Truck Parts and Service | Heavy Duty Trucking, Aftermarket, Service Info
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/85632
Industry Focus People In The News Following are personnel changes and announcements in the trucking industry: Bergstrom Inc. has named Alan Leupold director of test and development. Reyco Granning has named Brien Scheffee leader of the company's light-vehicle and powered-vehicle units, while Joe Gallo will lead the trailer group and Steve Denny will lead the aftermarket group. Ancra International has hired Larry Bethel as director of purchasing and planning, and Jeff Murillo as manager of business development. PalFleet Truck Equipment has appointed Bruce Helmeid as general manager of the company's Nashville, Tenn. location. Power Train Companies has appointed John Wolff to store manager of the Indianapolis branch, Larry Higashi to the role of vice president of remanufacturing and Brandon Ford to the new director of sales, adding to his role as marketing director. American Trucking Associations has named Don Lynn its new vice president of sales and marketing. Polar Service Centers has named Jeff Buckholz regional fi eld sales representa- tive for the Northeast. Great Dane has added Robert Maharrey as its new director of quality assurance. Eaton Corp. has named Patrick Randri- anarison president of the Vehicle Group in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Succeeding Randrianarison as Eaton's president in South America and president of the Vehicle Group – South America will be Antonio Galvao. Randrianarison Galvao Economic News Th e following is economic news from the trucking industry: FTR Associates has released preliminary data showing July Class 8 truck net orders at 12,568 units, the lowest month for orders since August 2010 and 32 percent below the same month last year. FTR says July orders came in 23 percent below weak June activity and continue to refl ect soſt demand for Class 8 vehicles. For-hire trucking compa- nies added 3,100 payroll jobs in July as the overall U.S. economy added a net of 163,000 nonfarm jobs, according to the latest es- timates released Aug. 3 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Payroll employment in trucking was up 0.23 percent over May and 3.3 percent over July 2011. Economic activity in the manufacturing sector contracted in July for the second time since July 2009, but the overall economy grew for the 38th consecutive month, say the nation's supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business. Th e PMI registered 49.8 percent, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from June's reading of 49.7 percent, indicating contraction in the manufacturing sector for the second con- secutive month following 34 consecutive months of expansion. 6 Dealership News Th e following is news from dealerships in the trucking industry: Volvo Trucks has named GATR of Sauk Rapids, Minn. as its 2011 U.S. Dealer of the Year. GATR dealer principal Bob Neitzke (second from left), receives the 2011 U.S. Dealer Of The Year Award from Ron Huibers, president of Volvo Trucks North America. Also pictured are Kelly Sheehan, chair of Volvo's Dealer Advisory Coucil and Terry Billings, Volvo trucks vice president of sales - U.S. JX Truck Center has broken ground on a new 28,000-sq.-ſt . facility in Kronenwetter, Wis. Th e new site is located about six miles south of the commercial truck dealership's current location in Wausau. Th e Pete Store LLC announces the opening of Th e Pe- terbilt Store – Delaware, a full-service truck dealership in Seaford, Del. TRUCK PARTS & SERVICE | September 2012