Performance Legend Gale Banks was on hand May 30-31 to help celebrate the grand opening of Pep Boy’s first-ever dedicated Speed Shop in downtown Los Angeles. Banks, president and CEO of Banks Power was there to meet customers and talk about the Banks Power line of performance products that Pep Boys will be carrying, and brought one of his record-setting Sidewinder Duramax-powered drag racing machines. Pep Boys loaded up its store at 1200 Washington Boulevard in LA with hundreds of performance-related products that until now could only be found online or at independent specialty shops.
David Ellis Chrysler Jeep in the San Fernando Valley is one of California’s sales leaders, and will remain open despite the economic struggle of the nation’s major car dealers and the forced closures of up to 1,000 dealerships from the Chrysler Corp. “Part of the reason we are still operating is that there are no Chrysler-Jeep dealers in the valley since Van Nuys closed their doors, and the corporate entity is worried about servicing existing and future customers,” Ellis said.
Steve Marble of Honeywell CPG was recently appointed to the California/Nevada/Arizona Automotive Wholesalers Association’s (CAWA’s) Manufacturers Advisory Council (MAC). Marble was appointed by board Chairman David Finley of Finley Industries. “Steve has 28 years of experience in the industry, and we are pleased to welcome him to the leadership of CAWA. We are looking forward to his contributions to the automotive aftermarket industry and its trade association,” Finley said.
“Auto Dismantlers: More Than Spare Parts” was the theme of a working conference in Pacoima on May 29 and was attended by state agencies and nonprofit organizations. The conference was convened by California State Assembly Member Felipe Fuentes, D-Northeast San Fernando Valley, and facilitated by Dr. Joe Lyou, executive director of the California Environmental Rights Alliance and board member for South Coast Air Quality Management District. The agencies and organizations attending the conference included the California DMV, the California District Attorneys Association, Cal/EPA, Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board, the office of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, State Water Resources Control Board, the U.S. EPA, and the State of California Auto Dismantlers Association (SCADA). The main focus was on issues related to noncompliant vehicle dismantling, and consideration of environmental issues surrounding the dismantling of vehicles. The agenda also included a community tour of facilities in the Pacoima area and a discussion of each agency’s function.
Kumho has announced the opening of Tires 4U, the first outlet in North America dedicated to the Kumho Tire global retail format, in Buena Park, owned and operated by Benjamin Lee. “I am pleased with Kumho Tires and have confidence in the success of our retail center and we look forward to expanding beyond our single location” Lee said. “Tires 4U looks forward to being a valuable member of the regional community and becoming a leader in quality customer service. It offers the opportunity to reach our consumer by providing a dedicated retail environment that sells only Kumho branded product,” J.B. Kim, president and CEO of Kumho Tire USA North America said.
