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The Alliance’s JC Washbish: ‘America Is Moving Again’
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By Counterman
To further enhance and expand its replacement parts and service business in North America, Stellantis announced the bproauto aftermarket parts brand as its new line of high-quality, competitively priced, replacement parts.
Following decades of success in Europe and other international markets, including the Middle East and South America, the newly introduced
link hidden, please login to view is available for most makes and models to help combat the rapidly changing aftermarket and the long-term shift to electrification as vehicles and their components are becoming increasingly complex and digital, the automaker noted. The original-equipment-backed parts come with up to a two-year/unlimited-mile warranty. In addition, batteries have up to two-year free replacement coverage and brake pads carry a limited lifetime warranty, according to Stellantis.
“With the introduction of bproauto, we’re further enhancing the customer experience by offering a new, competitively priced, private-label line of high-quality, factory-backed parts for most makes and models,” said Mike Koval, head of Mopar North America. “While Mopar will remain the global original-equipment parts and authentic accessories brand for Stellantis, bproauto will offer an alternative for nearly all brands and all cars – new, used, owned, rented or shared. With Mopar and bproauto, our dealerships offer a 360-degree, multi-brand, one-stop-shop solution for nearly all customers, all vehicles and all brands.”
In North America, 30 parts categories will be available for most makes and models to support the ongoing transition of the automotive repair industry. Additional product lines will phase into the Stellantis dealership network.
The following parts are available now from bproauto:
Air filters Batteries Brake pads Brake rotors Hub bearings Oil and oil filters Tire-pressure monitoring systems Additional high-quality products coming from bproauto will include:
ABS sensorsIgnition coilsA/C compressorsLubricantsA/C condensersO2 sensorsA/C evaporatorsRadiatorsAlternatorsShocksBall jointsSpark plugsBattery cablesSpark plug wiresBrake calipersStartersBrake hardwareStrutsBulbsTaillampsChemicalsThermostatsControl armsTie-rod endsFiltration: cabin and transmissionTiming belts/tensionersFuel injectorsU-jointsFuel pump modulesWater pumpsFunctional fluidsWiper bladesHeadlamps The post
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By Counterman
In link hidden, please login to view, we gave leaders from the major distribution groups and trade associations an opportunity to reflect on the most critical issues affecting the automotive aftermarket. For the second year in a row, we let distribution leaders “riff” on these topics in their own words.
Here’s what JC Washbish, vice president of sales and marketing for the Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance, had to say on the power of partnerships.
The Alliance has been full-speed down the front stretch of 2023 with our joint-venture partners, Federated Auto Parts, and the newly established Federated-Alliance! It has been exciting, to say the least, to work with our close friends at Federated. Our goal from Day 1 has been to sell better! It remains our aim to be the best independent distributor in the industry.
The Federated-Alliance partnership has led to our inclusion in the Automotive Parts Services Group (The Group). The Alliance would like to thank Sue Godschalk, president of Federated Auto Parts, and Robert Roos, president and CEO of the Pronto Network Cooperative, for welcoming the Alliance into The Group with open arms. It was an honor to attend The Group’s 2023 National Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, this past March. The Alliance also would like to thank all the valued channel partners that supported and attended the wonderful event. Without their support or their quality products, we wouldn’t be able to accomplish our goal: selling better!
The Alliance also has increased its membership within the Alliance Commercial Vehicle and Heavy-Duty program with the additions of Pardo Fleet Solutions located in Sewell, New Jersey, in March. Piston Ring Service & Supply of Winnipeg officially joined the program in April. Finally, the Alliance is excited to announce Arnold Oil Supply of Austin, Texas, as its newest CVHD member this past June.
The focus of the Alliance takes a political shift as we head into the second half of the year. We will answer the calls of Bill Hanvey, president and CEO of the Auto Care Association, and Paul McCarthy, president and CEO of MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers, to work together to pass The REPAIR Act.
July is Right to Repair month. We are mobilizing our employees, our shareholder members as well as our shop customers and encouraging them to contact their members of Congress to ask that those officials support the REPAIR Act. The Alliance will attend the Auto Care Association Legislative Summit this September to further demand passage of the bill by their members of Congress.
In fact, I am asking YOU, the reader (come on, you’ve made it this far), to also contact your member of congress today by visiting this link:
link hidden, please login to view. The Alliance is looking forward to a fantastic back stretch of 2023 and is hopeful that as a united industry we will all be protected with the Right to Repair.
Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance Inc.
