Year In Review

JANUARY
Where U-Joints Once Roamed, CV Shafts Now Rule
The push to improve vehicle fuel efficiency is ramping up as automakers continue to make strides in driveline efficiencies. From transmissions to drive shafts and U-joints, drivelines are going through a major design transition – becoming smoother, lighter, and smarter. But at what cost to consumers?

Honeywell Confident R-1234yf Refrigerant Will Be Confirmed As Safe By SAE International
Honeywell says it is confident that the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International will confirm that its HFO-1234yf refrigerant is safe for use in automobiles.

ALSO IN THE NEWS: AutoChoice Parts & Paints Confirms Acquisition of Robert K. Buzzell Auto Parts Operations; Wakefield Canada Awarded Two Honours for 2012; Denso Announces Aftermarket Product Line Expansion; MAT Holdings Inc. Acquires Gabriel Shocks to Bolster its Automotive Offering; Dayco Receives Shipping Performance, Manpower Support Awards; Federal-Mogul Receives Outstanding Training Support Award.
FEBRUARY
Decision Time: What Next For Brake Standards?
Navigating today’s murky friction material and rotor aftermarket requires a great deal of savvy and a thorough understanding of the product, as well as solid supplier and installer relationships.

Automotive Industries Association of Canada to Take Over Canadian Collision Industry Forum
In an announcement made by CCIF chair Tom Bissonnette at a well-attended meeting in Toronto in late January, the need for more continuity of action was noted as a key reason for the move.

ALSO IN THE NEWS: Pinball Clemens to Speak at Ontario Automotive Service Providers Forum; Optimism for U.S. Market Growth in 2013; Uni-Select North American Convention Sells Out; Aftermarket eForum Registration Open; University of the Aftermarket and AAIA To Host Training Seminar; Promax Launches Ceramic Brake Pad Line.
MARCH
Win The Race Win The Customer:
Second Annual Shop Survey Results
There is a decades-old adage that says you can’t sell from an empty shelf. Even today, as the capabilities of modern inventory management systems run headlong into exploding parts proliferation, that sentiment rings truer than ever.

New Format For MACS 2013 Event Well Received By Attendees
The Mobile Air Conditioning Society Worldwide ushered in a new format for its annual event and show to positive reviews.

ALSO IN THE NEWS: Charest Headlines 2013 Aftermarket Conference for Executives; ACDelco Rebrands TSS Program, Honours Key Distributors; Aftermarket eForum Breakout Session to Deliver Strategies and Solutions; 2013 Training Schedule for Raybestos and Aimco Brand Brakes; Agna Brakes Expands Into Ontario; Dayco Expands Global Footprint.
APRIL
Finding Common Ground
Robert Hattem is a rarity among senior automotive aftermarket executives. While diverse professional experience is not unheard of in the boardrooms of this industry, Hattem’s significantly diverse background makes him particularly well suited to the current challenges of the Automotive Industries Association of Canada as he prepares to take on the role of its chair.

Jobber-Hosted Drive Clean Clinic Attracts Strong Crowd
More than 140 technicians and shop owners attended a clinic on Ontario’s New Drive Clean testing procedure, hosted by Paste Auto Parts.

ALSO IN THE NEWS: AIA’s First Crack At The Grand Forum A Huge Success; Auto-Camping Opens Kelowna Warehouse; Remanufacturing Section to Return to AAPEX 2013; Elgin Industries Receives Platinum Supplier Award from GM Customer Care and Aftersales; Raybestos Brakes Helps Technicians “Go Green” with $50 Cash Rebate; Philips Selected by ADN to Provide Latest Automotive Lighting; Bestbuy Celebrates 60 Years, Gives to Sick Kids.
MAY
Preventative Maintenance:
A Must-Win For The Aftermarket
With consumers putting off car repairs for longer periods of time and increasing competition from dealerships, independent repair shops must work harder and smarter in order to stay ahead of the curve.

Future Leaders To Address GAAS 2013
Delving into the minds of up and coming aftermarket professionals will be the focus of the GAAS 2013 Session titled “Future Leaders Speak Out.”

ALSO IN THE NEWS: Joint Effort Stops Alldata Software Pirates; ASRW Moves to Two Expo Days, Three Education Days; Raybestos ACE Training Integrates E-Learning; Manac Outperforms All Others in Under-Ride Guard Crash Tests; Family Business Survival Session Set for GAAS 2013; Save On Brake Repairs Through Tenneco’s Monroe Brakes Promotion; Epicor to Host its Largest Customer Conference, “Insights,” May 13-16 in Nashville.
JUNE
10th Annual Retail Intelligence Issue
The New Age of Retail – Why Customers Are Happy To Spend More
Much like the traditional definition of family has changed in Canada (with roughly half of marriages ending in divorce), the relationship between customers and retailers has followed a similar path. Just like a marriage that has soured, with one partner becoming numb to the other person, retail customers are feeling abandoned and ignored.

New Report Projects 3.4% Industry Growth
The U.S. Automotive aftermarket industry is expected to grow by 3.4% annually through 2016 to $263.8 billion, adding an additional $32.6 billion to the economy.

