IOWA
Aftermarket Business magazine named Arnold Motor Supply as the 19th -largest auto parts chain in the United States. Arnold Motor Supply has partnerships with stores in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Missouri.
KANSAS
Scholfield Honda of Wichita donated a natural-gas-powered Honda Civic to Daniel Wallach, director of Greensburg Green Town. Wallach formed Green Town after the May 4 tornado tore through Greensburg as a nonprofit organization championing the green cause in the town's recovery. Scholfield Honda is the first Wichita-area dealer to offer individual customers a vehicle that runs 100 percent on natural gas.
Eddy's Toyota of Wichita is working on plan that will more than double the size of the dealership. The renovation and expansion include a larger showroom, service area, and lot. Harold Johnson, chief financial officer of Mike Steven Auto Group, said the plan is still in development. "If we break ground in 12 months, that's probably the best timetable we could hope for," he said. The dealership will remain open during the renovations.
MISSOURI
Cable-Dahmer Chevrolet in Independence announced a new addition to their team. Leon Schmitz will be the new wholesale manager and salesman in the parts department. Schmitz has 27 years of experience in automotive parts. He started his
career in Harlan, Iowa. Cable-Dahmer Chevrolet has 19 delivery trucks, 25 people in the parts department averaging 15 years of tenure, and a $1.5 million parts inventory.
Harrisonville company Advantage Pressure Pro has joined forces with Ride-On Tire Protection Systems out of Sterling, Va., to provide customers with a complete solution for tire-pressure problems. Pressure Pro TPMS works together with Ride-On tire sealant to dramatically reduce the damage and hassle caused by unexpected air loss in tires. "Working together, Pressure Pro and Ride-On provide a very cost-effective and thorough way for everyone, from companies with large fleets to individual car owners, to add safety, savings, and peace of mind to their travels," said Phillip G. Zaroor, president of Advantage Pressure Pro.
Auto Body Panels (ABP), an importer of collision parts, has announced an expansion with new partnerships including automotive recycling operations in six new markets across the nation. The new warehouses with be located in Kansas City, Charlotte, N.C., Chicago, St. Louis, Knoxville, Tenn., Little Rock, Ark., and Fort Worth, Texas. Each independent automotive-recycling operation chosen by ABP as partners is a member of the United Recyclers Group and the Absolute Premium Recycled Parts network. Bob Beine of Republic Ford in Republic was named 2008 Time Magazine's Dealer of the year by the Missouri Auto Dealers Association (MADA). Beine is president and owner of Carthage Ford Mercury and Village Chevrolet-Buick-Pontiac-GMC.
O'Reilly Auto Parts has acquired Brown Enterprises in Greenfield. The store will continue to operate in the same location as O'Reilly Auto Parts. Previous Owners Jay and Kathy Brown are focusing on other interests, but Gerry Ruark will continue to manage the store.
Riechers Tire and Auto is set to up a second shop in Washington by summer. The new building will be 10,000 square feet, have 10-12 bays, and include a showroom two to three times bigger than the current one.
The new Pro Lube Tire and Service in Smithville is owned by Tony Maxson. Maxson said the store will offer oil changes, tires, brake and shock services, and detail work.
Instructor Rory Perrodin led a Controller Area Networks (CAN) class at the Park Place hotel in Kansas City on Jan 17. The class was put on by the Automotive Service Association of Missouri/Kansas (ASA-MO/KAN) and had a turnout of 86 technicians and shop owners. Perrodin is an instructor for Vision, CARQUEST, and GM-ASEP. He will be teaching a "GM Duramax Diesel" class at Vision Hi-Tech Training and Expo. On Feb. 21, the ASA-MO/KAN meeting will feature Bill Hass speaking on the "State of the Industry." For more information, contact Sheri Hamilton at 816-781-5801.
NEBRASKA
According to Greensheet, Omaha-based Heartland Automotive Services, which bills itself as America's largest Jiffy Lube franchisee, has appointed Rich Lange, its longtime executive vice president, to the new position of chief customer advocate. Lange is a former owner of Heartland's original franchisee operations in St. Louis and is one of the founding members of Heartland Automotive Services.
Lee Janssen is returning to McCook to be the managing partner of Janssen-Kool Honda with Mark Kool. Janssen had operated a Chrysler dealership at the same location until 2001 when he left to operate agencies in Holdrege. He maintained ownership of the building and car lot and leased it out first to Republican Valley Motor Co. and then to Kool Honda. "I'm happy to be back," Janssen said. "We will do our best to meet the automotive needs of the McCook area."
Brian White of In-Line Collision in York was named Body Shop Business/ASE Automotive Technician of the Year. White has been an auto body technician for 27 years and is a Master Level PPG Certified technician.
An increase in business and a lack of space made a 75- by 65-square-foot addition a necessity at Duke's Autobody and Paint in Brule. "We had a small growth spurt and needed a little more space," said Owner Duke Huffman. "We couldn't do body work and paint at the same time." Huffman said that with the addition came three new employees and new equipment.
Tom and Jaye Rozmiarek purchased the CARQUEST business in Loup City from Larry Farmer in October. The name has been changed to Loup City Auto Parts, but Tom Rozmiarek said the business will remain the same because his customers seem to be happy with the way things are.
