standards of workplace programs, policies and practices weighted on several factors, such as the complexity of implementation, required organizational resources, perceived breadth of access and overall level of commitment from leadership. Applicants are evaluated on health and wellness programs, unpaid time off, retirement, base pay, bonus programs, development opportunities, financial wellness, and workplace flexibility, among other factors.
 Lisa Hansen Beebe |
Hansen International Inc. Announces New Company President
Hansen International Inc. has announced the promotion of Lisa Hansen Beebe to company president, effective January 1, 2017. Beebe replaced longtime company president John Seehof, who retired, yet remains as a consultant to the company. Beebe began her career with Hansen International Inc. in Waukegan, Illinois, and moved when the company relocated its manufacturing facilities to Lexington, South Carolina. For 22 years, Beebe has effectively held a variety of positions with Hansen International Inc., from sales to human resources and more recently company vice president.
WeatherTech Back for Fourth Year as Super Bowl Advertiser
Automotive floor mat manufacturer WeatherTech will present its 30-second commercial entitled “Tech Team” during the first half of FOX’s broadcast of Super Bowl 51, Sunday, February 5, from NRG Stadium in Houston. It's the fourth consecutive year WeatherTech has advertised during the Super Bowl. This year’s spot again features actual WeatherTech employees from the Bolingbrook, Illinois, factories going to extraordinary lengths to provide WeatherTech customers with its American-designed, engineered, and manufactured automotive accessories to protect their vehicles. The spot features an action-hero-like character who jumps from a moving WeatherTech van to a customer’s vehicle and places a WeatherTech FloorLiner in the car just in time to avert a catastrophe. The spot is scheduled to run during the first half of the game. View the online teaser.
 ARIES Automotive partnered with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Starwood Motors and several other automotive aftermarket companies to turn one man’s Ford F-150 into a dream truck. |
Make-A-Wish Paint Job Turns Into Truck Build
ARIES Automotive has announced its partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation in another build project—a collaboration with Starwood Motors and several other automotive aftermarket companies to turn one man’s Ford F-150 into a dream truck. The build started when Jordan Shrum wished for a new paint job on his ’01 Ford F-150 SuperCrew 4x4. The wish was granted by the North Texas Make-A-Wish Foundation, which reached out to several large aftermarket manufacturers to deliver far beyond a new paint job. With contributions and collaborative efforts from ARIES Automotive, Center Line Alloy Wheels, Fabtech Suspensions, Nitto Tire USA and others, the truck was given a new exterior finish, suspension components, leather interior, wheels, tires and several accessories. The newly customized Ford F-150 was revealed and delivered by Starwood Motors on Saturday, January 28, 2017.
 Mike Katz |
Bob Cook Sales’ Mike Katz Earns Certified Professional Manufacturers Representative Designation
Bob Cook Sales’ Mike Katz has earned his Certified Professional Manufacturers Representative (CPMR) designation. CPMR candidates invest one week annually for three years to gain knowledge and insight into operating a more progressive and efficient rep firm. In addition, they acquire an international network of colleagues from many industries. Graduates earn the right to use the distinctive designation and gain membership to Manufacturers’ Representatives Educational Research Foundation’s (MRERF) Institute for Professional Advancement (IPA). Bob Cook Sales has three agents with their CPMR certification: Katz, Eddie Hamilton and Les Rudd.
Morpace and Marketing Evolution Announce Global Automotive Partnership
Morpace Inc.—a marketing research and consulting firm—has announced a global strategic agreement with Marketing Evolution to bring automotive clients the award-winning ROI Brain—an ROI optimization solution that works in conjunction with brand equity tracking. This integrated solution is designed to provide clients with unparalleled actionability, optimizing every marketing action for impact. Marketers have reported improved ROI results by an average of 31%. Morpace’s automotive experts track brand health around the world in more than 50 countries. The ROI Brain uses brand health tracking data to directly link attitudes and exposure to actual behavior (i.e. purchases) all at a personal level. Together, Morpace and Marketing Evolution offer free customized briefings and live demonstrations of this new approach to active brand management.
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