ALSO IN THE NEWS: AIA Canada Commends Ontario’s Emphasis on Road Safety in its 2013 Budget; New Board Installed at AARO; Westside Performance Newest Auto Value Parts Store; Uni-Select Announces a Change in Leadership of its U.S. Automotive Operations; AAIA Releases Digital Aftermarket Factbooks; ALI Lift Inspector Certification Workshop Offered; Standard Motor Products, Inc. Announces Organizational Changes; Hunter Canada Adds New Central Canada Region and Manager.
JULY
South Shore Success Story – Groupe Maska, Jobber Of The Year
It’s one thing to build a successful business. It is quite another to keep it successful and growing as it is handed down from one generation to the next.
SAE, Eleven Automakers Declare Honeywell Low-GWP Refrigerant Safe
Honeywell has announced that, after completing an expanded and extensive evaluation. SAE International, the world’s leading automotive engineering association, has concluded that Honeywell’s new low global warming-potential mobile air conditioning refrigerant, HFO-1234yf, is safe for use in automobiles.

ALSO IN THE NEWS: Ontario Trucking Association Opposes Tax Hike to Fund Transit; HDDC’s 29th Business Conference A Smashing Success; Shad’s Raises $160K, Breaks $4 Million Mark; AAEC Announces 2102 BEST Of The BEST Award Winner; Slapshots For A Cause Raises $7,500 For Canadian Cancer Society; Schrader Launches EZ-Choice.com And TPMS Road Show.
AUGUST
How’s Your Import Performance?
Boost Your Bottom Line By Targeting Trends in Chassis, Driveline, Brakes, Emissions
The proliferation of foreign-nameplate vehicles over the past two decades has been a double-edged sword for jobbers.

StatsCan Numbers Reveal Autos, Parts Sales Lead Retail Growth
The automotive sector leads the way for the Canadian economy’s record growth in retail sales in May, reports Statistics Canada.

ALSO IN THE NEWS: Uni-Select To Close Locations in U.S. Restructuring; London Auto Parts Joins Vast-Auto Distribution; Saskatchewan Industry Award Presented; Transit And CMX Join Forces; New Automobile Refrigerant Has Lower Global Warming Potential Than Carbon Dioxide; Uni-Select Mobilizes For The Mira Foundation And Raises $119,000.
SEPTEMBER
High Tech Visibility – New Developments Dominate Wiper & Lighting Markets
Aside from a widespread obsession with texting while driving, it’s common knowledge that when our eyes are on the road ahead, over 90% of driver decisions are based on a clear unobstructed view.

JD Power Reports: Customer Satisfactio
n Improves At Dealerships and Aftermarket Shops
In an ultra-competitive market, automotive dealerships and aftermarket shops are expanding the range of products and services they offer as they search for ways to attract and retain customers.

ALSO IN THE NEWS: Modest Quarterly Growth For Uni-Select, Windom Appointed to Lead U.S. Operations; Promoting Value of Automotive Maintenance Key To Agreement; 2013 AAIA Head Of The Class Award Winners Announced; 14th Annual Vast-Auto Distribution Golf Tournament Raises Over $24,000 For Charity; Walter Surface Technologies Inaugurates International Campus and Bio-Circle Facility.
OCTOBER
Low-Copper Brake Pads – Cashing In On The New Standard
With new U.S. laws being phased in to regulate copper content in brake pads, many aftermarket suppliers are now working on new friction pad formulas, and some brake manufacturers have already brought these new low-copper formulations to market.

Unlocking The Secret To Profitability At The Western Forum
In today’s competitive marketplace it’s important to take every opportunity to ensure profitability.

ALSO IN THE NEWS: U.S. Report: Unperformed Maintenance Hurts Aftermarket; CAA Car Care Centres Up For Sale; Bestbuy Goes Mountain High, Raises $15,000 at Annual Charity Golf Tournament; UAP Opens New Logistics Centre; Mevotech Receives 2013 AAIA Head Of The Class Award For Mid-size Manufacturer; NAPA Announces Global Dealer Customer and Store Owner Exposition.
NOVEMBER
Matching Supply With Demand – Using Data To Have What Customers Need Before They Need It
With the landscape changing so rapidly, jobbers need an edge in order to maintain their competitive position in the marketplace.

Advance Auto Parts Acquires General Parts International Inc.
Advance Auto Parts has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire General Parts International Inc. (GPII).

ALSO IN THE NEWS: Vast-Auto Parts Adds Patterson Auto Parts; AASA Launches Hub Bearing Quality Awareness Campaign; What Youth Think About The Skilled Trades; Canadian Used Car Prices Strengthen; Scotiabank Global Auto Report; Heavy Precipitation Spurs Windshield Wiper Growth; The National Pronto Association Honours Honeywell Friction Materials.
DECEMBER
Man Of Action
2013 Jobber News Counterperson of the Year
Alain Jacques, Nordiques Inc., Quebec City, Que.
Customers say Alain Jacques’ natural penchant for outstanding customer service and extensive product knowledge is a win-win for all. Jacques’s actions, they say, often speak louder than his words.

2013 Demand Study Highlights Untapped Potential In The Aftermarket Industry
The Automotive Industries Association of Canada is pleased to announce that the 2013 Canadian Automotive Aftermarket Demand Study is now available. This biennial report, produced for AIA Canada by DesRosiers Automotive Consultants Inc., uses data collected from the DesRosiers Light Vehicle Study to determine the potential size of the aftermarket and the untapped potential in revenue for the aftermarket supply chain.

ALSO IN THE NEWS: Attracting And Keeping Great Talent In The Industry; Only Half Of Ontario Drivers Use Winter Tires; Vast-Auto To Open Distribution Centre In London; TRW’s Friction Program Increases North American Park Coverage; Honeywell Survey Shows U.S. Diesel Engine Growth Potential; 2014 Automotive Industry Recognition Gala; Mister Transmission Announces 50th Anniversary Contest Mustang Winner; Samson Canada Lubrication Equipment Appoints New Sales Agency; Auto International Association Presents the 2013 AIA Import Product Awards.