BWelcome to 2023. A new year awaits, as memories of Covid remain. But life is getting back to normal in most places. People are dining out, traveling on business and for pleasure. In short, we are trying very hard to get back to the way things were.
Of course, events that are not predicted can lead to more horrible outcomes. The earthquake killing tens of thousands in Turkey and Syria is beyond tragic. And both those countries have an automotive aftermarket (including a trade show in Turkey put on by Automechanika) and subscribers to our digital brand. Our hearts go out to them.
On the positive side let me congratulate the Motor Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) on its recent reorganization. As I told their CEO Bill Long, by separating the association into OEM and Aftermarket it has made things a lot easier for its members. Congrats to all involved in this decision and its implementation.
The part of MEMA that Aftermarket International works most closely with is the Overseas Automotive Council (OAC). In early February it had its Global Summit in Miami. And this was an important event, as it recognized the 100th anniversary of OAC.
No small achievement to be sure. Special recognition goes to two top-notch professionals: Daniel Tristan, Chairman, who runs the export business of Spectronics (which sells under the label Tracer Products for the auto aftermarket), and Ben Brucato, Vice President of the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), which falls under the MEMA umbrella.
From my almost two decades of working with OAC and its members I can tell you they are a tight-knit and hard-working group that also knows how to have some fun when the occasion arises. Happy to say I have many friends, and perhaps a few foes, there.
Let me close this column by inviting one and all to Miami for AutoAmericas. It’s Aftermarket International’s first foray into the tradeshow business. We will be putting on AutoAmericas on Friday-Saturday March 24-25 this year. It’s at the Miami Airport Convention Center (MACC). Attached to it is our show hotel, the Doubletree by Hilton. I am happy to be Co-Director of the event along with Max Jaramillo, whose company Latin Press Inc. owns our brand.
Our target audience is attendees from Latin America and South Florida. For more information, including Exhibitor List, Floorplan and Hotel Accommodations: https://www.autoamericas.show/en/
Hope to see you there!
Brad Glazer, publisher Aftermarket International
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OAC celebrates 100 years, changes at MEMA, see you at AutoAméricas!
The time has come. The Miami Airport Convention Center opens its doors for the first version of the AutoAméricas Show, the Expo and Congress for the auto parts market in Latin America, the Caribbean and South Florida. Between March 24 and 25, at least 30 brands from the region will meet there, along with visitors from different parts of the world who revitalize the industry.
From manufacturers and distributors in Central and South America to vehicle repair centers in India expressed their interest in participating in these conferences, which will feature a select group of exhibitors, who represent different aspects of this broad sector.
In the TechForum 1 Room there will be members of the US Small Business Federal Agency (SBA), Elena Méndez and Sandro Murtas. They will talk about the resources for financing exports from the United States.
This conference will precede the presentation of Carlos Andrés Pineda, president of the Association of the Automotive Sector and its Parts (Asopartes) of Colombia, where last year more motorcycles were sold than the entire United States market. This reflects a clear business opportunity to explore.
He will be followed by the presentation of Milagros Méndez, CEO of Ramco Automotive, the only company with its own brand certified by Miami Dade, SBE & LDB and others, led by Latina women. This is stated by Milagros and his partner, Clarisa Gianelli, both from Venezuela, who tell a story of entrepreneurship.
To close the initial day, the engineer Héctor Cabrera will explain how cloning electronic modules has become common both to do power upgrades and to solve problems. The following day, the president of the Automotive Parts Remanufacturers Association (APRA) will address the topic of remanufacturing for the automotive aftermarket.
Both APRA and Asopartes are allied associations of this event that is beginning to roll with the aim of becoming a periodic meeting space to strengthen that chain of trust and integration that is so necessary in these times of common challenges for the industry, in which each part becomes an indispensable spare wheel.
Federico Duarte Editor
Between March 24 and 25, the AutoAméricas Show will take place. This is the new Expo and Congress for the auto parts industry in the region, promoted by Aftermarket International.
In the 4,518 square meters that make up the total exhibition area of the Miami Airport Convention Center, where the first version of the AutoAméricas Show will be held, some of the most splendid brands in Latin America, the Caribbean and Florida will be presented.
Apart from the two associations associated with the event, such as the Automotive Parts Remanufacturers Association (APRA) and the Association of the Automotive Sector and its Parts (Asopartes), which bring together thousands of significant companies in the industry, this scenario brings together some brands recognized for their trajectory in the sector.
Below, we briefly review their history, together with the appreciations of some companies about this period of the pandemic and the prospects for this year.
A2Z AutomotiveA2Z Automotive is a family business providing automotive repair and maintenance services in Lexington Park, Maryland since 2017.
Its technicians are ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) quality certified. They employ the latest automotive technology and are equipped to handle all major and minor repairs on domestic and foreign vehicles.
A2Z Automotive is a certified NAPA AutoCare center with the ability to offer the benefits of an established national entity, while maintaining the personal touch of a family business.
"We understand that your vehicle is a great investment, and that is why we take care of each client's vehicle as if it were our own," the company affirms.
Like NAPA AutoCare Center,
it follows a strict code of ethics so customers know up front what to expect. As part of this code, the company is committed to providing high quality diagnostic and repair service at a fair price using quality NAPA parts.
In addition to employing ASE certified technicians, it is also dedicated to providing a system for the fair resolution of customer complaints should they occur.
It currently offers NAPA AutoCare's Peace of Mind Warranty, which gives its customers 24 months/24,000 miles of worry-free protection on qualified parts and labor. "Wherever you travel, our warranty is honored at more than 14,000 NAPA AutoCare locations across the country," the company says.
Operating for over 25 years in the automotive and industrial chemical business, American Mfg Co. is a family-owned company based in Miami, Florida.
Under the Rudson brand seal, their products stand out for implementing advanced level technology. Its self-directed cross-functional work teams are responsible for complying with production and safety standards. This organizational structure makes it possible to quickly identify and eliminate quality problems.
Over the past decade, American Manufacturing Company has grown its market throughout the world. Due to consistency and continuous improvement, the American Mfg and Rudson brands have been the popular choice of consumers.
1. Cleaner and degreaser
American Mfg stands out for its concentrated industrial cleaners and degreasers, which the company claims will
“not only get the job done effectively but are also pocket friendly.”
from boiling and the antifreeze property prevents the engine fluids from freezing.
The Automotive Parts Remanufacturers Association (APRA) was founded on October 24, 1941 by R. A. Van Alen and Harry Lester in Los Angeles. At the APRA Big R Show in 1947, Harry Lester was still president, and the attendance was approximately 50 people. Over the past 75 years, membership has grown to some 1,000 member companies worldwide. Convention attendance exceeds 2,000 people with more than 150 exhibit booths.
In the Association, "people make the difference", it indicates. “Success depends on a strong focus on members, quality service, and continuous improvement by volunteers and staff members who show integrity,
2. Purple
The company points out that Purple Tuff takes care of stubborn stains on its own, without the need to spend extra time or money scrubbing and brushing. Plus, it notes that unlike single-use cleaners, Purple Tuff concentrate allows for custom blends for stronger cleans.
• It is not toxic and is biodegradable.
• It is not dangerous or flammable
3. Windshield washer fluids
Whether it's mud stains, insect stains and other sticky stains, American Mfg washer fluids ensure crystal clear windshields. They also have antifreeze formulas to clear frost that may appear in cold climates.
4. Engine coolant and antifreeze
American Mfg stocks a variety of Rudson products in the engine coolant category. Antifreeze coolant helps maintain engine fluid temperatures. In summer, the coolant prevents the fluids
5. Engine oil
In the oil category, you'll find Formula Duramaxx Premium motor oils made with a specific blend of base oils and additives that, combined with a high-quality viscosity modifier, protects against oxidants and corrosion.
interest, and initiative,” the Association adds.
It highlights that the business goes beyond simply meeting the needs of members. “We work together to cover job responsibilities, titles, and organizational structure to share information and experience. Teamwork brings out the best in APRA”, highlights the Association.
APRA also highlights the way to serve its members based on a fast, accurate and professional service, "adding a personal touch".
The Association maintains that it encourages innovative thinking to find new sources of revenue, control costs, improve
the quality of service to members, and work more efficiently.
In addition, it values diversity among its volunteer members, who come from small, medium and large companies. They come from different product line perspectives and are in the automotive or heavy-duty business, or both. They come from different parts of the world. Some are rebuilders and some are suppliers, “but all work for the success of our rebuilding industry,” APRA notes.
Its president for nearly ten years has been Joe Kripli, who has more than 30 years of experience in multi-component remanufacturing processes, sales and marketing, and project launches.
