Appointments (April 01, 2009)

Jeff VandeSande has been appointed president of Bestbuy Distributors. VandeSande will report to Bestbuy’s board of directors through the chairman of the board, Howie MacKenzie, and will be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Canadian automotive aftermarket distribution organization. VandeSande is a long-time member of the aftermarket and was most recently general manager of the Ontario region for NAPA.

BASF has appointed Laurent Tainturier as president of BASF Canada. Tainturier is administratively responsible for all BASF business in Canada including crop protection, chemicals, plastics, and performance products, and plays a key role in continuing BASF’s commitment to responsible care and its initiatives. In addition, Tainturier manages BASF Canada’s internal business support groups, such as communications, legal, finance and logistics.

The Automotive Group has announced several recent appointments. Marc Gadbois has been appointed publisher of Service Station & Garage Management and L’Automobile Pieces et Services magazines. Gadbois has been with the magazines for 10 years, most recently serving as association publisher. Also, J. D. Ney has been appointed editor of Bodyshop Magazine. Ney previously served as assistant editor for Jobber News and Service Station & Garage Management. And David Halpert recently joined The Automotive Group as assistant editor for Jobber News and Service Station & Garage Management.