By SEMA Editors
KYB Announces 2 Appointments to Customer Support Department
 KYB Americas expanded its customer support department with the addition of Jim Thomas and Jessica Young. |
KYB Americas announced that it has expanded its customer support department in Greenwood, Indiana, with the addition of Jim Thomas and Jessica Young. Thomas, who was promoted to customer support manager, was hired as a customer service representative in 2014, and quickly moved to customer support supervisor. He has more than 30 years of customer support experience, and is part of the KYB Community Service Team, where he dedicates time and organizes efforts to improve lives around him.
Jessica Young was recently named customer support representative. Young began at KYB as part of the packaging team and will now be reporting to Thomas in Customer Support. She is a recent graduate of Franklin College, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in quantitative analysis with an economics specialization.
Ricky Best Named Western Regional Sales Representative for RideTech
 Ricky Best |
RideTech has named Ricky Best the company's western regional sales representative. Best will be responsible for assisting RideTech customers across the 12 western states and Western Canada.
Best brings more than 25 years of sales, support and motorsports experience to RideTech. His career includes key sales and marketing roles at Vortech Superchargers and ProMedia/NMCA as well as Holley Performance Products’ group of brands.
VP Racing Fuels Acquires Tennessee Location
VP Racing Fuels Inc. has acquired a new property and facility in Huntingdon, Tennessee, citing a favorable atmosphere for business growth and development. The local, state and economic development agencies in Tennessee were eager to help VP acquire this property and obtain all necessary permits and approvals to ensure full use of the facility. VP had acquired two additional properties in Bexar County in past years, but as of today, the company has not been able to fully use them for needed expansion. As a result, one of the properties is under contract for sale.
The new Tennessee facility includes nearly 160,000 square feet on 57 acres and will also be used for manufacturing, packaging, warehousing and distribution, expanding as the company grows.
Maxxsonics Honors Ted Henricks
 Ted Hendricks |
Maxxsonics recently created a picture gallery in memory of its vice president Ted Henricks, who passed away suddenly on January 23, at his home in McHenry, Illinois.
Henricks was one of the founding members of Maxxsonics in 2001. While Ted held several positions throughout the organization, he never drifted far from his passion of sales and marketing, where he served as the company’s vice president and tremendous comic.
XForce Signs With R&R Marketing Consultants for North America Promotions
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XForce Performance Exhaust has engaged R&R Marketing Consultants Inc. to provide sales and marketing representation in the United States and Western Canada.
XForce has quickly become one of Australia’s most recognizable automotive aftermarket brands. The company’s products, researched and custom-developed in Australia and the United States, include performance mufflers, exhausts systems and accessories for domestic and import vehicles. R&R Marketing Consultants Inc. will provide business services that include prospecting, market strategy and planning, sales calls and pipeline inventory management.
Sergio Fierro Joins the IMS Museum Preservation Team
Sergio Fierro, the owner and founder of auto detailing company Advance Detailing Experts, has been invited to become part of the detailing team responsible for caring for vehicles at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) Museum, from February 21–23.
As part of this position, Fierro will be working alongside other certified master auto detailers and techs to work on, preserve and restore some of the most important cars to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Fierro has more than 15 years of automotive detailing experience, and has undergone multiple job trainings and certifications in his field. As a Skills Validated (SV) and Certified (CD) member of the International Detailing Association (IDA), Fierro has already proven his ability to detail at the highest level in several past projects.
As part of this special SONAX Detailing Team, Fierro hopes to live up to expectations. “It really is such an honor to represent a worldwide premium car care brand,” said Fierro. “And the rest of the guys and I can’t wait to get to work, I’m sure.”
AutoMeter Awarded IATF 16949:2016 Certification
AutoMeter Products Inc. announced that it has successfully completed IATF 16949:2016 Certification, the new automotive quality management standard which supersedes ISO/TS16949. The stringent and prestigious IATF 16949:2016 standard represents the latest initiatives by the International Automotive Task Force (IATF) to achieve harmonized assessment and certification in the global automotive supply chain.
AutoMeter Products Inc. has utilized TÜV SÜD Management Service GmbH since 2005 as its registrar for TS/IATF certification audits.
Icahn Automotive Announces Program to Address Service Technician Shortage
Icahn Automotive Group LLC, an Icahn Enterprises L.P. company, which owns and operates Pep Boys, AAMCO and Precision Tune Auto Care, announced a new program designed to support promising future automotive technicians. Through the new program, “Race to 2026,” Icahn Automotive is encouraging more men and women to pursue viable careers in the skilled trades by rolling out partnerships with technical training schools; offering scholarships, tuition reimbursement and apprentice programs; and creating internship programs, job placement and continuing education opportunities.
The program launch and classroom unveiling attracted industry and government leaders, including Pep Boys, AAMCO, Precision Tune and UTI representatives; Pep Boys “Technician of the Year” winners; Garage Gurus; elected officials and Auto Care Association leadership. The event provided a platform to discuss the importance of preparing youth for promising careers in the automotive trade. Icahn Automotive celebrated by awarding a $2,500 scholarship to Jonathan Fanstill, a student enrolled at UTI. The scholarship is the first in a new program that will award $30,000 to 12 students annually and the company also plans to also accept students into an internship program later in the year.