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O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. Announces Chairman of the Board Succession Plan
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By NAPA
ATLANTA, May 23, 2023 /
link hidden, please login to view/ -- Genuine Parts Company (NYSE: GPC) announced that Kevin Herron, President, U.S. Automotive Group (USAG) will retire at the end of 2023 after a distinguished 34-year career with the company. The company also announced Randy Breaux's promotion from President, Motion to the newly created role of Group President, GPC North America, effective July 1, 2023. Mr. Herron will serve in an advisory role until his retirement to assist in an orderly and seamless transition. link hidden, please login to view link hidden, please login to view Kevin-Herron link hidden, please login to view link hidden, please login to view Randy-Breaux "Kevin has been an invaluable asset to GPC throughout his 34 years of dedicated service to the company, including the last five years as President of USAG," said Paul Donahue, Chairman and CEO. "He embodies GPC's values. He is a caring leader who always puts customers and people first, and his work ethic and automotive industry knowledge are unmatched. We extend our deepest gratitude for his commitment and wish him the best in his well-deserved retirement."
Mr. Breaux joined Motion in 2011 as Senior Vice President of Marketing, Distribution, Purchasing and Strategic Planning. He was promoted to Executive Vice President in January 2018 and then President in January 2019. Over the past five years, Mr. Breaux has led the impressive transformation of Motion, including the strategic acquisition of Kaman Distribution Group (KDG). He established a strategic vision, developed a high-performing team and culture, and delivered consistent and exceptional performance each year.
In the new role, Mr. Breaux will oversee both the automotive and industrial businesses across North America, while assuming day-to-day responsibility as President of USAG. He will continue to report to Will Stengel, President and Chief Operating Officer.
"We are thrilled to announce the promotion of Randy to the new role of Group President, GPC North America," Mr. Donahue continued. "He has consistently demonstrated an ability to lead high-performing teams and deliver outstanding results. Randy's leadership and relevant expertise make him the ideal candidate for this role. This transition also represents the depth of our leadership team and our talent initiatives as we continue to foster the power of One GPC."
About Genuine Parts Company
Founded in 1928, Genuine Parts Company is a global service organization engaged in the distribution of automotive and industrial replacement parts. The company's Automotive Parts Group distributes automotive replacement parts in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australasia, France, the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Portugal. The company's Industrial Parts Group distributes industrial replacement parts in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Australasia. In total, the company serves its global customers from an extensive network of more than 10,000 locations in 17 countries and has approximately 58,000 employees. Further information is available at
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SOURCE Genuine Parts Company
For further information: Investor Contact: Sid Jones, (678) 934-5628, Senior Vice President - Investor Relations, Media Contact: Heather Ross, (678) 934-5220, Vice President - Strategic Communications
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By Counterman
When you fix cars for a long time, you hear some crazy stuff – like putting cornmeal in the radiator to stop a leak. It’s true. That used to be one of the “backyard” remedies floating around. I hate to earn the “Captain Obvious” nickname, but I’m willing to take the chance. So just in case, before I go any further, let me be clear: Do NOT do that.
Another old falsity that used to float around was that if your thermostat was stuck, causing engine overheating, all you had to do was simply remove it. In an emergency, this would at least get you home, but again, not an acceptable repair. This one, however, is at least understandable as we get into the evolution of thermostats.
The majority of early automobiles utilized a cooling system known as a thermosyphon system. There was no thermostat or water pump. The hot coolant would rise upward through the engine, out through the upper radiator hose and into the upper radiator tank. Water becomes denser as it cools, and as it did, it would fall downward through the radiator, into the lower tank and then back into the engine.
This type of system worked fairly well for the time, but heavy use often caused overheating, and the use of a thermostat and water pump was a necessary advancement as cars got heavier and more powerful.
Bellows-Style Thermostats
Leaving out a few obscure short-lived designs, early thermostats utilized a bellows system (see Figure 1). Inside the bellows was a liquid that, when heated, would change into a gas. As the liquid boiled and changed to gas, the bellows would expand, opening the valve to allow coolant to flow. These were susceptible to failure, and they also were affected by pressure changes. This was not a problem early on, because early cooling systems were not pressurized. Once we began to utilize pressurized cooling systems, the pressure built in the system sometimes would force these shut and cause overheating.
link hidden, please login to viewFigure 1 The solution was the wax-style of thermostat (see Figure 2) in which the wax changed from a solid state to a liquid, eliminating the pressure effect on the previous liquid-to-gas style. A piston in the wax pushed a rod that opened the valve. A spring was utilized to force the valve shut as the wax cooled and returned to a solid. This style of thermostat became the standard thermostat of the time, and by the 1960s was the primary thermostat in use for new cars, as well as direct replacement for any that still had a bellows-style.
