ILLINOIS
The Leadership Development Network (LDN) recently announced its 2008 scholarship winners. Those students each receive a $1,000 scholarship for the 2008-2009 academic year. Ryan Martin of Carbondale was one of those selected. LDN, along with other associations, collaborated with the Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS) Scholarship Committee to create an online scholarship resource for students planning to pursue careers in the automotive aftermarket. Students can fill out applications for 2009 at www.automotivescholarships.com beginning in September.
Automotive Parts & Service Association of Illinois (APSA-IL) has scheduled its 50th Annual Meeting & Conference for Sept. 19-20 at Père Marquette Hotel in Peoria. The two-day event kicks off with a tour of the Caterpiller Casting Foundry in Mapleton, followed by educational classes on biodiesel technology, disaster planning, legislative updates, and marketing and advertising strategies, said APSA-IL Executive Vice President Matt Wells. Attendees are encouraged to bring their classic or custom cars, trucks, or bikes for evening cruise through downtown Peoria with the Central Illinois Cruisers. For more information, contact Wells at 217-786-2850 or e-mail matt@apsail.com.
Stertil BV, the parent company of Stertil-Koni USA Inc., a European supplier of heavy-duty lifts, recently acquired ALM Corp. of Streator. The ALM acquisition facilitates Stertil-Koni's goal of manufacturing in the United States and providing global outreach for the full range of Stertil KONI's product offering. The company also acquired Fleet America Service Technology, a Maryland corporation responsible for the development and fabrication of the ECO lift, a shallow-pit, heavy-duty scissors lift.
More than 110 university Baja SAE teams from around United States and the world converged at Caterpillar's Demonstration Center in Edwards for the SAE Collegiate Design Series events in May. The event was one of three Baja SAE regional competitions that simulate real engineering design projects and related challenges. Engineering students design and build an off-road vehicle that must survive traversing rough terrain and sometimes water.
INDIANA
Voodoo Ride, a car care and lifestyle products company co-founded by Dale Earnhardt Jr., has named Bowdoin Marketing of Elkhart as its sales representatives for Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky. Retailers of Voodoo Ride products include Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper, Strauss Discount Auto Parts, and Zellers.
MISSOURI
Pundmann Ford of St. Charles opened Pundmann Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center at 1200 S. Duchesne on July 14. The shop, adjacent to the dealership's 
collision repair facility, services all makes and models, said Manager Tom Linder. Offerings include tire sales, alignments, oil changes, A/C service, and other services, he said.
Chrysler LLC has given Royal Gate Dodge Chrysler Jeep of Moscow Mills the 2007 Dodge Charger Club Award. The award recognizes Chrysler dealers who sold more than 1,000 new cars in the 2007 calendar year.
One hundred students recently gathered at front lawn of Ford World Headquarters in Dearborn, Mich., for the 59th annual Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills national finals. The students triumphed over more than 8,000 auto tech students who entered the competition last fall at high schools across the country. The competitors had 90 minutes to accurately diagnose and correctly repair the deliberate "bugs" placed in the Ford Focuses--two engine performance problems, six malfunctions in the electrical system, and a problem with the A/C system. Zach Cole and Jason Powell of Four Rivers Career Center in Washington earned sixth place under Instructor Dan Brinkmann.
Adam's Polishes Inc., a maker of car polishes, has hired Justin Politte as its sales representative. Politte, who lives in the St. Louis area, sells Adam's Polishes at local and national car shows and events. "After detailing my 1999 Infiniti, it was clearly evident that the Adam's Polishes products surpassed anything I had previously used," Politte said. "It wasn't long before I began a car-detailing business."
The Modern Tire Dealer reported that AM-PAC Tire Distributors/Tire Pros of Simi Valley, Calif., plans to nearly double its presence in the St. Louis area. "We're trying to get up to 50 company-owned stores in St. Louis," said AM-PAC CEO and President Dennis Mangola. "We have 27 stores there now. We do very well in St. Louis."
KENTUCKY
The Quality Parts Coalition (QPC) recently announced that the Kentucky-Indiana Automotive Wholesalers Association (KIAWA) has joined its cause. KIAWA made the move as the U.S. Patent and Trade Office (USPTO) conducts a listening tour to hear concerns of those interested in issues on the protection of industrial designs. Supported by seven co-sponsors, H.R. 5638 would preserve competition and consumer choice in the automotive collision replacement parts industry by amending Title 35, U.S. Code (Patents) to provide design patent exemption for alternative repair parts used for the purpose of repairing a vehicle to its original appearance. "It is obvious that the automotive industry is working to eliminate competition in a marketplace that has benefited consumers and has provided jobs to thousands of Americans for more than 60 years," said L. Kim Rominger, Executive Director of KIAWA. "KIAWA is proud to(support) legislation to provide a permanent solution to prevent monopolies -- such as the one awarded to Ford on the F-150 by the ITC -- from spreading to every make and model."
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