The Association of the Automotive Sector and its Parts (Asopartes) is a non-profit union entity with a tradition that represents and defends the social, commercial and technical interests of the automotive sector and its parts in Colombia, with nearly 48 years of existence.
As its president, Carlos Andrés Pineda, maintains, the association arose in an almost “informal” way in Medellín and from there it expanded to the entire country. Today it has seven branches in the main cities of Colombia.
Currently, it has more than 54,000 companies formally registered with the chambers of commerce; about 40,000 associated with the automobile sector and approximately 14,000 with motorcycles. The Association brings together around 500 affiliated companies, with nearly 2,000 business establishments represented.
The president of the Association assures that both the Colombian and Latin American industry have enormous opportunities in terms of specialization. Although he points out that the Colombian car market does not sell the number of vehicles it should in relation to its population, in terms of motorcycle sales it is the leader in Latin America, only behind Brazil.
There is one piece of data that stands out: the previous year, Colombia sold more motorcycles than the entire United States market: more than 800,000.
“What this tells us is that there is a strong, strengthened, dynamic industry around motorcycles, and that we must also take advantage of these opportunities in the vehicle market, both light and heavy, which is a great challenge that we have for develop in our association and in our country”, says Carlos Andrés Pineda.
The president invites the fair organized this year by the Association: Expopartes 2023, to be held from June 21 to 23 in Bogotá, with the confirmed presence of more than ten countries, and exhibitors from China, Turkey, Brazil, Mexico, among others.
The company emerged in 1981 as part of a strategic alliance and a thought to conquer the spare parts market for Mexico, the United States and Latin America.
The corporate offices are located in Mexico City, where they have just over 300 employees. Its specialty is the manufacture and sale of engine mounts, shock absorber bases, and suspension parts, in rubber and polyurethane for the automotive and heavy equipment markets.
In conversation with the Export Sales Manager, Rocío Alarcón Núñez, about the impact of the pandemic, she says that the company has been able to cope quite well with this period given the strong stock that during this time has allowed it to maintain a good level of assortment with its customers.
For this year, the company's prospects are based on continuing strong growth in Mexico and Latin America, covering the automotive and heavy equipment line and reaching other Caribbean markets.
Davico Manufacturing is a full line manufacturer of high quality direct fit catalytic converters, universal catalytic converters, exhaust products, and other exhaust and emissions related components and accessories.
The company was established in 1987 by a family focused on manufacturing exhaust products in their hometown of New Bedford, Massachusetts.
Over the years, the company has become the sole property of owner and president Ray Surprenant. His hands-on leadership style has guided the company over time, building a strong and experienced management team with a combined industry experience of more than 80 years.
The company's foundation is its roots in the community growing first with local employees, many of whom live in New Bedford and surrounding cities.
Davico draws from the local community for supplies, raw materials, components, and training to support its manufacturing facility and distribution center.
Its core employees come from all areas of the local community, including trade schools, a historically strong manufacturing workforce with roots in the whaling industry in the 17th century, and a strong textile industry in the 18th century.
New Bedford is rich in history and Davico continues to thrive in this coastal community with all the resources available to them locally.
Over the years, owner Ray Surprenant has been recognized and honored with several awards given to businesses whose success and contributions have generated new economic investment and jobs in cities throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Asopartes DAI DavicoDiamond Automotive SA de CV and its Diamond Power brand were born 20 years ago in order to take advantage of the knowledge for the motor market in Mexico and import spare parts with high quality standards at a lower price than what was available in the market.
According to the company, the brand was quickly accepted by having applications for Asian, American and European engines. Distribution began in the city of Monterrey, expanding operations throughout the
republic with distribution centers both in this city and in Torreón, Puebla, Guadalajara and the central Distribution Center in the city of Querétaro, in addition to having the opening of a new CEDIS in Mexico City.
According to the company, Diamond Power is recognized as one of the brands with the highest participation in the Mexican market in terms of engine spare parts.
"In addition to the Mexican market, buyers from other countries began to contact our vendors to purchase products for regions in
Central and South America, which aroused our interest in entering those markets where it was detected that, as in Mexico, there was a lack of a brand of engine spare parts with the breadth of applications that cover the needs of customers”, indicates the company.
In 2011, the project to enter the US market began, as well as to significantly increase the presence of the brand in Latin countries from a distribution center located in the city of Miami. This is dedicated only to the export of products to Latin America.
DNJ Engine Components, with over 35 years of experience, has become a full line supplier of Japanese and Domestic engine parts for all cars and trucks and offers listings for all engines.
The company seeks to make DNJ the name brand that can be trusted, with a commitment to keep the customer up to date with all new
parts that are for late model applications.
The company stocks more than 14,000 part numbers at each branch location across the country to help it serve its customers more efficiently, along with a toll-free 800 number at each location for easy ordering.
The DNJ engine components catalog and information is also available online, with new
part numbers added regularly to keep you competitive in the marketplace.
“We are proud to say that we have chosen to partner with manufacturers certified to ISO9001, ISO9002 and the prestigious QS9000 certificate,” says the company, which also maintains that all DNJ engine components meet or exceed O.E.
Diamond Power DNJ Engine ComponentsLate last year, Litens acquired Industrias Dolz, a Spain-based manufacturer and distributor of automotive water pumps and other powertrain products.
Litens CEO Paul Robinson said then: “The addition of the Dolz product line greatly complements our current product offering, allowing our combined companies to offer a broader range of products to each of our customers".
With almost 90 years of history, Dolz has always manufactured only water pumps for cars, trucks and tractors, which according to the company allows it to present the most experienced water pump on the market.
Dolz will continue to operate as a separate business under the leadership of CEO, Jesús Dolz, who has maintained that "Dolz and Litens have a long history in the automotive industry."
The company has factories in Spain (Castellón), Argentina (Buenos Aires) and China (Shouzou). It is one of the few manufacturers that within its plant integrate aluminum die-casting, machining and assembly, where the complete robotization of the production process is combined with full control and high productivity.
The objective is to perfect the manufacturing process, eliminating all those
phases that could pose a risk to the quality of the product.
Dolz produces more than 5.5 million water pumps manufactured between the three plants and is present in more than 70 countries around the world thanks to logistics platforms strategically located to provide excellent service.
His vision is to help to design "the mobility of the future" based on the preferred solution for each client, in the most efficient and innovative way in the automotive industry.
Hence, its values are customer orientation, the human team, technological innovation and adaptation to the environment.
Driveshaft Parts Group has been in business since 1988 and has branches all over the world.
It specializes in the wholesale trade of drive shafts and constant velocity joint components.
Ecobrex is an American brand located in Texas, which supplies automotive spare parts internationally. The company maintains that it adheres to international safety standards and certifications by producing premium quality eco-friendly brake pads, disc rotors, filters and steering/suspension.
"Ecobrex offers superior customer service, a distributor program, flexible pricing, personalized marketing and global
Driveshaft Parts USA LLC was established in 2007 and is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Many of their items have been designed to their own specifications with unique
enhancements and modifications.
“We work closely with our manufacturers to ensure that we always offer a high-quality product,” the company says.
deliveries," the company says.
It sets the standards and trends in the highly dynamic automotive parts industry, "always staying one step ahead of the competition."
Using the latest cutting-edge technologies, flawless design processes and precision, Ecobrex prides itself on supplying products that adhere to the highest standards, ensuring both quality and safety.
Its mission, the company emphasizes, is to deliver precision products and the highest quality, guaranteeing safety and durability, and providing affordable solutions through innovative manufacturing processes and innovation in distribution networks.
“Ecobrex aims to create the best experience for all customers and clients through continuous efforts to achieve perfection,” it indicates.
The Ener brand is a “flourishing” business entity, as the company puts it, through prominent production of electrical accessories in various ranges made of EC grade ETP copper and aluminum.
Today the company is recognized as one of the leading manufacturers of copper sheet lugs, tubular lugs, ring lugs, clevis lugs, pin lugs, flat pin lugs, special type pin lugs, busbar, bi-metal lugs and aluminum lugs.
Added to this are split bolt, female lugs, male lugs, male and female bullet lugs, ferrule, boot lugs, double pin type lugs, insulated lugs, welded lugs, rail series lugs, mechanical lugs, among others.
All these accessories are used for transmission, cable jointing, electricity supply in various applications and electrical products. Each product is manufactured with reference to various national and international standards such as IS, UL, IEC, DIN, etc.