Founded: 2000 Headquarters: San Antonio Number of members/shareholders: 37 Number of distribution centers/parts stores: 3,000+ Website: link hidden, please login to view and link hidden, please login to view. The post
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By Counterman
In August of last year, NGK Spark Plugs (U.S.A.), Inc. announced the intention to change the company name. On its face, a name change may seem pretty straightforward, but for this iconic global ignition and sensor specialist, this rebranding brings a whole host of new opportunities.
The new name – Niterra North America, Inc. – which became effective on April 1, is a combination of the Latin words “Niteo,” for shine, and “Terra,” for planet Earth. The company said the new branding reflects its future vision and expanding portfolio of products and services.
According to Tracy Neil, corporate communications manager, the new logo features a yellow dot signifying a torch shining on the earth, while the green color, uniquely named, “Earth Green” is a depiction of what the earth looks like from space. “Together it conveys our message that we will continue to contribute to society and the environment in the future,” Neil explained.
While a new name and logo have been introduced in English, the Japanese language corporate name will not change, the company said. And, more importantly, the well-known NGK and NTK brand names and logos will still be utilized in the marketplace for spark plug- and ceramic-related products.
“It is an exciting time in the long and storied history of NGK Spark Plug, LTD.,” said Michael Schwab, president and CEO, in making the initial announcement. “We are becoming an increasingly progressive corporation as we strive to meet our vision for the future. A future where we expand our core ceramic technologies, explore capabilities beyond our traditional areas, and challenge ourselves to develop solutions and services that use technologies to resolve social issues while contributing to a sustainable society.”
That future includes quite a bit of change, explained Brian Norko, senior vice president – commercial business operations.
“What it boiled down to in the conversations that have been taking place for several years now, was what was going on with internal combustion engines,” said Norko. “At the time, Mr. Odo, Representative Director Chairman of the Board, made an announcement to all the NGK/NTK employees worldwide – which is around 16,000 employees – that NGK Spark Plugs will create and transform their business portfolio to deliver new value in the face of an ever-changing future. So, they worked on a name change. And, the name change was really [intended] for investors, as we have these meetings upstream in terms of mergers and acquisitions, and downstream in terms of platforms and technologies that get us closer to the customer.”
The name change also was intended to represent the numerous other opportunities the company is stepping into with the launch of the Niterra Group Venture Lab, which aims to nurture startups and develop competitive technologies in the mobility space as well as the medical and utilities segments – utilizing the company’s core competence in ceramic technologies as its foundation for growth.
“We want to do things with Niterra that meet large-scale global environmental changes, while addressing society’s issues and challenges through our products and technology to contribute to a sustainable society,” said Norko.
Four-Pillar Structure
To that end, Niterra will do business under what Norko described as a “Four-Pillar Structure,” that will focus investment and business opportunities in Mobility, Energy, Communications and Healthcare.
“Niterra is focusing on four strategies that when people think of NGK Spark Plugs, they have no idea that we’re into medical. People think of sensors as ADAS. But right now, we’re working with a company in Japan to use our sensing technology for shrimp farming. Our sensors can track the water temperature, the pollutants in the water, when it needs fresh water, and when food is needed for the shrimp. Again, our sensing technology is what we do at our core, but people would never realize that we’re doing that outside of automotive, as well.”
Norko added that today roughly 20-30 percent of Niterra employees are working on new business, and he’s seeing their customers transitioning their employees to do the same – particularly the automakers with their increasing focus on EVs.
“I think it’s important to note that this reflects a turn beyond mobility, beyond just the automotive, OE and aftermarket space,” said David Varady, Sr., marketing manager, brand & creative, Aftermarket Division, who worked closely on the rebranding initiative. “This is really going to broaden the space that we can play in and represents our vast technological capabilities.”
Norko added that given Niterra’s history, strong customer relationships, extensive engineering capabilities and strong financial foundation, the company is in an excellent position to help some of these young startups that have great products and great technologies but perhaps not the other assets to get their products out to the OE and aftermarket sectors.
“Niterra has the ability to do that with our customer-facing engineering expertise, our manufacturing expertise, and the overall health of our company,” said Norko. “We’re already through the door and all this equity can be used to help bring them to market.”
Planting New Seeds
Like the old Chinese proverb goes, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.”
Niterra officially launched its new name and branding with a celebration aptly coinciding with Earth Month. At its Wixom, Michigan-based U.S. headquarters, the company hosted a celebration for employees that partnered with One Tree Planted, a nonprofit organization focused on global reforestation. As part of the festivities, each Niterra associate was given a tree kit to plant at home and a tree gifted in their name. An initial donation was also provided to a representative of One Tree Planted, contributing nearly 7,000 trees to the partnership. Additional fundraising and employee engagement activities will continue supporting One Tree Planted reforestation efforts throughout the year, including an associate tree planting event.
