placed Wednesday, July 1, 2009
In 1953, Charles Wilson, GM’s president, became President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s secretary of defense. Asked during Senate confirmation hearings if there might not be conflict of interests, Wilson replied with what became, “What’s good for General Motors is good for the country.” Soon, “As goes General Motors, so goes the …
placed Tuesday, June 2, 2009
It’s not over yet
Financial industry analysts and apologists, many of whom have been wrong and grossly misleading, are now pronouncing that the financial free fall has been avoided and that signs of optimism and recovery, such as an eight-week bear market rally, are visible.
Like springtime sprouts and green shoots growing …
placed Friday, May 1, 2009
Despite deteriorating economic conditions, the parts and service industry has maintained or regained a relative stability and, in many cases, a little boost as a result of the new-vehicle sales slowdown, reduced bay counts in some communities, and a cautious reassessment of priorities by the consumer.
If only consumer credit providers …
placed Tuesday, April 7, 2009
The recent release by the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) of the Vehicle Repair Cost Analysis compares the average cost of specific repairs between new-car dealership service departments and independent service businesses. The AAIA analysis stated that vehicle repairs for parts and labor averaged 34.3 percent more at new-car dealerships …
placed Saturday, March 7, 2009
As the vehicle fleet continues its trend toward increasing technological sophistication and complexity, it is clear that diagnostics are no longer a top-side dimension to repair but firmly embedded as an integral element to the process, perhaps 25 percent of labor charges and growing.
The advancement of scan tool technology, always …
placed Saturday, February 7, 2009
There is more to the economic and financial difficulties facing America than a cyclical, economic downturn. An across-the-board collapse of employment, a continued cutback in private loans to small businesses and consumers, plus a massive expansion of Treasury debt all coupled with a stimulus-directed creation of funding into public works …
placed Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Last year, the message in this column was Jack, be nimble, Jack, be quick. As you might now guess, this year’s message is Jack, jump over the candle stick.
Downward economic trends, global financial deleveraging, and historic credit constriction certainly suggests some tough sledding ahead for U.S. consumers.
As written here before, …
placed Sunday, December 7, 2008
In a year of admirable efforts throughout the parts and service industry, the comprehensive report on telematics applications commissioned by the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) ranks as a, if not the, top achievement of 2008. The completion of the report was announced at the Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium in …
placed Friday, November 7, 2008
As the saying goes, “We are having a ham-and-eggs breakfast. The hen is involved but the pig is committed.” So it goes with the unwinding, deleveraging financial credit system and the resulting effects on the economy. The stewards of the financial system, the central banks and the state-sponsored treasury, are …
placed Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Months ago, when gas prices first spiked, various automotive associations and agencies produced media releases regarding gas-savings tips. The tip to keep tires properly inflated was probably the most successful because it garnered the most placement and attention.
In fact, it gained so much attention it slipped into the presidential campaign. …