"We follow the principles of the 4M-1E method (Man, Machine, Method, Measurement and Environment) to carry out the manufacturing process and deliver a product of the best quality," says the company, according to which all products are made from ETP grade copper and EC grade aluminum.
The company specializes in fields such as electrical panel and accessories, motor and transformer manufacturer, automobile and wiring harness, power supply utility boards, inverter manufacturer, UPS and generator sets, EPC contract and solar industry.
This family business, located in Miami, started as GJ Parts in 2003, 20 years ago. However, the company comes from a very long history in the auto parts business with experience of more than 25 years in the aftermarket, wholesale and export.
The company is an authorized distributor of important brands in the Aftermarket, although it also manufactures its own products.
It works directly with factories in China and Japan to provide its customers with the "hard to find parts" in their markets, especially in Latin America and the Caribbean.
"This has made a difference in our service, especially in the Refrigeration line," says the company.
“We are also very proud to have great suppliers and work with partners where we can provide different parts for our customers. Our main focus is that our clients find in GJ Parts a unique place for most of their auto parts needs”, says the company.
Since 1972, Epicor has been equipping hard-working businesses with business solutions that keep the world turning. This is stated by the company's Public Relations Lead for the Americas, Stephanie Butler.
“The company was one of the first providers of business solutions developed specifically for companies in the automotive aftermarket,” she says. In 1982, the company introduced the industry's first electronic catalog, delivering content for millions of parts, from hundreds of suppliers, directly to dealer and worker counters.
Epicor is headquartered in Austin, Texas and has offices around the world with 4,300 employees.
The company offers solutions to help franchise dealers take advantage of all aftermarket opportunities throughout the lifecycle of every vehicle, regardless of make or model.
Facing the pandemic period, Butler says Epicor is working closely with customers at all levels of the automotive parts and service value
chain to help meet the increasing demand for the right parts at the right place and correct time.
“The pandemic underscored the importance of this value proposition and increased interest among parts suppliers and distributors in applying Epicor's advanced data analytics and other cutting-edge tools. As a result, dealers were able to predict and address emerging demand in each local North American market more quickly and easily,” he noted.
Epicor's vision is to become the leading provider of data and insights through digital data networks in the industries it serves, and that vision is afoot within the automotive aftermarket.
This market is projected to grow 4.6% over the next few years, with data analytics spending within this segment growing to more than $6 billion. “The growing demand for solutions that predict results and recommend actions continues to grow, allowing Epicor to step in,” Butler says.
This leading provider of innovative instrumentation, critical sensor technologies, and Smart Manufacturing/Industry
4.0 software solutions that improve the productivity and quality of tooling, processes, and entire factories, is headquartered in Switzerland.
The company has world-class manufacturing facilities in Europe, the United States, and China, as well as subsidiaries in China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Liechtenstein, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan,
United Kingdom and United States.
These analysis, measurement and control products are essential for gas leak detection in air conditioning/refrigeration and automotive manufacturing. They are vital to equipment manufacturers and end users in complex semiconductor manufacturing and thin film coatings for optics, flat panel displays, solar cells, and industrial vacuum coating applications.
Inficon's Automotive Service Tools (AST) are designed specifically for automotive aftermarket air conditioning repair.
Other users of its vacuum-based processes include life sciences, research, aerospace, packaging, heat treating, laser cutting, and many other industrial processes.
According to the company's Service Tools and Marketing Specialist, Alex Zangari, this line of portable leak detectors can be trusted for any air conditioning service application; from standard refrigerants like R134a and R1234yf to CO2 and hydrogen-forming gas.
“Inficon hopes to offer high-quality products for the automotive market in the coming years,” says Zangari.
Industrial Parralense de Autopartes S. de R.L. de C.V. was born from the need to supply the Asian supply and strengthen the distribution and commercialization chain of Diamond Power in the national and international market.
In the same way, it intends to visualize new supply alternatives within the country, which allow the development of the Diamond Power brand and eliminate quality problems and delivery times generated by acquiring them abroad.
The plant has state-of-the-art technology and well-defined and standardized processes under the ISO 9001:2008/TS 16949 quality standard, which ensures product quality and allows Diamond Power to enter the assembly market in the medium term by offering original parts (OEMs) for vehicle assembly.
According to the company, Diamond Power is recognized as one of the brands with the highest participation in the Mexican market in terms of engine spare parts.
"In addition to the Mexican market, buyers from other countries began to contact our vendors to purchase products for regions in Central and South America, which aroused our interest in entering those markets where it was detected that, as in Mexico, a brand was needed. of engine spare parts with the breadth of applications that cover the needs of customers”, indicates the company.
In 2011, the project to enter the US market began, as well as to significantly increase the presence of the brand in Latin countries from a distribution center located in the city of Miami. This is dedicated only to the export of products to Latin America.
According to the Sales Department, the company has a very important growth plan both in Mexico and in other markets.
Liqui Moly's beginnings go back more than 60 years, having been founded in 1957. The first product was an oil additive containing the solid lubricant molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and served to protect the engine against wear.
Today, after more than 60 years, it still produces this oil additive. The company name is derived from this additive: Liqui, as it is a liquid additive, and Moly, due to molybdenum disulfide.
Over the years, the product range has been continuously expanded. Motor oils and additives are the most important pillars of Liqui Moly of Germany. But it also sells service products, car care, greases and pastes, underbody protection products, and window stickers.
To this are added tools and equipment to be able to use the products efficiently. In total, more than 4,000 articles highlight this supplier of complete assortments for automotive chemistry around the world.
To ensure a consistently high quality of its products, Liqui Moly produces the oils and additives exclusively in Germany. "We do not want to be the cheapest, but the best," says Günter Hiermaier, its managing director.
For this purpose, the company is not limited to only high-quality products, but also offers comprehensive services to its customers.
Today, Liqui Moly achieves its growth primarily through exports. The most important international markets are Russia, China and the United States. Meanwhile, in Germany, its home market, Liqui Moly occupies such a strong position that, it is difficult to continue growing there. That is why they are growing their business through exports.
IPA Liqui MolySince 1993, Mannol's wide range of quality lubricants directly from the manufacturer has been characterized by an excellent priceperformance ratio. This is maintained by this company with its headquarters in Wedel, Germany.
Its American facilities are located in New York. This ensures that its business partners in 92 countries on five continents are already
successful thanks to its experience and competence.
Mannol offers a full range of standard and specialty lubricants, operating fluids and vehicle care products at competitive prices. A distinctive modern packaging design, short delivery times and EU-approved quality by vehicle manufacturers complete the picture.
The company has a production capacity of
400 tons of lubricants per day.
Among its most important products are motor oils for passenger cars and vans, motor oils for motorcycles and outboard motors, as well as for trucks and buses.
It also has oils for agricultural machinery, boat engines, gear and transmission fluids, industrial oils, car care products, greases and additives.
Established in 2000, New York Brake Co. is focused on providing high quality brake products at competitive prices to the automotive aftermarket.
“From the beginning, we have purchased our brake pads and shoes from a single QS-certified factory to ensure consistent quality manufacturing,” the company says.
According to the company, although it is
Since its foundation in 1964, Nordic Jones Italy has distinguished itself by its ability to focus its efforts on the manufacture of spare parts that provide perfect replacements for original spare parts produced by major automobile manufacturers, with special expertise in chassis components.
“This choice has proven to be a winning competitive policy around the world, where Nordic Jones Italy now occupies a role and an identity that goes beyond that of a first-class supplier: it represents a true partner capable of guaranteeing competitive certainties”, states the Director, Silvano Giorgio.
Giorgio points out that the continuous growth of the company, which has
a high-volume supplier, its inventory storage and order fulfillment systems allow it to handle orders of any size.
“Our Miami location is positioned and organized to provide a service never before available to the export market. We can interchange your part numbers with ours with unmatched efficiency,” she adds.
In recent years, the company has
concentrated its product line to fit the cars and trucks found on the roads of the Caribbean, Central and South America, Mexico and the US today.
It specializes in inventorying and distributing only ISO9000, QS9002, TS16949 and TUV certified brake pads and brake shoes that are specifically formulated for such markets.
successfully overcome even the most difficult moments for the automotive market, makes Nordic Jones the leader of the sector in Italy and one of the most prominent players on the international scene thanks to its efficiency, constructive vision and versatility.
The company has approximately 42 employees and collaborators. The headquarters are located in Brescia, Italy. Nordic Jones specializes in manufacturing suspension parts such as control arms, tie rod, tie rod end, ball joint, and stabilizer link.
Nordic Jones sells its product 60% under its trade name and the remaining 40% under its private label. Registered trademarks are SIR automotive parts and Wilbürk chassis parts.