At the event, employees also were given Niterra-branded lunchboxes made entirely of recycled materials.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with One Tree Planted,” said Schwab. “Every organization needs to think about their effects on the planet and give back to the environment to ensure a sustainable future. Trees are vital to our environment, and this organization is making a tremendous environmental impact with their reforestation projects.”
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By Counterman
In our cover story for
link hidden, please login to view, we asked distribution leaders to reflect on the successes and challenges of 2022 and share some of their insights for the industry in 2023. Here’s our Q&A with JC Washbish, vice president of sales and marketing for the Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance.
AMN/CM: What did your organization accomplish in 2022 that you are most proud of?
JW: For the third time, Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper held their national convention in Las Vegas during the AAPEX show. The 2022 Aftermarket Jackpot: High Stakes edition was the grandest convention yet! With over 2,000 industry professionals representing the entire distribution channel, the entire event was a success.
A major highlight of Jackpot was the Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper Technician of the Year program. The program began in Dearborn, Michigan, in July when the Alliance and our friends from DRiV and Garage Gurus hosted 11 Technician Finalists for the Annual Tech of the Year finalist event. Each finalist advanced to Las Vegas where the winner, Ross Colket, was revealed on stage amid much pomp and circumstance.
The Alliance would like to thank our wonderful channel partners who supported Jackpot. The focus of the convention was the AAPEX show and visiting channel partner booths. The Alliance channel partners were ready to engage and interact with the Jackpot attendees. From world-class training efforts to celebrity meet-and-greets, to unbelievable giveaways and prizes, the two full days on the AAPEX show floor were fast-paced and action-packed.
AMN/CM: How is the ongoing Right to Repair issue impacting your business?
JW: The Right to Repair issue is here, right now, in our faces. We need to engage our elected officials and bring awareness to the needs of all motorists. We deserve the right to accessible, equitable and professional motor vehicle repairs.
Our friends at the Auto Care Association are doing much of the heavy lifting on this issue. They have made it easy for us, as constituents, to influence Washington. We urge everyone to take a moment and let your position be known by visiting https://www.autocareadvocacy.org/take-action-tell-congress-support-right-to-repair/ today and demand that Congress take action!
AMN/CM: What do you feel is the greatest opportunity facing the automotive aftermarket right now?
JW: The consolidation of the traditional aftermarket is the greatest opportunity for our industry right now. Traditional shop owners, national service chains, DIYers and suppliers all will benefit from the opportunity to work with a united traditional aftermarket.
The Alliance and Federated Auto Parts Inc. announced a strategic collaboration to combine certain activities and resources to reduce costs and improve service and efficiency to their respective members. This joint venture, The Federated Alliance, became effective on Jan. 1, 2023.
The collaboration provides a framework for sharing benefits and costs in several administrative and support areas and includes shared ownership in The Automotive Parts Services Group.
This collaboration will also allow the Alliance to partner with Federated and APSG in a number of important areas, providing enhanced value and opportunities for all Alliance shareholders while maintaining unique marketing identities and focusing on local markets and the needs of professional service providers. The Alliance continues to be dedicated to shareholder member success. This joint venture will support those initiatives by reducing costs and strengthening the Alliance’s ability to focus on customers and their needs. 2023 will prove to be an exciting and successful year.
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By Counterman
More than 18 months after Massachusetts voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure expanding the state’s Right to Repair law to include data access for vehicle owners, the voter-approved changes remain in limbo.
Douglas Woodlock, a judge with the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, issued a notice on July 1 announcing another delay in the decision on the automakers’ challenge to the Right to Repair ballot initiative.
Citing “the need to consider fully the implications of the long-anticipated decision” and “unforeseen and unforeseeable scheduling complications encountered in the past several weeks coming upon the extended holiday weekend,” Woodlock further delayed the conclusion of the case.
Based on his statement, the delay is expected to be short. However, the judge previously stated that he would issue a final judgment no later than July 2.
On Nov. 3, 2020, Massachusetts voters approved the ballot measure by a 75% to 25% margin. The new Right to Repair law would require manufacturers to provide vehicle owners both access and control of the diagnostic and repair data generated by their vehicles.
In December 2020, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, whose members produce the vast majority of cars and light trucks sold in the United States, filed for a preliminary injunction against enforcement of the new law. The motion for injunction claims that the updated Right to Repair law “is unconstitutional because it is preempted by federal law.”
“By requiring auto manufacturers to eliminate existing cybersecurity controls that protect core vehicle functions and thereby ensure the safe operation of vehicles within prescribed emissions limits, the Data Law conflicts with the requirements, purposes and objectives of the federal National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act and the Clean Air Act,” the alliance asserts in its court filing.
The Auto Care Association
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