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All Star Auto Lights, a specialty distributor of alternative automotive parts and a portfolio company of  link hidden, please login to view, has announced the acquisition of Blackburn OEM Wheel Solutions. Blackburn is a Macedonia, Ohio-based supplier of new and refurbished OEM steel and alloy wheels for the automotive aftermarket. This is All Star’s third acquisition in the aftermarket OE wheel space since 2021 “and transforms All Star beyond its traditional auto lights business and into a leading automotive aftermarket equipment supplier,” the company said. “This acquisition significantly increases our capacity to manufacture and supply OEM wheels through our growing nationwide network,” said Matt Immerfall, CEO of link hidden, please login to view. “Combined with our existing family of brands acquired in 2021, Jante Wheel and Perfection Wheel, the addition of Blackburn quickly doubles our impact in the automotive-wheels sector and offers our customers a more comprehensive selection and faster delivery while solidifying All Star’s wheel division to better serve its customer base.” Phil Druce, partner of Atlantic Street Capital, added: “We are excited to add Blackburn to All Star’s family of brands. With 13 sites and more than 400 employees, All Star is positioned as a national player with collision and body shops, tire and service centers, rental-car and auction-house customers to profitably repair cars faster with the highest-value OEM alternative replacement parts.” link hidden, please login to view is one of the leading distributors of OEM wheels in the United States and provides OEM wheels (steel and alloy), wheel covers (hubcaps) and center caps in brand-new, refinished and used condition. “Blackburn has a great industry reputation for quality and customer service that is consistent with what All Star stands for,” Immerfall said. “Maximizing the amazing business that Blackburn has built over the last 30-plus years with All Star’s capabilities is a true privilege. It’s exciting for the All Star Team to round out our newly formed wheel division with Blackburn. Our ability to partner manufacturing and supply to take care of our customers on a national level is an incredible opportunity that we are thrilled about.” The post link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view. link hidden, please login to view

BBB Industries announced a new online portal designed to enhance 24-hour ordering, enabling customers to instantly order replacement parts from  link hidden, please login to view. “BBB Industries is committed to providing an efficient and effective customer experience. We want our customers to easily get the parts that they need quickly,” said Shane Garner, director of customer service. “Through the use of advanced technology, we continuously work to improve upon our service levels. In Phase 1 of our rollout, these new features will greatly decrease the time it takes to place stock orders, place emergency orders and view the history of orders.” The BBB Industries 1Stop customer portal shows real-time inventory for emergency orders and allows customers to immediately place orders. The portal also can automatically calculate if freight minimum requirements are met for stock orders and provide estimated shipping charges for special orders. As added reassurance, the system automatically alerts the customer via email when an order is placed and when a special order is canceled, and can display the status of all orders with BBB Industries. Customers can order competitively priced sustainably manufactured parts 24/7 with next-day and ground flat-rate shipping available, according to the company. The post link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view. link hidden, please login to view

The American Petroleum Institute (API) has submitted a request to the Auto/Oil Advisory Panel and the API Lubricants Group to add SAE 0W-8 and SAE 0W-12 viscosity grades to the current ILSAC GF-6 specification. ILSAC GF-6B currently is applicable only to oils meeting the SAE 0W-16 viscosity grade. As a result, the Auto/Oil Advisory Panel will be called into session and will be co-chaired by the ILSAC chair and the API Lubricants Group chair. The group first will need to evaluate the request and, if accepted, it will undertake the technical efforts of adopting the new viscosity grades into the category, following the procedures detailed in API 1509, Annex C. Changes to API SP will be handled by the API Lubricants Group in parallel with any changes for ILSAC GF-6. API said it anticipates that the SAE 0W-8 and SAE 0W-12 viscosity grades can be fast-tracked for quick approval, with the goal for the new oils to be ready for first license by API by the end of 2022. The existing GF-6 fuel-economy tests have not demonstrated the ability to accurately measure fuel economy in these ultra-low-viscosity grades, according to API. Therefore, API recommends reliance on a recently published fuel-economy test standard from the Japanese Automotive Standards Organization (JASO).  The test standard, JASO M366 (Automobile Gasoline Engine Oils – Firing Fuel Economy Test Procedure), stipulates a test procedure for the measurement of the fuel-economy performances of these very-low-viscosity gasoline engine oils by the measurement of the fuel consumption using a fired engine test. This test is available in U.S. independent labs and has some Base Oil Interchange and Viscosity Grade Read-Across guidelines. API said its plan is to adopt this test into GF-6 in a manner to be determined by the Auto/Oil Advisory Panel and establish test limits as set forth in JASO M364 (Automobile Gasoline Engine Oils), which specifies the performance of SAE 0W-8 and SAE 0W-12 viscosity-grade engine oils.  Benefits of Adding Lower Viscosities to ILSAC GF-6 There are a number of benefits to adding the lower viscosities to ILSAC GF-6 now, according to API. First, it would fill an identified gap for licensing of “low-vis” oils in the global marketplace. In fact, calls for introduction of these grades came early in the development of GF-6 but could not be accommodated at that time because the SAE J300 specification on viscosity-grade classification had not yet defined SAE 0W-8 and SAE 0W-12 viscosity grades, and a test to measure fuel economy was unavailable.  Now that a fuel-economy test exists and that test is referenced, coupled with the fact that the test is confirmed to be available in North America, there no longer is a barrier to adopting the grades into ILSAC GF-6/API SP. “An important additional benefit to licensing these oils is that there is precedent for EPA recognition of ILSAC engine oil specifications on engine approvals,” API said. “While there are currently not many engines on U.S. roads requiring oils of these viscosity grades, adopting them into ILSAC now could make the path of engine approvals a little less burdensome on future engines.”  API works continuously with the auto industry, oil marketers, additive companies and others to meet the lubricant needs of current and future engines. The post link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view. link hidden, please login to view

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