Faced with the pandemic, Giorgio maintains that in general terms it did not have a great commercial impact on the company. “There was a general business slowdown in the first two months due to the chaos created by the media and government regulations, but after this short period, we were back to our business as usual,” he noted.
Finally, regarding the outlook for this year, he stated that with the current energy crisis and current inflation, the price factor is always very important for customers and end users.
“The forecasts for the year 2023 are still not very clear. We believe that demand for new cars will be weak and this should reward the aftermarket sector,” he noted.
Mannol AmericaThis family business was founded in 1985. It is the main independent importer and distributor of European auto parts in the country. With high-quality genuine, OEM and aftermarket replacement parts covering the 1960s to now, the company prides itself on having the right inventory for its customers.
“Our knowledgeable sales and purchasing teams will get you the right parts with excellent customer service,” the company says, noting that it offers same-day delivery and nationwide shipping from each of its ten locations.
Northside specializes in AUDI, BMW, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes Benz auto parts. Mini, Porsche, SAAB, SMART, Sprinter/Metris, Volkswagen and Volvo. It distributes to repair shops, parts stores, e-commerce distributors, car dealerships, and body shops.
“With more than 30 years of experience in its management team, Northside has not only provided the highest quality products and excellent customer service, but also a partnership you can trust,” the company says.
The company recognizes that its niche is European vehicles, in which it is a specialist. “Because of this, our knowledge base on these vehicles is huge. When a new vehicle hits the road, we are already building this line up in our inventory,” it concludes.
Founded in 1973, it is a leading national distributor of auto and truck parts for the auto parts industry in the United States serving customers in the trade channel, including service centers, brokers, fleets, and national accounts, as well as in the e-commerce channel.
Headquartered in Lake Success, NY, Parts Authority has more than 250 locations in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Pacific Northwest, and Southwest.
In recent years, the Parts Authority has acquired more than a dozen companies as part of its expansion strategy.
The Parts Authority's catalog of over 3 million parts covers virtually every application on the road today, ensuring its customers receive the parts they need when they need them.
The company offers a team of trained and experienced counter professionals to help find the right parts and brand for any application.
“At Parts Authority, we are known for the businesses we support. We obtain original parts from OEM manufacturers and suppliers of the highest quality aftermarket”, indicates the company, which claims to have relationships with the best brands in the industry such as AC Delco, Motorcraft, Denso, Bosch, KYB, Monroe, Gates , Dorman and Exide, among others.
"Building lasting relationships with our supplier partners and customers is what sets us apart from the competition," highlights the organization.
"We have been in business for 15 years," says this company specialized in automotive electrical parts such as sensors, coils, modules, regulators, rectifiers, injectors, among others.
According to the company, it currently exports to more than 35 countries with immediate delivery from its inventories in Miami.
Through its social networks, the company provides constant information on the value of each piece it distributes. In one of his latest publications, it highlights, for example, that injectors are parts that are part of the injection system, "a key element for the proper functioning of your car."
“A leaky fuel injector or too much fuel pressure means you're mixing too much gasoline and giving you misfires. Use ours, which are built to last,” it points out.
In another post it highlights the importance of the electrical system for the operation of the vehicle.
“In such a way that if the control unit fails you will realize it, because it is likely that the car will not start and you must immediately take it to be checked. If the fault is in the sensors, we will see failures and possibly shorts, but the system will work, only the damaged sensor must be replaced,” the company points out, and highlights his leadership in this area.
Northside Imports Porter Industries Parts AuthoritySince 1989, R & Y A/C Compressors has provided quality automotive air conditioning parts and service.
This family business specializes in automotive heating and air conditioning systems in all vehicles, both foreign and domestic.
The company manufactures and distributes a comprehensive line of replacement mobile climate control products. These include compressors, compressor kits, clutches, dryers/accumulators, evaporators, condensers, radiators, hose assemblies, blower motors, heater cores, o-ring and seal kits, among others.
"We are one of the industry's largest aftermarket mobile climate control parts suppliers and one of the world's largest compressor remanufacturers," says the company, located in North Miami Beach, Florida.
“With multiple warehouses, we have the ability to quickly process and ship our customers' orders throughout the United States and to multiple countries,” it says.
Ranshu stocks over 300,000 compressors to suit vehicle applications from the 1960s to the present. This is how the company maintains it: “We carry new ones when they are available and remanufactured in the rest. We have dryers or accumulators, as well as the expansion device for each make and model”, it remarks.
"At Ranshu we will do everything possible to ensure that your order is completed as quickly as possible," says the company, ensuring that it takes care of having all the parts in the catalog in stock so that there is no waiting. Also, it indicates that orders are generally shipped the same day they are received.
“In addition to the widest selection of auto air conditioning parts, Ranshu provides excellent customer service and technical support to all of our customers,” it says.
“If you need help troubleshooting a problem, don't hesitate to call one of our technicians who has more than 20 years of automotive air conditioning experience,” the company reaffirms.
SIR Autoparts' mission is to produce automotive replacement parts that are absolutely identical to the original parts in all respects except price.
“The objective that we have begun to pursue in our SIR Automotive Parts Research and Development Center is to bet on high-tech production processes to ensure the full satisfaction of mechanics and end users, who are the best to testify to the excellence of our products. and the right relationship between quality and price", says the company
SIR Automotive Parts proposes a complete catalog of the complete range of its products, and also to study the feasibility and, eventually, to carry out "custom-made products" from the plans produced by the clients; almost any vehicle part.
The development of the projects is carried out with the help of the best technologies that are improved on site to excellence thanks to the vast experience and the highest quality standards used, ensuring high levels of performance and reliability, in perfect harmony with the expectations and pre-established requirements.
The strong point and distinctive factor of business competition is the productive organization, with a rational planning of manufacturing flows and a total integration of processes; from customer order to delivery.
The same rigorous quality parameters are applied to SIR's auto parts network of third-party suppliers through strict specifications and are assessed in terms of product conformity and delivery regularity.
This philosophy of industrial planning and close interaction between units includes computerized order processing and a state-of-the-art storage warehouse coordinated with the central computer system.
SSF was founded in 1976 in South San Francisco, California and focused on OEM parts for European vehicles. Today, its 350 employees serve customers in the United States and Latin America through nine locations using local delivery and overnight shipping.
Their online B2B portal, SSFautoparts.com, provides access to thousands of parts for BMW/Mini, Mercedes, Porsche, Volkswagen, Audi, Jaguar, Land Rover, Volvo and Saab.
The company's focus is purely on OE quality parts from trusted global manufacturers. Covers all major non-collision automotive categories including brakes, ignition, lighting, fluids, filtration, engine, suspension, HVAC, and late model tools and equipment through the air-cooled engine period.
“The pandemic was a challenge for the entire automotive parts market due to its reliance on a global supply chain. However, business demand remained very strong for SSF and we employed several key strategies to prosper during this period, such as additional inventory, new product lines, and expanded delivery and shipping services,” said Marketing Coordinator Carla Rodríguez.
“In addition, SSF has embraced the export market during the pandemic by making key connections, adding Spanish-speaking sales professionals, and adjusting our product offering to support these varied parking lots,” Rodríguez said.
Carla added: “Strong demand has continued into 2023 as consumers choose to keep vehicles longer and drive more miles. In response, SSF is investing in a new distribution center on the East Coast and the latest technology solutions to drive efficiency."
R & Y A/C Compressors SIR Autoparts SSF RanshuSince 2010, this automotive timing system manufacturer has a continuous focus on automotive engine timing technology. That year it started as a start-up with 15 employees. In 2014 there were 100, and in 2019 there were already 250.
Sumax manufactures high-quality timing systems for most vehicles on the road around the world.
Our talented and experienced teams are working closely with our global customers to meet all their requirements and challenges.
Right there he expresses his pride that his products and services have been supplied to more than 90 countries, covering Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Oceania.
Based on a trusted partnership, Sumax is committed to offering OE standard quality, full range of products, express logistics solution, as well as first-rate after-sales service.
TrakMotive was established in 2006 as the marketing and distribution company of Wonh Industries. It has several distribution centers around the world. In the United States, it has warehouses strategically located in California and North Carolina.
The company specializes in homokinetic half shafts (shafts), and constant velocity joints (tips) for light-duty vehicles, off-road vehicles and utility vehicles. It also offers cardan shafts (shaftmotor assembly).
Today, its TrakMotive-branded CV Axle (Shaft) replacement program is the most sought after in the North American auto parts market and is sold through all major retailers and distribution channels in the auto parts industry.
