-
Similar Topics
-
By Counterman
Northwood University announced registration is open for two highly sought-after professional development courses: Aftermarket 101, scheduled for May 19-20, and Heavy Duty 101, scheduled for May 21-22. Both programs will take place in Detroit and are open to all aftermarket professionals seeking a deeper understanding of the industry.
These courses provide essential knowledge about the automotive and heavy-duty aftermarket sectors, exploring key players, distribution channels, market trends and career opportunities. Participants will engage directly with industry leaders and gain valuable hands-on experience through site visits and interactive sessions.
“These courses are designed to introduce new team members to the breadth and depth of the automotive and heavy-duty aftermarket,” said Dr. Thomas Litzinger, executive director of the
link hidden, please login to view and link hidden, please login to view industry chair at Northwood University. “Participants will come away with the foundational knowledge and industry connections necessary to navigate and thrive in our dynamic market.” Aftermarket 101 focuses on the light vehicle aftermarket, covering industry basics, key players, distribution structures and emerging trends. Students will tour a high-volume traditional warehouse distributor and participate in experiential learning opportunities to see the supply chain in action. Upon completion, students will earn 1.5 Continuing Education Units (CEUs). Enroll here:
link hidden, please login to view Heavy Duty 101 is tailored for professionals entering the commercial vehicle aftermarket. This course also offers 1.5 CEUs and covers the unique challenges and opportunities facing fleets and service providers, including a dynamic case study exercise designed to reinforce learning through real-world applications. Enroll here:
link hidden, please login to view “Our programs are designed around our shared mission to advance the automotive aftermarket by equipping professionals with the knowledge, leadership skills, and hands-on experience needed to navigate today’s rapidly evolving landscape,” added James O’Dell, assistant director of aftermarket education at Northwood University.
Both courses are ideal for individuals new to the industry or transitioning into roles requiring a broader understanding of the aftermarket’s scope, challenges and opportunities. Topics covered include industry terminology, market channels, service provider challenges, heavy-duty trends and strategies for standing out in a competitive marketplace.
Participants will also learn about professional designations available through the University of the Aftermarket, including ACP, AAP, MAAP and GAAE.
Complete course descriptions and registration details are available at:
link hidden, please login to view The post
link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view.
link hidden, please login to view -
By Counterman
The Auto Care Association announced the launch of its newest Auto Care Academy course: “Aftermarket Essentials.”
“This interactive and self-paced course will delve into the dynamic world of the aftermarket, providing a comprehensive understanding of its size, impact and the importance of keeping vehicles running smoothly and drivers safe,” the association said in a news release. “The ‘Aftermarket Essentials’ course will take the participant on an exciting journey exploring the inner workings of the vast auto care ecosystem in an easy-to-learn setting at the user’s own pace.”
As an “entry-level” course, “Aftermarket Essentials” equips new professionals with a basic knowledge of how the industry functions to extend the life of vehicles, to enhance performance and to ensure the safety of everyone on the road. Participants can expect to:
Explore the aftermarket industry’s size and scope Gain an understanding of the distribution channels from manufacturer to end-user, and how the products move through these channels Identify key stakeholders in the auto care industry and understand the role each plays in keeping vehicles on the move Understand the various aspects that make this industry so great The Auto Care Association partners with the University of the Aftermarket to bring industry professionals the “Aftermarket Essentials” course. Students who complete this course will earn 0.15 CEUs toward their AAP, MAAP, SPAAP or ACP certification.
“Northwood University’s University of the Aftermarket is pleased to announce its collaboration with the Auto Care Association on providing continuous education and professional development opportunities to the automotive and heavy duty aftermarket,” said Thomas Litzinger, executive director, University of the Aftermarket. “Educational opportunities promote an engaged workforce, improve organizational efficiencies, and increase rates of employee retention. ‘Aftermarket Essentials’ lays an excellent foundation for individuals who are new to our industry or in a new position within their organization who require a broader understanding of the mobility aftermarket. Northwood University is grateful for its collaboration with the Auto Care Association and supports its vision to promote learning platforms to our industry.”
