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CARSTAR Conference Examines Hiring and Employee Retention

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BALTIMORE, Md. --Willis Ramirez, director of human resources for CARSTAR, explains at CARSTAR's national conference in Baltimore how shops can use online job site for hiring. He also explains the main reasons why workers leave their jobs.

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Prices sparking volatility

Aftermarket Business

As we approach midyear, it seems like a lifetime ago that oil prices were hovering below $100 per barrel. True, the economic impact was being felt even then, but today's price levels are certainly unexpected and — many may argue — unjustified. We think what may be more troubling to the market is not necessarily the actual level of oil prices, but rather the daily volatility. Large swings such as the $10 spike on June 6 are upsetting and exemplify underlying macroeconomic and geopolitical concerns.

China - Let the games begin

Aftermarket Business

The global supply chain continues to make for "interesting times" in the aftermarket. Last year Inoted that while China held one-fifth of the earth's population, it consumed a third of the world's steel, half of the world's concrete and was fast becoming the world's second largest purchaser of goods. That voracious appetite for raw material to feed its industrial revolution now is driving up costs on every front. The most recent reports out of China show that material costs from pig iron (up 150 percent) to coke (up 130 percent) are impacting production, especially for high steel-content auto parts. And we now see a rise in labor rates, up 295 percent in the coastal areas.

Freeze Frame: Guilty, but of what?

Motor Age

In my March 2007 column "Guiltless," I discussed what we as individuals and as an industry are doing about global warming. I said it doesn't matter whether we believe human activity causes global warming, because most countries have begun regulating CO2 emissions, and those regulations influence our lives personally and professionally. That much is true.

Vantage Point: It's up to you

Motor Age

Consumers responded to the retailers' promotions by buying things they actually needed with the exception of automotive repairs and maintenance. And who should we blame for that? Ourselves, of course. Other than a few press releases from some of the associations, our industry as a whole did little to take advantage of consumers' newfound wealth.

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Delphi launches new roll-control system

Motor Age

Delphi Corp. is developing a new Active Stabiliser Bar System (ASBS) that it says offers better steering feel, improved vehicle dynamics, superior comfort and greater tuning capability compared with today's technologies. The system is the first to provide continuous across-center control and is 60 percent lighter and around 65 percent more compact than the previous generation system, making it the world's most advanced roll-control technology, according to the company.

AMI Launches Webinar series

Automotive Body Repair News

BEDFORD, Texas – A new Training On Demand Web site that features interactive Webinars, pre-recorded archived classes, DVD-quality video downloads and other training resources has been launched by the Automotive Management Institute (AMI), at www.AMIeducationonline.com, that is initially offering monthly Webinars on a variety of topics including sales and marketing, customer service, telephone skills, employee management and more.

Brake calipers are important when servicing brake systems, Bendix Brakes Answerman says

Motor Age

As technicians service brake systems on more vehicles with alloy wheels, the Bendix Brakes Answerman team recommends paying special attention to the brake calipers.

Attendance at free ASA workshops growing

Automotive Body Repair News

BEDFORD, Texas — The Automotive Service Association (ASA) recently hosted three more Service Information Workshops in Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and Willow Grove, Pa., to educate shop owners and technicians about the availability of service information to automotive repair shops.

Nissan to use solar panels from ICP Solar Technologies

Motor Age

ICP Solar Technologies Inc., a developer, manufacturer and marketer of solar panels and products, has entered into a sales contract with Nissan in Europe and North America for OEM solar charger. A discharged battery is one of the most common problems facing the automotive industry with cars sitting in parking lots for a long period of time in cold or hot conditions, the manufacturer says.

I-CAR Education Foundation raising funds for scholarships, grants

Automotive Body Repair News

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Due to the success of the scholarships and grants awarded this past spring, the I-CAR Education Foundation has set a goal to award $100,000 worth of curriculum grants, instructor training grants and student scholarships in the spring of 2009 as part of its Collision Repair Education Campaign.

Algae may grow into the next big biofuel

Motor Age

The automotive industry has grown weary of crushing fuel prices, and in a frantic race to look for alternatives to our risky petroleum habit, no stone is being left unturned. Some are, in fact, turning over stones in ponds and fish tanks for the answers.