For its part, Wonh is a manufacturer of the parts and spare parts market, which offers high quality products, including the TrakMotive line: homokinetic half-shafts (shafts), constant velocity joints (tips), constant velocity axles for off-road vehicles and utility vehicles, and cardan shafts (shaft-motor assembly).
The company ensures that all of its products are new and conform to the performance of the part specified by the original equipment manufacturer.
With seven offices in the United States, it has global coverage and offers extensive experience combined with international shipping capabilities. The team includes 15 consultants operating in five sectors of the automotive world, ranging from cars, SUVs, trucks, buses to heavy vehicles.
"At TVA Automotive, our best feature is our international team of highly professional and knowledgeable people, who, through their hard work, passion and dedication, continually drive our company ahead of our competition," says the company's CEO, Tony Díaz, in the presentation message of the same published on the website.
“We are proud to be able to offer aftermarket products, for a wide variety of vehicles, that pass the most rigorous tests,” he adds.
And it concludes: “As a privately owned, independent company, our culture is largely based on building strong relationships over the years with world-renowned brands with a wide range of high-quality automotive parts.”
Sumax TrakMotive
TVA Automotive
Photos Freepik
* Confirmed brands up to end time of edition
By Aftermarket International
As part of the car escape system, this device transforms the hydrocarbons that are in combustion gasses into water and carbon dioxide.
The beginning of the pandemic brought a truce with the planet. The decrease in traffic in the first months of mobility restrictions allowed the massive reduction of contaminants associated with internal combustion engines.
More specifically, after the first year of the confinement measures, the global road activity fell 50 % compared to 2019, according to the International Energy Agency. A more than valuable environmental contribution since fossil fuel burning represents almost a quarter of CO2 emissions due to human activities.
However, as more than one analyst foresee it, there was hardly any green light for the current transit of all types of vehicles, the levels of the atmospheric concentrations of CO2 also recovered their current rhythm, and even more accelerated.
Faced with this, one of the key pieces to control and reduce the pollutant emissions of each vehicle are catalytic converters.
As Don Davis, National Sales and Marketing Manager of Davico, manufacturer of full line of catalytic converters argues, this piece is part of the vehicle's exhaust system designed to clean and convert the harmful pollutants of the engine exhaust into less harmful gasses before they leave the car escape system.
“Within a catalytic converter, exhaust gasses flow through a dense honeycomb structure made of ceramics and covered with catalysts. The catalytic converter is not just a simple filter, in reality the chemical composition of the exhaust gasses changes by reorganizing the atoms of which they were made,” explains Don Davis.
Although the patent of the catalyst dates from 1952, only in the 70s the majority of gasoline vehicles were incorporated. Before it was developed, the harmful waste gasses produced by the car engine left directly from the exhaust tube to the atmosphere.
In 1975, three years after the first climate summit in Stockholm (Sweden), American vehicle manufacturers introduced catalysts in correspondence to the clean air plan in the United States required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This required that all vehicles reduce their emissions by 75 % in the next five years.
In 1984, German law forced the exhaust line of gas -based cars to incorporate a catalytic converter.
The second summit of the Earth was held in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). That year, while in Europe the Euro regulations (1988) were more restrictive that requires reducing
emissions through measures such as lead elimination in gasoline and the incorporation of catalysts, Latin American countries such as Mexico would initiate its use from two -way catalytic converters; three years later it would extend to the three way.
"Catalytic converters make a significant contribution to air quality and air pollution prevention by significantly decreasing toxic gasses emitted to the atmosphere," says Davis, who explains that the emission of these greenhouse gasses and other pollutants of the escape of cars is harmful to human health and the environment.
In turn, he brings up some studies that have shown that catalytic converters reduce hydrocarbons by almost 87%, carbon monoxide by 85% and nitrous oxide emissions by 62%.
At present, both diesel and gasoline vehicles have this component in their internal combustion engine. In this way, the harmful gasses expelled by the engine such as carbon monoxide and without burning hydrocarbons become carbon dioxide and water. In turn, it reduces nitrogen oxides, transforming them into nitrogen.
While this device has a useful life of about ten years, obstructions may be presented on behalf of the engine oil or coolant that penetrates the exhaust system and burns the high temperatures.
As Davis indicates, the converter is only part of a complicated system. There are no mobile parts, but they can be easily damaged due to engine ignition failures, contaminated oil, defective fuel,
overheating, age, vehicle mileage, poor engine maintenance and more.
"Excess carbon and soot reduces the efficiency of catalytic converters and can negatively affect motor performance and fuel savings," says Davico's professional, who suggests using a professional engine decarbonization treatment every 80,000 or replacing the converter.
A clear sign of this damage is the loss of car power. In addition, a greater amount of smoke is evidenced by these gasses not filtered properly, and the emergence of impurities in gasoline such as sulfur that derives in hydrogen sulfide, which at low concentrations produces an unpleasant smell.
On the other hand, the low efficiency of the converter at insufficient levels brings with it an alarm signal on the vehicle's board. To this is added that the floor can be heated to the point of triggering a fire inside it.
Given these notices, the corresponding fault code must be reviewed to change the system, which must have timely maintenance. To that extent, it is imperative to check the state of spark plugs. If they are in poor condition, such as the air and gas filter, as well as engine oil, they must be replaced.
The spark plug malfunction leads to the gasoline that enters the cylinder to filter through the exhaust pipe without burning and, when entering the catalyst, destroys it internally, while an excess of oil also gives rise to the entrance of particles that deteriorate it. Metal noise of the exhaust tube can notice this situation.
The beginning of the pandemic brought with it a counterproductive phenomenon for that purpose of preservation of the planet. The theft of catalytic converters shot in countries like the United States, where driving without this tool is illegal. Just in 2021, the theft of this piece increased 12 times more than in 2019 by 3389 complaints of robbery to more than 52,000, according to the National Office of Insurance Crimes (NICB).
"Catalytic converters contain three very expensive metals that help in the chemical reaction process that makes escape pollutants less harmful, which are platinum, palladium and rhodium," says Davis.
This led to more than twenty states from entering regulatory laws, such as the bill presented in the House of Representatives that among others requires the maintenance of records for buyers and sellers of converters.
Precisely from the Chamber, a representative (Republican Jim Baird,
of the state of Indiana) said that the value of the raw materials of the converters increased by four during the pandemic (US $ 1300 per ounce), especially the platinum. Hence they are so desired in the black market, which stops after the tubes to which they are united are cut.
“Catalytic converters are quite easy to steal, especially in vehicles that are higher than the ground, such as SUVs and trucks. Thieves can cut a converter in less than 90 seconds!,” The National Sales and Marketing Manager of Davico (present in AutoAméricas with the Booth 507) warns
The authorities suggest that, in case of being a victim of the theft of the catalyst, it is preferable to install a new one so as not to harm other valuable elements of the car.
A bill signed by the previous governor of Arizona, Doug Ducey, forces the purchase registration for any catalytic converter to be sent to the Department of Transportation of that state and a unique identification number to deter the possible offender is serious.
To dissuade the Earth from the effect of internal combustion gasses, a component such as the catalytic converter is necessary. For Don Davis, with continuous research and development it is likely that they become even more effective and efficient in reducing pollution.
"Equally important is continuous education and training for technicians and repair facilities to understand the sophisticated motor management systems today and to diagnose, prove and precisely repair any problem related to the perceived converter," he says after pointing out that the future seems brilliant for catalytic converters as the category continues to grow.
By Eduardo Villarreal*
ADAS systems help to considerably reduce accidents, as long as they are correctly calibrated. There are training and tools for this.
Let's start at the beginning: ADAS is the acronym for Advance Driver Assistance System. They are all those advanced security systems that help the driver to avoid accidents: from a rear-end collision to avoiding hitting a pedestrian by braking the vehicle.
Currently they are promoted in the different brands of vehicles, and sadly they are not fully explained in all cases. Hence, many times the owner of the vehicle does not know that he has them for his safety and comfort.
These systems have been in existence for many years. They started as independent systems. Examples of this are the stability control ESC and the anti-lock braking system (ABS).
Commonly we can find some more such as Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Keeping Assistance (LKA), Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) and, depending on the vehicle manufacturer, side, rear, and front cameras for 360º vision are also offered.
In 2016, 20 vehicle manufacturers in the United States signed a voluntary agreement to equip passenger vehicles with the Automatic Emergency Breaking (AEB) system. That is automatic emergency braking at low speed, from September 2022.