To access the course, learners can visit
link hidden, please login to view and log in using their link hidden, please login to view credentials. Once logged in, students can select and purchase “ link hidden, please login to view,” located in the course catalog. To stay updated with Auto Care Academy’s latest course offerings and announcements, interested individuals are encouraged to sign up for notifications
link hidden, please login to view. The post
link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view.
link hidden, please login to view -
By Mighty Auto Parts
The post
link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is defined as the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computers. In automotive, this intelligence is known as ADAS or Advanced Driver Assistance Systems. ADAS includes technologically advanced features that enhance the safe operation of automobiles by increasing the driver’s reaction time to potential driving dangers. These systems use sensor […]
The post
link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view.
link hidden, please login to view -
By APF
Parts proliferation. Amazon. Access to data. Consolidation. Technology.
These are all issues that weigh heavily on the minds of leaders in distribution today. However, when Counterman spoke with Bobby Segal, CEO of Sanel Auto Parts, and current chairman of the Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association (AWDA), to get his thoughts on the most pressing issues in distribution today, it wasn’t any of these issues that worried him.
His biggest concern for distribution? It’s not what you think.
Segal reflected on the massive consolidation that has taken place in distribution over the past several decades, visually exemplified by the shrinking – and eventual disappearance – of the old printed member directories AWDA used to produce annually. Over the years, outright consolidation morphed into member rollups and buyouts or attempting to take a company public, followed by a growing interest from private equity and of course, the introduction of new online players like Amazon and RockAuto.
Regardless of these external changes over the years, the focus for his Concord, New Hampshire-based family business always has been on being the best.
“From our perspective at our company, we’re not about being the largest,” Segal says. “We’re about being profitable, sustainable. That’s what we’re focused on.”
Outside of his own business, as chairman of AWDA, Segal says AWDA members have the opportunity to truly learn from one another if they stay open, and pay attention.
“The smaller entities, the ones who are active, are running sustainable models and doing some really unique things in their marketplaces. Because a lot of them are smaller, they’re nimble and they have the relationships. That’s one of the benefits of AWDA; these are the best of the best who are participating. I’m always learning something new from other AWDA members who are doing some really neat things.”
Stay Involved
Segal is a passionate advocate for industry involvement in legislative issues, and he believes this should be at the top of the priority list for every distributor that wants to survive.
This brings us to the million-dollar question: As chairman of AWDA, what is Segal’s biggest concern for the industry today?
Apathy.
“My concern is the people who don’t realize they are going out of business because they don’t feel that they have the time to participate,” says Segal. “They can participate. Thinking that they are so small that they aren’t relevant, that apathy is a threat. People don’t realize how powerful one business can be. Our elected officials are interested.”
Even with all of the major legislative issues at stake today – China, steel and auto parts tariffs and a potential trade war – Segal says access to repair information is still this industry’s No. 1 issue.
“It’s making sure our customers are not locked out of the ability to service cars and we are able to supply the technicians with the parts they need,” Segal adds.
When asked about his outlook for the distribution business for the second half of 2018, Segal had a bigger, more widespread concern.
“You hear people all around the country [saying]that their business is up or down, depending on the macroeconomic events that impact their local economies, but I guess the concern would be the price of gasoline and how that would impact miles driven,” Segal says. “Cars don’t break if they sit. For the second half of the year, that is what I see as the biggest threat.”
Editor’s note: This is the cover story in the June 2018 issue of Counterman.
Source:
link hidden, please login to view -
-
By partsman
Aug 13:
link hidden, please login to view The Trump administration has set a collision course with the auto industry as it launches renegotiations of the 23-year-old NAFTA trade pact this week, aiming to shrink a growing trade deficit with Mexico and tighten the rules of origin for cars and parts.
