Readers of Popular Mechanics magazine have named Bosch Spark Plugs their favourite brand in the US magazine's 2012 Reader's Choice Awards for the third straight year, Tire Review reports. More than 3,138 readers responded to the magazine survey to determine their favorites, and selected Bosch as the spark plug brand of choice from among at least 10 competing brands.
UK automotive manufacturers have set their sights on breaking all-time manufacturing records by the end of 2015. The confidence is fuelled by multi-billion pound investments committed to the country over the past 18 months that will see production expanded, new models introduced and thousands more people employed.
June 6th marked a milestone for the BMW Group's UK engine plant at Hams Hall, near Birmingham, with the production of the factory's three millionth engine.
The power unit – a 1.6 four-cylinder petrol engine – will be despatched to the MINI plant at Oxford, destined for a car to be built for the emerging Indian market. MINI made its debut in the premium small car segment in India earlier this year marking MINIs 100th export market where three exclusive outlets are being established.
Tyre service products from Bosch, collectively labelled the “Around the Wheel” range, have been updated with the addition of its new FWA 4630. Bosch’s latest generation of wheel alignment equipment acknowledges the importance of time and accuracy to tyre service providers. It says the development of the latest machine was also influenced by the continuing evolution of chassis and suspension technology.
Bosch has redesigned its automotive aftermarket website – boschautoparts.com – primarily to “improve visitor engagement and ease of use,” Tire Review reports. The site is “more visually engaging and especially easy to navigate,” Bosch claimed, and “covers a wide range of product lines, special promotions, motorsports, Bosch Gear, a vehicle part finder, and a local parts store locator.”
Autodiagnos, the manufacturer of PC Pro, the PC based diagnostic tool, has announced the addition of a range of manufacturers, applications and functions. The PC Pro is designed and manufactured in the UK by a team of dedicated engineers. The heart of the product is the communications module which feeds information through to a PC.
Following half a century with Bosch, in which he held a number of important positions in the company, chairman of the company’s supervisory council, Professor Dr. Hermann Scholl is to resign from office, effective 30 June 2012. At the same time, he will retire from Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG, where he has been managing partner since 1995.
The Bosch Car Service network has held its first conference in Ireland. The network says the event is designed to help independent garages get the most from the scheme’s many benefits, with a day of workshops, training sessions and talks for garages signed up to the Bosch Car Service network.
Edmond Kelleher has joined Bosch Automotive Aftermarket as product specialist for braking systems following his predecessor Dominik Jedrzejak’s move to the position of Bosch product manager for wipers in Singapore. Kelleher brings with him a long list of automotive industry experience, including posts at Ford and Hyundai in Germany, in which his roles included working in product definition, product planning and customer relationship management. His role at Bosch involves responsibility for braking systems in the Automotive Aftermarket, including product management, marketing, cataloguing and pricing.
In January Claas awarded tyre maker Mitas with the Claas Supplier of the Year Award 2011 for Innovation for Mitas’ CHO tyre. “Mitas won the award from among 900 serial part suppliers,” said Jens Steinhardt, Mitas’ key account manager. Bosch Rexroth and Raba were short-listed for the innovation award. Mitas developed the CHO tyre in cooperation with Claas.
Bosch’s Automotive Aftermarket division has agreed to buy the Service Solutions business of SPX Corporation, headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. The deal, valued by the company at 1.15 billion dollars (roughly 883 million euros), was signed in New York City on 23 January 2012. SPX Service Solutions develops, manufactures and sells diagnostic and service tools, workshop equipment, and software for the global automotive aftermarket. The deal follows Bosch's earlier takeover of Taiwan-based Unipoint, which supplies starters and alternators, and a series of management personnel appointments in the UK.
Following approval from antitrust authorities, the Bosch Automotive Aftermarket division has completed its takeover of Taiwan’s Unipoint Group. The parties involved in the transaction have agreed not to disclose the purchase price and report that both existing Unipoint brands – Unipoint and NSA – will be retained by Bosch.
Bosch has appointed Iain Procter to the position of product specialist for Around the Wheel equipment within its Automotive Aftermarket division. Proctor’s sphere of responsibility includes tyre service equipment, four wheel alignment, lifts and brake testers. His role encompasses marketing and product management, including both technical and sales support for the Bosch and Beissbarth product ranges.
Bosch Automotive Aftermarket has appointed Alex Gibson and Paul Rendell as technical service advisors in the UK. The appointments were made following the transfer of existing advisors, Steve Meloy and Kevin Lyon, to the Data Engineering team and Original Equipment division, respectively. Gibson and Rendell join the hotline team responsible for providing technical assistance to Bosch customers to support servicing, diagnostic trouble-shooting, and replacement and repair of automotive products.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders’ new headquarters in London’s Great Peter Street is hosting a display to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the firm Robert Bosch, which began life in Germany in 1886 under the company name ‘Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering’ (Werkstätte für Feinmechanik und Elektrotechnik). Bosch says both the vehicles on display and the choice of venue have “particular significance” for the company.
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