The signatory manufacturers are JLR, Mitsubishi, FCA, GM, Porsche, Kia, Ford, Maserati, Hyundai, Mazda, BMW, Subaru, Honda, Nissan, VW, Toyota, Audi, Mercedes Benz, Volvo and Tesla. Of these, four initiated the inclusion of the AEB system three years before the commitment: Tesla, Volvo, Audi and Mercedes Benz.
What does this mean for users? The driver will have additional help to stop the vehicle at low speed, to avoid having a serious rear-end accident, or even avoid it.
What does this mean for service workshops? Because the AEB system requires a front camera or radar in order to detect an obstruction in front of the vehicle being driven, these systems require a reset once one or more of the following repairs are performed:
1. Change of the front windshield.
2. Change/repair of the front fascia.
3. Wheel alignment.
These resets or recalibrations require additional tools and processes found in auto manufacturers' maintenance manuals.
However, these procedures and tools are not available to independent service shops, or tire sales shops, which perform wheel alignment jobs that involve recalibration of ADAS systems such as AEB.
On the other hand, vehicle owners often do not know which or how many ADAS systems are included in their vehicles. Hence, they do not require independent workshops to restart or recalibrate the sensors or radars, which can lead to a situation of risk of accident, since the sensors are not properly calibrated.
And although it seems that these systems are exclusive to vehicles that are marketed in the US, the reality is that this is not the case.
In our Latin American countries, the first ADAS systems such as
ESC and ABS have existed for many years, and more recently, different brands have begun to include ADAS in models that are not only Premium but also mid-range and low-end.
In some cases they have been incorporated as optional equipment and in many others as standard equipment, something that is sometimes not explained by the seller to the buyer of the vehicle on the show floor.
What do these safety devices mean for service in workshops?
Usually, vehicle manufacturers include in their required tools some accessories that, together with the scanners that communicate with the car's computer, reset or recalibrate cameras, radars and sensors, so that they detect obstacles in their correct dimension and location.
There are also aftermarket tools for non-authorized workshops that perform the same resets or recalibrations:
Without these devices, to process the sensors, there is a risk that the vehicle will not recognize the lines on the pavement that define the lane or identify a car coming from the opposite direction in its own
lane, and that the radar or front camera will detect its position as if you were face to face.
The warning can range from an audible or visual signal to applying the brakes immediately and causing an accident with the vehicle behind.
It is clear that ADAS systems help to considerably reduce accidents, as long as they are correctly calibrated. There are training and tools for this.
And what about the straightening and painting workshops? When a vehicle is involved in an accident, it is very common to have to replace parts.
The accident can be by reach, where only the front fascia is damaged, for which reason it requires to be replaced or repaired. However, the radars that identify the distance to the vehicle in front and that are part of safety systems such as adaptive cruise control are mounted on the front fascia.
For this reason, simply removing this part involves recalibrating the radar for adaptive cruise control to work as designed.
And what if a stone breaks the windshield on the road and the vehicle has a lane departure warning system or even automatic correction? The camera that does the job can be found on the back of the interior rear view mirror and is changed when replacing the windshield.
Again, it is necessary to recalibrate the camera so that it performs its function correctly.
These are a couple of examples of camera and radar found in modern vehicles; to the left a radar and to the right a camera:
The final objective of this article for vehicle drivers is that they can recognize what security systems are included in their car.
So when they take the car to the shop for wheel alignment or accident repair, they can demand that their safety systems be reset or recalibrated. If the shop doesn't have the capacity, then you should take the car to one that does; personal safety is at stake.
For workshops, it may be time to upgrade the tools and accessories, as the scanner is no longer sufficient to perform these tasks in ADAS systems.
The electric power steering pumps provide a lot of work to garages and wholesalers of electromechanical parts. Here we tell all the tricks of this work.
We will start talking about the remanufacturing of the Mini F55, F56 and F57 pump, very common both in the US and in Latin America.
How to dismount the pump
A. With a screwdriver, un-screw the 3 bolts highlighted into the red circle of image 1, allowing the separation between the motor and the pump.
Attention, because separating the two parts, oil can drop out.
The pump itself is very reliable, so we will focus on other components.
B. With a snap-ring pliers remove the snap-ring blocking the bearing on the rod of the rotor (image 2).
C. With a torx tool remove the three bolts (highlighted with a red circle in image 3), allowing the separation of the CPU from the rotor and the stator (image 4).
Rotor analysis
A. Check if the rotor is used, especially in the area indicated with a red arrow in image 5, and if it is, lathe it homogenizing its surface.
B. Whenever it would not be recoverable, substitute it with the reference Emmetec T-00013A ONLY.
Stator analysis
Check the conditions, in case of any malfunction, do not try to repair it, just change it with the reference Emmetec V-04001.
A. Dismounting
1. First at all, check the couplings, because happens quite often they to be damaged (image 6). In this case, could be repaired (green arrow) or substituted with W-06045A, W-06045 or W-06045M (red arrow).
2. With an awl, push in the four brushes into their housings (pic.7), otherwise, during the dismounting, they will fail down for sure.
3. With a cutting pliers like the Emmetec Z-19086, separate the four contacts connecting the four brushes with the CPU, breaking the welding (image 123).
4. Un-screw the four bolts (whose housing is highlighted into the red circle of image 8), connecting the brush-keepers with the CPU separating each other.
5. Un-screw the four bolts (highlighted in image 9) fixing the electronic board with its components to the light alloy cover.
6. Independently of the reason why the pump is remanufactured, change always the mosfets and diodes; otherwise change the full electronic board.
7. Clean properly the light alloy cover removing the traces of oxidation and thermo-conductive paper (currently green as indicated by the green arrows of image 10), and change the membrane (P-03214).
Cut and apply new pieces of thermos-conductive paper (W-05008) in exchange of the old one.
The thermo-conductive paper is mandatory for the right functioning of the pump, otherwise it can overheat short-circuiting the system that will remain turned on even with the engine turned off!
B. Re-mounting
1. After the substitution of all the needed components (we will go deeper on this aspect in the next editorial), you can re-mount all of them in the opposite order has been dismounted.
2. First at all, re-mount the electric board on the light alloy cover, being careful to fix properly the two black springs (look at the blue arrow of image 10 - blocked by two of the four bolts removed previously), fixing the mosfets.
3. Check the conditions of the four brushes, and if wasted (length less than 1,5 – 2,0cm), change them with a new set (V-03007 – image 11 blue arrow).
Whenever the mechanism pre-loading the brushes would not be working perfectly, change the springs of the brush-keepers with the V-03008.
4. Enter the brush-keeper on the light alloy cover, screw the four bolts, bend the four contacts till being in touch each other, and in that position, weld them (red arrow of image 11): the soldering must keep them in direct contact, not creating a contact itself, otherwise the resistance will be too high.
5. Substitute the orange o-ring sealing the pump body with a new one (O-02168A).
6. Introduce into the stator the bearing (H-07556 original or H-07556M not original) and the rotor.
7. Apply the whole cover including the CPU on the stator, leaving the three holes for the bolts on the holes of the stator.
8. Push toward the center, the four brushes until touching the rotor. Be careful because forgetting the step, the pump will never work!
9. Enter the three bolts and close.
10. Enter the cir-clip on the bearing.
For more information regarding the components or how to fit them, and especially if interested in a detailed training, contact www. emmetec.com or www.jadausa.com, his distributor for the Americas.
* Technical consultant for Emmetec & Orpav panziericarlos@gmail.com
Next April marks two years since the arrival of Carlos Andrés Pineda Osorio to the presidency of the Association of the Automotive Sector and its Parts (Asopartes), a union that represents more than 54,000 companies in Colombia.
Driving is a verb that serves as a spare part to describe the relationship between the professional and personal dedication of Carlos Andrés. His passion for vehicles is undeniable, and he appreciates the opportunity to have been behind the wheel of most of the cars that circulate in Colombia.
Today he has a 5000 cc Ford Mustang GT that he enjoys for the technological features it offers, such as the Suzuki Gixxer FI, which has allowed him to venture into the world of bikers.
"If you are in a sector, you have to get to know it and in one way or another get into it," says Carlos Andrés, who since April 2021 is the president of the Association of the
Automotive Sector and its Parts (Asopartes), which has more than 54,000 companies formally registered in the Colombian chambers of commerce; 40,000 associated with the automobile sector and 14,000 with the motorcycle sector.
Although he points out that the Colombian car market does not sell the number of vehicles it should in relation to its population, in terms of motorcycle sales it is the leader in Latin America only behind Brazil. According to Carlos Andrés, Colombia sold more motorcycles the previous year than the entire US market: more than 800,000.
