OREGON
The Northwest Tire Dealers Association (NWTDA) will stage its 51st annual Northwest Regional Meeting and Trade Show in Portland on Friday, Feb. 5, at the Holiday Inn/Airport and John Q. Hammons Trade Center. The event includes training seminars, a luncheon with a speaker, a five-hour trade show, and casino night. On Feb. 4, NWTDA will stage an all-day TIA Commercial Tire Service Training certification class and the association board of directors will meet. For details, call 509-948-2433.
Kevin Knodel, president of NW C.A.R.S./Northwest Custom And Restoration Services, Inc., advised Parts & People that a startup firm in the Portland area was using his company name and reputation and performing allegedly substandard work. Knodel said the firm has not sold, does not have any partners, or added locations. He said his company continues to perform quality custom and restoration work at its Steele Street site where it has operated since 1992.
West Lane Technical Learning Center in Elmira has been certified by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF), a division of ASE, in brakes and electrical systems. Instructor at the training center is Bill McCarty.
Automotive Electric Distributors (AED) will stage its annual meeting and trade show on Saturday, March 6. The trade show will be held at the AED warehouse on Swan Island in Portland while the meeting and a casino night will be at the Doubletree Hotel/Lloyd Center. For complete details, call 503-735-2940 or visit www.aed-inc.com.
Recently opened on Southeast 82nd Avenue in Portland is Tires 4 Less owned by Patrick Walby, who plans on expanding with stores in Vancouver and Tigard later this year. Store manager is Wayne Clure, who has 26 years of experience in the tire industry.
In memoriam: Earlene M. Keeler, 69, died of cancer Dec. 24. Born in Oklahoma, Keeler later moved with her family to Wichita, Kan., where she met R.F. (Vic) Keeler. They were married in 1958, later moved to Riverside, Calif., and in 1968 the couple moved to Hawaii where Earlene earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in library sciences at the University of Hawaii. The Keelers moved to Oregon in 1973 where they have operated Vic’s Auto Center in Lake Oswego since 1974. Keeler is survived by her husband, mother, and son.
In memoriam: Harold J. Dick, 72, died in December. Born in Dallas, Ore., he graduated from Tigard High School and attended Portland State College. Dick founded Harold’s Auto Service in Portland in 1961 and was active in industry, racing, and auto club affairs for his entire career. He was a former president of the Northwest Automotive Trades Association and a member of numerous car clubs, including the Touring Club of Oregon, Sports Car Club of America, Cascade Sports Car Club, Columbia Gorge MGA Club, and Club T-MG. He was also involved with Kiwanis and Elks organizations and donated time as a weekly driver for Meals on Wheels. Dick was also an active SCCA racer for many years in the Pacific Northwest region. He is survived by his wife Gerri, three sons, a sister, two brothers, and three grandchildren. A memorial service was held Jan. 8 in Portland.
WASHINGTON
Evergreen Auto Service Equipment based in Vancouver with a branch in Auburn is celebrating its first anniversary on Feb. 1, and will stage an open house to celebrate the event at GarageTownUSA in Federal Way on Feb. 2. Owned by David Newton, a former Hunter Engineering Co. regional manager, Evergreen distributes and installs shop equipment products, including Hunter alignment systems, brake lathes, wheel balancers, and tire changers; RTI fluid transfer equipment; Moduline tool boxes and cabinets; Quincy air compressors; and a full line of Mohawk Lifts.
Merle Pfeifer, AAM, owner of Sparks Car Care in Federal Way has been named the Volunteer of the Year by the Federal Way Chamber of Commerce. “It’s an honor to give this award to someone who is passionate about small businesses and our community,” said Tom Pierson, CEO of the chamber. “I am deeply honored to receive the award,” Pfeifer said. “Someone asked me why I volunteer to help others. The answer is simple: It is the right thing to give back to your community and I love doing it.” Pfeifer, long involved in a variety of community affairs that includes providing equipment to law enforcement to prevent auto theft, has also been an industry activist for many years. A longtime member of ASA Washington, Pfeifer serves on the ASA national Mechanical Operations Committee, is the current president of the ASA Washington Pierce County unit, has served on the government affairs and education committees of the state association, has assisted with the ASA Lights-on consumer campaigns, and been long involved with the Kids First Program during the Christmas holidays.
The 36th Corvette & High-Performance Meet will be held on Feb. 6-7 at the Puyallup Fair & Events Center in Puyallup. The event features extensive car and parts displays and on Sunday the Next Generation Automotive Exhibition geared for those under 40. That event will have invitational vehicle display, valve cover races, a Die-cast Extravaganza, and automotive career information booths. For complete information and registration, call 360-786-8844 or visit www.corvhp.com.
Through its Member Verification Program (MVP), the National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA) has re-qualified 16 member companies for their commitment to complying with government safety regulations and implementing quality standards and business practices. To date, a total of 408 firms have achieved the MVP status. Re-qualified firms in Washington include Fiber-Tech Industries Inc. in Spokane, Nelson Truck Equipment Co. in Kent, Titan Truck Equipment in Spokane; and Washington Auto Carriage in Spokane.
Warehouse West, a performance and specialty parts wholesale warehouse based in Renton, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The firm is owned by Brad and Sheila Blue.
In its quest to help the labor shortage in various fields, Grainger Industrial Supply has awarded two Grainger Tools for Tomorrow scholarships to South Seattle Community College (SSCC) students. Robert Wilson, who is enrolled in the Welding and Fabrication Technology program, and Walter Lawrence, an Automotive Technology student, are among 50 technical students nationwide who will receive a $2,000 scholarship, and, upon graduation, a Westward tool package from Grainger to support their future careers. “The automotive industry in Washington continues to need highly skilled workers. With these scholarships, Grainger continues to demonstrate its community support and commitment,” said Dr. Malcolm Grothe, executive dean of Workforce Education at SSCC.
Dale Taft is a new outside sales representative for Transmission Remanufacturing Co. (TRC) in the Puget Sound area, said TRC’s Jared Demeerleer. “Dale has been in the transmission industry in the Northwest since 1991 and his knowledge extends from passenger cars to heavy-duty trucks,” he said. Headquartered in Kent, TRC remanufactures and distributes transmission products throughout the Northwest region.
International Lubricants, Inc. has been presented with Frost & Sullivan’s 2009 North American Technology Leadership of the Year Award. “The Technology Leadership Award is recognition of International Lubricants’ accomplishments in the lubricant additives industry,” said Research Analyst, Stephen Spivey from Frost & Sullivan. “Our approach in research philosophy and methodology enabled us to determine how best-in-class companies worldwide manage growth, innovation, and leadership.