link hidden, please login to viewFigure 2 Double-Valve Thermostats
While this overall design stood the test of time, there was one evolutionary change to it with the double-valve thermostat (see Figure 3). The double-valve thermostat, in conjunction with cooling system design, allowed more precise temperature control. To understand this, you first have to understand thermostat bypass. It is beneficial for coolant to flow through the engine when the thermostat is closed – to eliminate hot spots, allow the engine to warm up evenly, improve fuel vaporization and allow sufficient warm coolant to flow past the thermostat so it opens when needed.
link hidden, please login to viewFigure 3 Although various different bypass designs were used on early thermostat-controlled systems, most American cars in the 1960s utilized an open bypass (a whole other article) along with the traditional wax thermostat in Figure 2.
Fuel injection, fuel economy and reduced emissions demanded more precise temperature control, and that’s where the double-valve thermostat came into place. When the thermostat is closed, it allows all the coolant to circulate back through the engine to provide an even warm up. As the thermostat begins to open, it allows some coolant to flow to the radiator, yet some to circulate back into the engine. When the temperature rises above a certain point, the thermostat opens fully, blocking the bypass and sending all coolant to the radiator. This overall operation allows the engine to remain at a very consistent operating temperature by preventing a drastic hot/cold change each time the thermostat opens.
A review of what a thermostat does is the best way to understand why they’re so important on today’s engines. By blocking coolant flow to the radiator, it allows the engine to warm up quickly, which is important for drivability, heater performance and emissions. The thermostat opens fully at a specified temperature to allow coolant to flow into the radiator. A thermostat rating is part of cooling-system design because they also must give the coolant enough time in the radiator to cool off. Installing a cooler thermostat doesn’t always mean the engine will run cooler. Even more critical as engine-management technology continues to advance, extremely precise control of engine temperature is necessary to maximize fuel economy and minimize emissions.
Electronically Controlled Thermostats
This need for this precision brought about the latest thermostat in the evolutionary chain: the electronically controlled thermostat (Figure 3). Fuel economy, power output and emissions all are affected by engine rpm, load and temperature, and to obtain the highest efficiency possible under all operating conditions, we must have infinite control over temperature. With the electronically controlled thermostat, the vehicle computer now has that control.
Their operation is almost exactly what we’re already used to. They’re still wax-operated but designed to open at a failsafe temperature to keep the engine from overheating. The electronic part is a heater that heats the wax to cause the thermostat to open or close exactly as needed. If the electronic circuit fails, the thermostat still will open in time to prevent overheating. An electronic thermostat requires a scan tool for circuit monitoring and control during diagnosis. Coupled with other cooling-system advancements such as electric fan control, variable-flow coolant pumps and active grille shutters, it’s safe to say modern cooling systems are dialed in. It’s a far cry from throwing the thermostat out and dumping in some cornmeal.
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By Counterman
Photo caption: GM ASEP students from Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny, Iowa, Joseph Njue (left) and Tyler Tessman (right) work on an engine donated by GM in October 2022. (Photo courtesy of Des Moines Area Community College)
In recognition of National Skilled Trades Day, celebrated on the first Wednesday in May each year, General Motors Customer Care and Aftersales (CCA) is recognizing the vital role that the more than 40,000 skilled auto technicians across GM dealerships bring to the GM owner experience.
Through “Bring Us Your Talent,” GM’s marketing initiative to help GM dealers recruit and train new talent to fill the technician gap, unique career stories and journeys will be shared across several GM platforms including:
The future of automotive talent – A video highlighting GM Automotive Service Educational Program (ASEP) students sharing their journeys with Dale Earnhardt Jr., who knows firsthand the importance of under-the-hood expertise. What GM-certified automotive technicians are saying: Stories from automotive technicians at all levels on why they chose their career path, life on the job, advancement and more. These stories, along with information on pursuing career opportunities as an automotive technician at a GM dealer through GM ASEP, are live on
link hidden, please login to view. GM brand social channels will also be featuring content honoring the experts who help keep us on the road. “With the progression of automotive technologies and the shift to electric vehicles, there is an ever-growing demand for skilled technician talent,” said John Roth, GM global vice president, Customer Care and Aftersales. “Not just today, but every day, we appreciate our dealership technicians who bring us their skills and continue to advance their training to take care of our customers.”
“Bring Us Your Talent” launched in May 2021 to coincide with National Skilled Trades Day and targets potential talent with educational content on automotive technician career opportunities. The initiative also provides marketing and advertising assets to dealerships to help them drive technician recruitment and industry awareness in their markets.
These efforts have helped to attract and build a pipeline of talent. Enrollment in the 51 ASEP schools across the United States is the highest it has been in 10 years.
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