People In The News
Following is a personnel change that recently occurred in the trucking industry:
·New Life Transport Parts Center hired Bruce Black as vice president of Sales.
HDA Adds Empire Truck & Trailer
The HDA Parts Network announced that Empire Truck & Trailer has become a member, bringing the marketing group’s membership to more than 540 warehouse distributors throughout the U.S. and Canada.
“Securing direct access to original equipment parts will help us provide a complete solution for our on-highway customers,” said Brett Burns, Empire Truck & Trailer’s general manager. “Our membership in HDA will ensure off-the-shelf availability of truck and trailer parts in all of our Arizona and California locations. Given our geographical reach, I am certain that customers will find both convenience and value with this arrangement.”
Added Pat Brooks, director of HDA’s Distributor Sales, “We are pleased to have Empire Truck & Trailer as part of the Heavy Duty America distribution network. They have been developing a loyal customer base for the last 60 years, and now Empire will be able to competitively offer aftermarket truck parts to that base. This is a big win for everyone – HDA, Empire and Empire’s customers.”
TMC Accepting Diesel Technician Scholarship Applications
The Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) announced it is accepting scholarship applications for the 2009-2010 academic year for students either pursuing a diesel technology degree from WyoTech or a diesel technology degree or a bachelor’s degree in specialized studies with a minor in automotive aftermarket management from the University of Northwestern Ohio (UNOH).
The deadline for applications is July 1. Application forms can be downloaded at www.tmc.truckline.com or are available by calling TMC at 703/838-1763. TMC must receive the complete application package by July 1, 2009.
TMC said the scholarships are part of its Professional Technician Development Committee’s (PTDC) efforts to promote and enhance the professionalism of commercial vehicle technicians. PTDC will help determine the winner of the scholarships.
Both schools are active participants in PTDC and have provided the scholarships to promote interest in trucking industry careers through diesel engine repair and service or related maintenance and maintenance management career paths.
WyoTech, a charter member of PTDC, is awarding two tuition scholarships for 1,500 clock hours (nine months) for its diesel program attendance at either of WyoTech’s Laramie, Wyo., or Blairsville, Pa., campuses. Students can select from start dates of Sept. 28, 2009, or Jan. 5 or Mar. 31, 2010.
UNOH, in Lima, Ohio, will award a tuition-only scholarship to a student working toward a degree in auto diesel technology or a bachelor degree in specialized studies with a minor in automotive aftermarket management.
Applicants must have graduated from an accredited vocational, public, private or parochial high school during the 2008-2009 school year. Both WyoTech and UNOH scholarship applicants must have a sponsor who is a current dues-paying member of TMC or is employed/contracted by a company with at least one current dues-paying TMC member, and the application must include a letter of recommendation from that sponsor. The applicant or applicant’s high school counselor also must send TMC a high school transcript showing the most recent three years of academic performance.
Small Supplier Assistance Sought
Automaker shutdowns and the looming Chrysler bankruptcy could have devastating effects on small suppliers to the automotive industry, according to a release from the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) citing testimony from Wes Smith, president of E&E Manufacturing.
Smith, who spoke recently before the House Small Business Committee at a hearing examining the economic impact of the domestic auto crisis on small suppliers throughout the U.S., outlined the stresses that dramatically reduced vehicle sales volumes and a crippling inability to gain access to credit placed on smaller suppliers.
“For small suppliers, the drop off in industry volumes can actually be greater, the credit freeze tighter and the customer risk more significant,” he stated. He asked the committee to consider authorizing a parts supplier program within the Small Business Administration to address the needs of small suppliers, saying that “assistance targeted to these manufacturers is critical.”
MEMA said the testimony came just days after it and the Original Equipment Suppliers Association (OESA) warned Congress that the result of the impending Chrysler bankruptcy and planned vehicle manufacturer shutdowns could be devastating to a supplier network no longer able to support vehicle manufacturing in this country. In a letter to the full U.S. House and Senate, MEMA president and CEO Bob McKenna stated that “during these shutdowns, many suppliers will have no choice but to permanently close their facilities.”
MEMA said the letter urged Congress and the Administration to provide direct financial assistance for suppliers beyond the Auto Supplier Assistance Program announced by the Department of Treasury in March and to immediately pass a short-term incentive program to encourage consumers to purchase new vehicles.
“We need to take immediate steps to further protect the supply base,” said OESA president and CEO Neil De Koker. “This is a critical time and the stakes could not be much higher. Thousands of good manufacturing jobs and the local economies those jobs support hang in the balance.”
