Hailed as the world's largest event in the auto and truck remanufacturing industry, more than 2,000 remanufacturing distributors and rebuilders, as well as their customers and employees, attended the trade show, networking events, and instructional seminars.

The APRA Big R Trade Show featured more than 100 exhibitors and included a first-time Electronics and Mechatronics learning booth, where remanufacturers were offered the opportunity to see, touch, and learn about the newest mechatronics -- new combinations of mechanical and electronic systems--in today's vehicles.

Instructional classes during the three-day show included the APRA Thrive Electrical clinic, featuring Bruce Purkey of Purkey's Fleet Electric, Robbie Sullivan of Accumax, Dennis Jacinto president of Lester Catalog Co., and Mohammed Samil, APRA's coordinator of electrical training. 

The clinic discussed every aspect of the remanufacturing of starters, solenoids, and alternators, with an emphasis on how the industry will change in the next 10 years.

 
"Remanufacturing and Product Sustainability," taught by Dr. Nabil Nasr, director of the National Center of Remanufacturing and Resource Recovery at the Rochester Institute of Technology, focused on the momentum building around environmental sustainability and the positive influences it can have on the remanufacturing industry.

An electronics and mechatronics clinic, hosted by Fernand Weiland and Joe Kripli, co-chairmen of APRA's Electronics and Mechatronics division, was a panel discussion and presentation featuring the top names in hybrid electrical systems, ECU electronic testing, and mechatronics. 

 
The panel included Rolf Steinhilper and Ronny Fritsche of the University of Bayreuth in Germany, Voiko Loukanov of D&V Electronics in Canada, Pete Fodor of PTM Electronics in Ann Arbor, Mich., and Alan Melton of Amfor in Portland, Ore.  They discussed the future of new remanufacturing technologies for power steering, braking, engine management, and electrical systems.

From l., Jerry Mudryj, product manager, Jake Biedler, president, and Tom McDonald, technical salesman, all of Precision Manufacturing/Kaufman Products Inc. in Chicago, meet with remanufacturers at the APRA Big R Show.  Precision sells products and related services required to rebuild rack-and-pinion steering mechanisms.

From l., District Manager Danny Onate, Co-owner/President Marie Clausman, and Co-owner/Vice President of Operations Steve Cantrell of Unlimited Packaging in Santa Fe Springs, Calif., display their graphic boxes used to house new and remanufactured parts at the APRA Big R Trade Show.

General Manager Henry Lee (l.) and Sales Assistant George Manzo of Metro Auto Industrial in Pomona, Calif., exhibit their line of new and remanufactured Japanese and domestic alternator and starter parts at the APRA Big R Trade Show.

Account Executive Rick Perez (l.) and Sales Manager Rose Marie Gallegos of C&S Bearing Inc. in La Puente, Calif., display their line of automotive beatings at the APRA 2008 Big R Trade Show.