And even when he admits that he has vehicles suitable for high speeds in some scenarios, ironically the occupations due to his parallel passion for work (he considers himself addicted to it) have conditioned him.
Likewise, remember that driving any vehicle must be pleasant, "without pressure, without stress, and above all in compliance with safety regulations and healthy coexistence,
understanding that life is not a scenario of competition, but of collective enjoyment, and of course to have a better quality of life for everyone, trying to get to our destinations much faster and much easier”.
The first employment destination of this ‘paisa’, a native of Medellín, when he was still a Civil Engineering student at the School of Engineers of Antioquia (EIA), was Integral. In this engineering firm he acted as an intern and was able to be part of one of the most recognized companies for the design and construction of large works: from hydraulic dams to the city subway.
Engineering was complemented with a specialization in Finance at the Eafit University and an MBA in Administration, which was reflected in his time at a brokerage company on the Colombian Stock Exchange, and later in a succession of public and private sector positions.
One of them was the Directorate of National Taxes and Customs of Colombia (DIAN), where he became the youngest regional director. He was 24 years old, “and we were able to show some great results in the exercise; not only of the tax, customs, exchange part, but also of relations with the various unions of the country”.
It was there that he met his current wife, Mónica Isabel. Since then, she would witness her career in the world of trade unions: from her position on boards of directors such as the Medellín Chamber of Commerce, the Colombian-Panamanian Binational Chamber, the Medellín Convention & Visitors Bureau, or the National Federation of Merchants (Fenalco), to that of the presidency of the Antioquia de Asopartes section, where he landed more than five years ago.
At the same time, and for more than 18 years, he belonged to an organization in his native Medellín called Importadoras Asociadas that consolidated four large auto parts marketing companies. That has been his trademark as a "business builder", as he defines himself, which sums up his career to "take forward all the companies in which we participate and see the job opportunities of those around us grow."
In all this way it has been able to go around the world hand in hand with the automotive sector. By attending the different international fairs, he has been able to meet and interact with each player in the market; from entrepreneurs of OEM brands (Original Equipment Manufacturer) to large distributors and dealers.
And although he has some favorite destinations, such as the United States for its road structure or Europe with its millennial history collected in small places, today he enjoys being at home more, in a quiet area of El Poblado, south of Medellín, and sharing as a family with his children, Daniel and Miguel, and his dog Bartolomeo, a shepherd from the Shetland Islands (Scotland).
While Daniel has followed his initial steps as an engineer, in his case with a degree in Systems Engineering, Miguel has inherited his traveling streak by projecting a study opportunity in Germany. With both he went to the first leg in Quito and back in Medellín of the last Copa Libertadores won by the soccer team of his city's love, Atlético Nacional, in 2016.
Just the following year, he joined the regional board of directors of Asopartes, an association that represents that automotive sector to which it has been linked for more than 20 years, and which, after facing stages as complex as the pandemic period, seeks to strengthen more and more.
For this, the organization of events such as Expopartes 2023, to be held from June 21 to 23 in Bogotá, with the confirmed presence of more than ten countries, and exhibitors from China, Turkey, Brazil, Mexico, among others. To this is added his previous appointment at the AutoAméricas Show, between March 24 and 25 in Miami, where he will participate as a speaker and seek to generate synergies to accelerate the growth of the sector.
"So I think that this has provided an environment to understand what the dynamics are, how it grows and how we have the opportunity today to transfer it to our businessmen in the auto parts sector, to the producers, to the marketers, to the service providers, to technology developers…”, comments Carlos Andrés, with all the clarity of a wide chain of which he is a part and that moves him to travel to so many places.
International. AAA advances its mission to protect service technicians and towing suppliers by offering innovative solutions that improve safety on the road.
HAAS Alert, the company behind the connected vehicle platform and safety Cloud digital alert service, joins the Automotive Preferred Provider program at AAA, one of the largest and most trusted membership program organizations in the Americas serving more than 56 million members in the U.S.
AAA is committed to improving safety on the road, and this tool will further that mission by providing real-time alerts to drivers approaching the scene.
Safety Cloud is the nation's largest digital alert and connected vehicle platform and is currently installed in thousands of towing and public safety fleets.
The V2X (vehicle-to-everything) service transmits real-time messages from equipped
service vehicles to approaching drivers via in-dash infotainment systems and navigation apps.
Alerts remind drivers to slow down and step aside and are received up to 30 seconds before approaching an incident on the road. Advanced notifications like these have been shown to reduce the risk of collision by up to 90%.
Safety Cloud alerts are available on select vehicles from leading brands such as Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Chrysler and Alfa Romeo, as well as through popular navigation apps such as Waze. To date, more than 2 billion Safety Cloud alerts have been delivered nationwide.
The AAA Automotive Preferred Provider program provides roadside assistance and towing providers nationwide with access to products, technologies and solutions to help improve safety and service for stranded motorists and the professionals who serve them.
The addition of Safety Cloud will provide
AAA service fleets with comprehensive information on how to equip and use this technology for added protection when providing roadside assistance.
"It means a lot to us to partner with AAA," says HAAS Alert CEO Cory Hohs.
"For decades, AAA has strongly championed Move Over laws, road worker protections and other road safety initiatives that have saved countless lives. Their recognition of Safety Cloud as a valuable tool to improve road safety is one of the most significant endorsements we could ever receive, and reinforces our commitment to this cause."
AAA Managing Director of Automotive Cliff Ruud said, "AAA is dedicated to making the road safer for all road heroes.
"We are thrilled to welcome HAAS Alert as the preferred supplier and offer this innovative solution to the thousands of attendees on the road."
Mexico. The Chinese company Yanfeng Seating, manufacturer of the structure of the seats for vehicles, inaugurated its second plant in Ciénaga de Flores, in the state of Nuevo León of Mexico.
The Asian company invested 23 million dollars in this new plant, planned for the production of up to 800,000 sets of automotive seats for global customers. This will generate 800 new jobs.
In Mexico, the firm also has a presence in Coahuila, Querétaro and San Luis Potosí.
According to the Secretary of Economy of the state of Nuevo León, Iván Rivas, given the growing demand, the multinational plans to open a third plant in the same municipality in 2024.
"And it is that we are strengthening one of the most dynamic industries in Nuevo León, because only in 2022 23 investment projects of the automotive sector were confirmed, representing an investment of US $ 1,064 million and the creation of 7,292 new jobs," said Rivas.
Globally, Yangfeng Seating has 55,000 employees and operations in 20 countries, including China, Germany, India, Japan, Slovakia and the United States.
International. eBay Motors announced the launch of eBay Guaranteed Fit, a program that the company says gives users even more confidence when buying and selling on the marketplace.
Buyers can now look for the green compatibility checkmark "Fits" in selected parts and accessories lists to assess whether the part will fit their vehicle.
If the piece arrives and doesn't fit as expected, eBay Motors says it will cover the cost of the return and the buyer will receive a full refund, allowing for smoother and more reliable transactions for both buyers and sellers.
"People are buying and selling parts online like never before, and eBay Guaranteed Fit helps take the guesswork out of the shopping experience," said eBay Motors Vice President Chris Prill.
"Precise adjustment is critical to completing a project; from simple repairs to major modifications. With today's launch, eBay Motors enables buyers to search and purchase millions of parts and accessories in the marketplace with that crucial additional warranty."
The launch of eBay Guaranteed Fit is the latest advancement designed to help people shop in the marketplace with confidence and ease, including the Authenticity Guarantee for sneakers, bags, jewelry and stickers, and the expansion of the condition rating for eBay Refurbished, according to the company.
According to the company, eBay Guaranteed Fit is an additional protection under eBay's Money Back Guarantee and covers most new and used items in the Parts & Accessories category, with more to be added in the coming months.
United States. Goodyear is increasing its focus on airless technology, which is called NexTrek, and is working to find the best option for it.
That includes the tire space for light commercial vehicles and passengers, where autonomous vehicle technology has great potential to take root, especially when thinking about ridesharing or last-mile deliveries.
The most promising spaces are on the side of autonomous vehicles, where maintenance-free solutions are quickly becoming an expectation.
Last month, Las Vegas served as an uncontrolled, real-world testing ground for Goodyear's NexTrek tire technology. Airless tires were installed on a vehicle that was touring the city's famous Strip area.
"Las Vegas always has a constant buzz of excitement, and it was a great backdrop to highlight some key innovations Goodyear has made to promote mobility," Michael Rachita, senior director
of Goodyear's Innovation Technology program, told Rubber News.
