Over the Counter: January 2001

Training Tour Registrations Building Calgary Date A Sell Out

The Federal-Mogul sponsored Partners In Training cross country business training tour is off to a strong start, including one date selling out within two weeks of the tour’s announcement.

The Calgary date has been declared sold out and registrations for Edmonton, Vancouver, and other dates are also building. While the main focus of the training is installer business management, jobbers have been encouraged to become involved to help their customers participate and to participate themselves in order to learn more about their customers’ business.

The tour, which kicks off February 1 in Winnipeg, comprises a series of eight two-day business management courses conducted by leading consultant and Jobber News columnist Bob Greenwood. Registration cost is $449 plus taxes.

While registrations have been arriving briskly, as of press time, some spaces remained for all dates except Calgary.

Courses are scheduled for February 1 and 2 in Winnipeg, February 5 and 6 in Calgary (Sold Out), February 8 and 9 in Edmonton, February 12 and 13 in Vancouver, February 22 and 23 in London, Ont., February 26 and 27 as well as March 1 and 2 in Toronto, and March 5 and 6 in Halifax, N.S.

Details on the two-day curriculum, registration forms, and other details are available from Federal-Mogul representatives or by logging on to www.autoserviceworld.com.

Visteon Purchases Electrical Remanufacturer

Visteon Corporation has expanded its aftermarket offerings with the acquisition of LTD Parts Inc., of Sparta, Tenn.

LTD Parts is a 17-year-old remanufacturer of starters and alternators. The purchase of LTD provides Visteon with increased capacity to supply remanufactured starters and alternators to the independent aftermarket. It also will assist the company in continuing to support its largest customer, Ford Motor Company.

Honeywell Puts Brakes on Friction Divestiture

Despite a previously announced deal with Questor Partners, Honeywell has announced that it will be holding onto its friction business in the wake of its pending acquisition by General Electric.

In announcing that Honeywell was not moving forward with divesting its Friction Materials business, it also announced that it would hold onto its Automotive Consumer Products Group, U.S. Security Monitoring and Pharmaceutical Fine Chemicals businesses.

Honeywell scheduled a special shareowner meeting for January 10, 2001 to approve its proposed merger with General Electric Company.

Exide Announces $21 Million Investment

Exide Technologies announced today plans to invest $21 million in reopening and upgrading its Maple, Ont. manufacturing facility.

The facility is being upgraded to meet growing demand for industrial batteries. In September of 2000, Exide announced that automotive battery production at the facility would cease.

The total investment over the next 12 months is expected to be $21 million with the initial production planned to begin April 1 and full production by October 1, 2001.

Uni-Select to Purchase Temperature Control Business

Uni-Select and some of its members have agreed to purchase the specialty division assets of the temperature control division of Country Wide Automotive Ltd.

The division, operated as The Cooling Depot, has seven branches in the Greater Toronto Area as well as a distribution center in Woodbridge, Ont., north of Toronto. Some employees, including key personnel of The Cooling Depot, will be hired by Uni-Select or its members.

Uni-Select will integrate the temperature control activities into its new distribution facilities in Brampton, Ont. This acquisition is expected to contribute additional sales of $6 million for 2001. The sale was expected to close at the end of 2000.