Compiled by SEMA Editors
Gold Eagle Company Announces Retirement of Bob Hirsch
Gold Eagle Company has announced the retirement of Robert F. (Bob) Hirsch. He joined Gold Eagle in 1957 alongside his father, company founder Armin Hirsch, and has served as chairman and most recently senior vice president and director. For the past 10 years, Hirsch has chaired the Automotive Aftermarket Charity Foundation (AACF), to provide financial support for industry employees and their families and has been active in fundraising for the American Cancer Society. He will continue to serve on the company’s board of directors, and his brother Rich will remain as chairman.
Ernst Prost Announces His Departure From LIQUI MOLY
After 31 years with LIQUI MOLY, Ernst Prost has announced that he will leave the company on February 22, 2022. Under his leadership, LIQUI MOLY grew from a small supplier of additives for cars to a global specialist in automotive chemicals. The CEO announced his departure in a letter to his colleagues.
PLZ Aeroscience Acquires Champion Brands to Expand Full-Service Automotive Capabilities
PLZ Aeroscience Corp. has announced the acquisition of Champion Brands. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. With this acquisition, PLZ expands its full-service automotive and industrial offering, positioning the company to better serve its customers with a comprehensive suite of aerosol and non-aerosol products. Champion is led by Matt Lowe, the third-generation of Lowe leadership at the company. He will remain with Champion following the transaction.
52nd Annual Street Rod Nationals Heads to Louisville
The National Street Rod Association’s (NSRA) annual Street Rod Nationals will be held in Louisville at the Kentucky Exposition Center, marking the 27th time the show, which annually attracts between 10,000 and 15,000 vintage automobiles, will be held in Louisville. Vehicles will be driven from all parts of the United States to make this a gathering of vintage automobiles, featuring nearly every make, model and style. The Street Rod Nationals will include vehicles from the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. The car show will run from Thursday, August 5–Sunday, August 8.
There will be displays and demonstrations to look at and more than $300 million worth of vintage automobiles to see up close and enjoy from every angle. This year’s event will include a special area called “Builder’s Showcase” in the Grand Lobby and South Wing lobbies A, B and C. See cars built by the top professional rod shops in the country.
Ford Raptor in size and aggressiveness.
Owner of Osprey Custom Cars Buys MegaRexx Trucks
Aaron Richardet, founder and owner of Osprey Custom Cars, has announced the purchase of MegaRexx Trucks, builder of the MegaRaptor—the custom, go-anywhere truck. A MegaRaptor starts as either a Ford F-250, F-350, or F-450 Super Duty. For more information, visit the MegaRexx website.
CRC Industries and NAPA Auto Parts Partner to Support Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund
CRC Industries Inc. is continuing its fundraising partnership with NAPA Auto Parts for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund (IFHF), a not-for-profit organization that supports United States military personnel who are suffering from traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress (PTS). Throughout the months of July and October 2021, a portion of CRC products sales at participating NAPA Auto Parts stores will be donated to the IFHF. During these months, select CRC products will be eligible for the fundraising effort. To date, CRC has raised nearly $650,000 to help support military members and their families.
AFR Acquired by Private Equity Firm
Air Flow Research (AFR) has been acquired by Taglich Private Equity (TPE) in a partnership with AFR’s founding family and management. The company’s 42 production and office employees based in Valencia, California, will remain with the current executive team and staff. AFR was founded in 1970 by Ken Sperling and has been family-owned until the recent acquisition. Sperling’s son Rick will remain as president and significant owner of the company. For more information, visit www.airflowresearch.com.
Autostop Saver Awarded Patent for World’s First Retrofit Automatic Stop-Start Memory Module
Autostop Saver recently announced that the company has been awarded U.S. Patent No. 11,040,716 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office for its Autostop Saver invention, described as a “Method And Apparatus To Control Vehicle Automatic Engine Stop-Start System Including Preference Retention.”
“Our now-patent-protected technology was created to address the fundamental limitations of an automatic stop-start enabled vehicle when outfitted with a non-latching push button switch,” said Justin Orantes, Autostop Saver CEO. “However, because we wanted our product to be plug-and-play, the solution became far more complex than just integrating a clever algorithm and a non-volatile memory component. We had to creatively overcome the seemingly impossible technical limitations present on the vast majority of vehicles today.”
Autostop Saver reports that drivers who prefer to manually deactivate the function each time they start their vehicle, in total, expend approximately four hours ‘pressing the button’ across 79.3 months, the average length of vehicle ownership in the United States. The company has developed a comprehensive suite of interface technologies that can be adapted to any auto stop-start enabled vehicle on the road today. U.S. Patent No. 11,040,716 marks the company's first patent issued within its IP portfolio, with additional patents pending.
For complete details on the 716 patent, visit www.uspto.gov.
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