Highlighting the technology, Goodyear noted that he also learned a little about how to perfect it. While the company didn't say specifically what information it hoped to get from the tests, it did note that the Las Vegas tests helped confirm that it's moving in the right direction.
"Goodyear has set itself the goal of developing the first 100% sustainable and maintenance-free tire by 2030," said Rachita.
"NPTs (non-pneumatic tires) are a promising avenue to get us there, and we are working to leverage this technology for many forms of mobility, including fleets," he added.
"We continue to make significant progress with our NPTs, including (in) recent field trials in consumer electric and commercial autonomous vehicles."
Mexico. Grote continues to refocus on creating and leading safety-related innovation by adding three experienced members to its leadership team.
Kent Bode has been promoted to vice president of sales and marketing for the U.S. sales team, while César PérezBolívar transitions to assume leadership responsibilities for Grote Electronics, and Mel Mendoza has been hired as the new vice president of North American operations.
"Meeting the challenges with strong leadership has been critical to Grote's legacy over the past 120 years," said Grote Industries Chief Operating Officer John Grote.
"These three leaders embody that; two of them with over 30 years of experience in the industry, and each with the ability to rise to the occasion and meet the ever-changing needs of our customers," added Grote.
Bode started at Grote in 1997, serving in various engineering capacities such as product manager, regional manager and OEM sales director.
Bode's leadership was instrumental in Grote Industries winning several prestigious business awards. He has been exposed throughout his life to the lighting and electrical industries, and grew up in his family's electrical contracting business.
Bode will lead the U.S. sales team, marketing team and business development team in his new role.
Perez-Bolivar has been with Grote for nearly a decade, working in research, engineering and development, hand in hand with Grote's focus on safety, productivity, protection and cost savings.
He has long been an expert in material selection, design experiments and testing, most recently serving as Director of Engineering, leading Grote's headlight engineering and manufacturing division in Madison, Indiana.
Mendoza is new to the Grote team and brings more than 35 years of experience as a global business leader working for a diverse group of manufacturing companies.
His track record of leadership and team building at Plymouth Tube Company, Acuity Brands Lighting, Emerson Electric, Danaher Controls and Zenith Electronics positions him as an expert to lead the manufacturing and supply chain for all of Grote's North American facilities in Madison, Waterloo and Monterey.
"Grote has always been known for our innovation, ethical business practices and a strong commitment to providing quality products and services," Grote said.
"As we expand the company's vision to make the world safer and smarter through connected visibility, I believe the extensive experiences and successful leadership styles of our new management team put us in a position to focus on the future."
United States. Automotive Parts Associates ( APA) is pleased to welcome two new shareholders to the APA family: Ober Automotive Warehouse and Northside Imports.
Ober Automotive Warehouse in Greensboro, Maryland, was founded in 1960 by the Ober couple, a family-owned company that ran for 62 years. Roland Karbaum bought the business, located in an old-school building, in June 2022.
When asked why Ober Automotive Warehouse chose to join APA, the answer was simple: APA is the best choice. Being a small business, it just made sense financially.
"We are proud that Ober Automotive Warehouse LLC has chosen APA as its partner for the future," said APA President Steve Tucker.
"Roland and his team have big plans for this business, including moving to a larger facility, so I'm excited that they chose APA to help them in their plans. Growing together is not just a slogan for us, that's why we're here."
Northside Imports was established on June 20, 1986 by the founding owner, David Jalili. With ten warehouses located in North America, Northside Imports is the leading European
importer and distributor of auto parts in the country.
When asked why Northside Imports chose to join APA, Brian Saravelas, purchasing/product manager for Northside Imports, said, "Steve is highly respected, down-to-earth, and APA Group is a family-oriented business-style group."
"APA is pleased to have Northside Imports Inc. join APA as our new shareholder," added Tucker. "Growing together is not just a slogan for us, that's why we're here," he added.
"It continues to be a leader in information security and in protecting our head office, as well as shareholder members and their data," he says.
Scarver plays a critical role for Alliance's San Antonio headquarters as the need for vigilant IT and system security becomes increasingly crucial to sustainability.
United States. Since January 1, Cyrus Scarver is the new information technology (IT) security manager for the Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance.
With this expanded role, Scarver will play a key role in facilitating, entraining, communications and IT security readiness at Alliance headquarters for Alliance shareholder members.
Alliance President and CEO John R. Washbish said, "Cyrus has been a valued and key member of Alliance's IT team for quite some time."
"Cyrus Scarver is an integral member of Alliance's information technology team," said Dale E. Hopkins, Alliance's chief information officer and vice president of information technology.
"While Cyrus has led many aspects of our security efforts, including employee training and testing, this expanded role will augment her functions directly related to cybersecurity for alliance systems and shareholder members. We are in good hands with Cyrus managing this important IT function."
The Alliance says Scarver plays a critical role as the need for vigilant IT and system security becomes more crucial.
United States. Fisher Auto Parts has acquired Market Street Auto Parts LLC. The deal was announced by Fisher Auto Parts area vice president Geoffrey Shifflett and Market Street Auto Partspresident Mark Keister.
The acquisition involves the location of Market Street Auto Parts in Jonestown, Pennsylvania.
Market Street Auto Parts has been serving North Lebanon County in Pennsylvania for over 16 years.
Market Street is a professional technician provider and maintains a steady base of retail and DIY clients. Quality parts, fast delivery, competitive pricing, along with experienced counter staff, have helped Market Street Auto Parts be very successful in the area, Fisher says.
As part of the transition, Keister will remain at Fisher Auto Parts in a customer service role, while Market Street Vice President Joe Kneevel will manage the store and Secretary-Treasurer George F. Maren will serve in an advisory role.
According to Maren, "with Fisher's strong inventory network and Market Street's 45 years of experience, we should become the powerhouse of Northern Lebanon County."
United States. MEMA, the Vehicle Suppliers Association, has appointed John Chalifoux as its director of Sustainability, as well as the recently launched Center for Sustainability.
He will also serve as COO of MEMA's aftermarket supplier member group. Most recently, Chalifoux was president and chief operating officer of MEMA's Association for Sustainable Manufacturing (MERA).
The Center for Sustainability is a critical component of MEMA's recent realignment to better position itself and its members for longterm success.
Through the center, MEMA will expand the reach of its sustainability and ESG services. All MEMA members will now have access to subject matter experts, programming and other resources.
Chalifoux will lead the strategic direction, design and execution of the center, helping members navigate the increasingly complex processes and requirements of a successful sustainability program.
Under Chalifoux's leadership, MERA was internationally recognized for elevating and incorporating remanufacturing and similar forms of sustainable manufacturing, key factors in the circular economy.
All ongoing remanufacturing activities will be conducted under MEMA's aftermarket supplier membership group, where Chalifoux will lead operations.
"Our members are industry leaders in commercial vehicle and automotive suppliers," said Chalifoux.
"I am excited to take on this dual role within MEMA as we unite aftermarket suppliers and serve all MEMA members wherever they are on their sustainability journey."
International. On February 18, exhibitors and visitors bid farewell to the 17th edition of Automechanika Shanghai, held at the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center.
All signs point to an increase in market activity in the global automotive supply chain, with visitors from 89 countries and regions attending the show.
Through innovations at the fairgrounds, networking activities and events, the four-day exhibition also reflected many growing trends around vehicle connectivity and new energy, and relinked ties between domestic and overseas supply chain.
A renewed sense of anticipation was felt throughout the fairgrounds, with numerous domestic and foreign partners coming together for the first time since the previous edition in 2020. Overall, the event saw a 33 percent increase in visitors, a sign that the market is open for business and trade.
Exhibitors enthusiastically showcased their latest innovations in line with an industry-wide shift towards environmental sustainability, autonomy, intelligence and new mobility.
In this regard, Parts & Components, Electronics & Systems,
Service & Mobility of Tomorrow, Accessories, Personalisation, Diagnostics & Repair/Body & Paint & Tyres & Wheels offered complete supply chain coverage all the way.
Participants also praised the program's version of the brand's Innovation4Mobility concept. In the Showcase, the areas Innovation4Mobility Mainstage, Green Repair Zone, A New Era of Commercial Vehicles and Motorsports & High Performance drew attention to key market segments in China with strong growth and development potential.
This year, a total of 58 events of the complementary program were held simultaneously with the main show, which covered the latest trends and global developments in the market.
Once again, AMS Live was a key communication gateway that allowed remote and on-site users to explore purchasing decisions and capture the latest market information. Videoon-demand content and exhibitor search on the platform will remain open until March 17, 2023.
The next edition of Automechanika Shanghai will take place from November 29 to December 2, 2023.
