PERSONNEL
Continental Automotive has appointed Brad Jackson director of communications for the NAFTA region. In his new position, Jackson will join the Marketing and Communications team and report to Kathryn Blackwell, vice-president marketing and communications NAFTA. He will be responsible for overseeing media relations within the region.
Evonik Corporation’s divestiture of its carbon black business is expected to be complete by 1 August 2011, but with it will also come a name change. Announced earlier this year, Evonik divested itself of it Carbon Black Business Unit and sold it to affiliates of Rhone Capital and Triton. According to the company, the new business will be known as Orion Engineered Carbons. All of the silica-based products (Aerosil, Aeroxide, Acematt, Sipernat) will continue to be manufactured and sold by Evonik Inorganic Materials.
Well known tyre wholesale stalwart Dick Anderson died suddenly on Saturday 16 July. The news was confirmed by RH Claydon group business development manager, John Parker who wrote to Tyres Accessories: “It is with great sorrow that I must inform you of some sad news in that Dick Anderson unfortunately passed away.” Anderson, who retired just over a year ago, was apparently working alone in the garden at his old home in Welnetham when he suffered a massive heart attack.
Veteran aftermarket executives, Kevin Judge and Cory Cheever have been hired by friction manufacturer Fras-le to help boost the company's North American light vehicle aftermarket business. Judge will serve as the company's East Coast sales manager for the light vehicle aftermarket, while Cheever will be responsible its West Coast aftermarket sales. Judge and Cheever will report directly to Randy Mordue, who consolidated the light and commercial vehicle sales aftermarket divisions as director of sales and marketing.
Goodyear Tire & Rubber has promoted Roberto Fioroni to vice president and general auditor, effective August 1. Currently finance director for Goodyear’s Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa operations, Fioroni replaces Rich Pegher, who left the company to pursue other opportunities. In his new position, Fioroni will report to executive vice president and CFO Darren Wells and remain part of the Goodyear’s global finance leadership team.
The MAM Software Group has announced the appointment of sales and professional services staff at its North American subsidiaries. The UK-based provider of business automation and e-commerce solutions for the automotive sector says the appointments strengthen its position as a growing force in the tyre and component aftermarket. The new appointees are Michael Moothart, Joe O'Regan, Scott Gaines, Ryan Putans (all MAM Software) and Jeff Carpenter, (Aftersoft Network NA).
Bridgestone Americas has announced two senior promotions within its operations, effective immediately. Jim Pridgen, previously plant manager at the Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO) factory in Wilson, North Carolina, has been named president of Firestone Fibers & Textiles Company, LLC (FSFT). In this new role Pridgen will be based at FSFT’s headquarters in Kings Mountain, North Carolina. Gary Williamson, formerly operations manager at the BATO facility in Aiken County, South Carolina, has been promoted to the position of plant manager at the Wilson facility. Bridgestone Americas will announce Williamson’s successor as operations manager at a later date.
Fras-le North America has announced that Randy Mordue is to expand his duties as director of sales and marketing, incorporating the commercial vehicle aftermarket segment. He was previously responsible for the light vehicle segment alone. His added commercial responsibilities extend to both medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. He will continue to report to Fras-le's director of operations, Zomar Oliveira.
Falken Tire Corporation, the US based subsidiary of Sumitomo Rubber Industries, has appointed Vivien Winneke its director of human resources. Commenting on Ms Winneke’s new role, company president and CEO Richard Smallwood said: “As Falken continues its rapid ascent in sales, it becomes increasingly important to find and recruit talented individuals who can support that growth. This rapid expansion of personnel, along with increasingly complex labour laws, make human resources one of the company’s cornerstones that advocates our cultural belief of plan ahead to maximise opportunities and manage risks.”
Bridgestone UK’s training department has announced the addition of a fourth element to its Retail Business Development training programme. Dealer Selecta Tyre has been the first to engage with the new module, believing Bridgestone to “[understand] the tyre retail business better than any other external management training company we have been involved with in the past,” according to sales director Nick Henshall: “Selecta Tyre is growing as a business and as such we recognise that our retail managers are of vital importance to us continuing to achieve our future company strategies and goals.
Effective June 2011 Kevin Lowe was appointed as the new agricultural and forestry key account manager in the US market for Trelleborg Wheel Systems Americas. Lowe has worked in the tyre business for 23 years. Before joining Trelleborg North America, Kevin was a tyre retailer in Central Florida and worked in distribution and sales for another large tire manufacturer for the last six years in the Carolinas.
On June 30 Prof. Dr. Djoko Said Damardjati ended his three-year tenure as Secretary General of the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries and handed the reigns to Dato’ Dr. Kamarul Baharain bin Basir. Following the end of his term, Damardjati has taken up the post of principal scientist in the Centre for Food Crops, part of Indonesia’s Ministry of Agriculture.
Cabot Corporation has announced the appointment of Erica McLaughlin to the position of director of investor relations. McLaughlin will serve as the primary liaison between Cabot, its shareholders, and the investment community, succeeding Susannah Robinson, who will assume a role in the company's human resources organisation.
Kwik Fit has announced a 2011 banded pay settlement for 4,400 employees in its 676 UK centres. The settlement provides an increase of 3 per cent for fitting staff on the standard company salary for their grade, affecting the majority of the workforce. All other staff, including managers, supervisors, MOT testers and service technicians, will receive a 2 per cent increase. Kwik Fit said the agreement was reached after amicable discussions with the trade union Unite. The pay increase will be backdated to 1 January 2011.
Pirelli returns to Formula One in the United Kingdom this week for what the company says is a second home Grand Prix this season, after the Italian Grand Prix, since the company employs around 50 at its logistics and distribution facility at Didcot, 45 minutes from Silverstone by car. The 12 engineers assigned to F1’s teams and the 19 tyre fitters whose job it is to put the tyres on the rims are based there too, alongside its 12 carbon black trucks: two service trucks, seven tyre transporters, and three trucks for the hospitality unit.
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