More than any other industry, autos have been the focus of U.S. President Donald Trump's anger over the North American Free Trade Agreement, which he blames for taking car factories and jobs away from America to low-wage Mexico.
The United States had a $74 billion trade deficit with Mexico in autos and auto parts last year, the dominant component of an overall $64 billion U.S. deficit, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
"The Trump administration has framed their NAFTA negotiating objectives around reducing the trade deficit with Mexico," said Caroline Freund, a senior trade fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. "If they don't touch autos, there's no way of getting at what they want."
Among tools that U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer may seek to boost auto employment in the U.S. is strengthening the rules of origin to shut out more parts from Asia, and possibly an unprecedented U.S.-specific content requirement for Mexican vehicles.
Lighthizer's negotiating objectives for NAFTA seek to "ensure the rules of origin incentivize the sourcing of goods and materials from the United States and North America," which has raised concerns among auto industry executives and trade groups that he will seek a deal that guarantees a certain percentage of production for the United States.
The industry is opposed to such a carve-out or to increasing the percentage of a vehicle's value that must come from the region above the current 62.5%—already the highest of any global trade bloc.
They say this would raise costs and disrupt a complex supply chain that sees parts crisscrossing NAFTA borders and has made North American car production competitive with Asia and Europe.
"Our members feel very strongly that rules of origin are not the tools to use to reshore jobs into the U.S.," said Ann Wilson, senior vice president of government affairs for the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association, a trade group representing auto parts makers.
Wilson and other industry advocates say a better way to boost U.S. manufacturing jobs is through policies aimed at expanding vehicle exports.
PARTS THRESHOLD
But if U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross gets his way, it would be harder to reach the 62.5% content threshold because the "tracing list" of parts that count towards that goal would be modernized. He argues the current rules are too loose and allow a tariff-free "back door" for Chinese auto parts.
Parts that did not exist when the 300-plus page list was devised in the early 1990s, largely electronics sourced from Asia such as console touch screens or hybrid-drive controllers, do not count against reaching the threshold. If they are put on the list, companies would have to source them from North America or pay tariffs on them.
For more on NAFTA, watch Fortune's video:
link hidden, please login to view After meeting with Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, President Trump addressed NAFTA changes.
If the content requirements become too onerous, automakers will simply skip compliance "and they'll just end up paying the duty," said Charles Uthus, vice president for international policy at the American Automotive Policy Council, a lobbying group for Ford Motor Co., General Motors and Fiat Chrysler.
Foregoing all NAFTA tariff-free access benefits - something that could happen if Trump is dissatisfied with the negotiations and decides to scrap the trade pact - would raise costs by about $4 billion-5 billion a year, Ulthus added. Ford plans about $7 billion in total capital spending this year.
DISPUTE MECHANISM DISPUTED
Among the other contentious NAFTA issues that U.S., Canadian and Mexican negotiators will tackle starting on Wednesday in Washington is the future of a mechanism for resolving trade disputes.
The United States wants to eliminate a so-called "Chapter 19" provision, arguing that it fails to combat unfair subsidies of some Mexican and Canadian goods. Mexico and Canada have vowed to keep the provision.
Negotiators are expected to pursue new NAFTA chapters governing digital trade, and tightening environmental and labor standards, changes previously agreed by the three countries as part of the now-defunct 12-country Trans-Pacific Partnership.
U.S. negotiators will also seek a provision to deter currency manipulation, aiming to set a precedent for future trade negotiations, such as a revised U.S.-North Korean deal or a bilateral pact with Japan.
The negotiations face an extremely tight timeline, with officials saying they want to complete negotiations by early next year to avoid ratification difficulties posed by elections in Mexico in July 2018 and in the U.S. in November 2018.
Freund, a trade economist for more than a decade at the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, said the negotiators should focus on a few key areas.
"If you really want to do a full-blown modernization of NAFTA, it's going to take a lot more than six months," she said. "Ultimately I think they're going to get bogged down in all these details and pick two to three things and have a smaller agenda."
-
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.