Industry Newsline

MOTIONS AND PROMOTIONS

Dr. Frances E. Lockwood has been promoted to senior vice president, technology, for The Valvoline Company. according to James J. O'Brien, the company president.

A native of New Jersey, Lockwood received a BS in chemistry from Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute (RPI), and an MS in chemical engineering from the Pennsylvania State University, where she also served as adjunct professor of chemical engineering. She was only the second woman ever to earn a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Penn State.

The driving force behind the company's new Valvoline Product Development Lab in Lexington, KY, Lockwood also led the technical success of such profitable new products and product lines as SynPower oils and chemicals, MaxLife motor oil (developed for cars with more than 75,000 miles on the odometer), and the newest product, Spirit 3D Foam for use on cars and other non-porous surfaces.

AUTO WAX SUES MOTHERS

Auto Wax Company Inc. has filed a patent infringement lawsuit in federal court in Dallas, TX against Mothers Polishes Waxes Cleaners Inc. The suit seeks to stop Mothers from infringing Auto Wax's U.S. Patent No. 5,727,993, and/or from inducing others to infringe this patent, which protects Auto Wax's clay product. The clay at issue is sold by Mothers as the "California Gold Clay Bar Paint Saving System."

Mothers, according to Auto Wax, resells, and/or has resold, clay supplied by Mark V Products Inc. and Kucala Enterprises. The Mark V clay was the subject of a previous lawsuit in Dallas. In that suit, a federal judge and jury found that Mark V had infringed Auto Wax's patent rights, and ordered Mark V to pay Auto Wax over $3.6 million, including triple damages, attorneys' fees, and prejudgment interest.

PDQ TOPS IN ISO 9001 AUDIT

PDQ Manufacturing Inc. completed a recent ISO 9001 audit with zero non-conformances. The main focus of the audit was on management and systems. Specifically, the audit reviewed PDQ's document control system, quality system, internal audits, design control, corrective actions, and management review systems. In 1998, PDQ Manufacturing Inc. passed the ISO 9001 registration during its first audit.

CARWACS 2002

CARWACS (short for Canadian Automobile, Refueling, Washing and C-Store Show) 2002 is Canada's premier petroleum convenience center event and takes place June 5-6, 2002 at the Toronto Congress Centre in Toronto, Ontario. Produced and managed by Octane Magazine, CARWACS is sponsored by the Canadian Carwash Association.

Interested parties located in Eastern and Central US can call (905) 891-0365 for further information. If you are located in the Western US, call (800) 561-1294.

PDQ WINS AWARD

Charlie Lieb, president of PDQ Manufacturing Inc., accepted the "Manufacturers Award of Distinction 2001" for a medium-size company (100-299 employees) presented by the Green Bay Chamber of Commerce late last year in Green Bay, WI. Anindependent panel of judges selected winners based on excellence in manufacturing as well as the following criteria:

• Customer Focus
• Operational Excellence/Continuous Improvement
• Commitment to Employees
• Profitable Growth
• Effective Research & Development
• Investment in Training and Retraining.

GREASE MONKEY AWARDS

Grease Monkey International Inc. announced top franchisee award winners for outstanding performance at its recent Annual Conference held in San Diego, CA.

The Pursuit of Excellence Award was presented to three winners: Bill Byrd and Lance Petersen of Port Charlotte, FL; Navfam, Inc. of Riverside, CA; and Francisco Muzquiz of Monclova, Mexico.

The President's Award went to operators in recognition of excellence in marketing, operations, and an overall commitment to the Grease Monkey system. This award was presented to: James Harbeson of Havertown, PA; Gary Kelley, Marvin Rowan and Wayne Taylor of Fairmont, WV; and Polo Elizondo and Jose Luis Elizondo of Saltillo and Torreon, Mexico.

Top sales awards went to Black Gold, LLC, owned by Steve Cloward and Mike Leone for their center in Parker, CO, and to Bill Navigato and Navfam, Inc.'s center in Riverside, CA.

The Vendor of the Year Award was presented to Service Champ in recognition of the quality products and outstanding customer service it has provided to the Grease Monkey system since 1985.

PROGRAM ASSESSES SKILLS

Castrol North America has developed a new skills assessment and training program for fast lube technicians. The computer-based Lube Tech Certification program will ensure that technicians have the knowledge critical to succeed in today's automotive environment. The program's unique interactive multimedia format makes difficult and sometimes-technical issues easy to understand, learn, and implement.

The program, on CD-ROM, covers lubricants, customer service, transmission fluids, technical service, filters, environmental issues, and shop safety. It includes tutorial programs, a printable study guide, a pre-test, and the certification test.

BEND-PAK/RANGER EXPANDS

Bend-Pak/Ranger has begun construction on a new $4.5 million expansion that will
almost double the size of its current warehouse and administrative capacity. Four years of planning preceded the construction phase.

Construction began January 1, 2002 along Lemonwood Drive, adjacent to the company's existing facility in Santa Paula, CA, on a separate 4-acre parcel purchased in the early stages of the new development. The new expansion, consisting mainly of warehouse space for its expanding Ranger Products line, will also include additional offices and a training facility. The new building is scheduled to be complete by the spring of 2002.

Bend-Pak/Ranger moved to Santa Paula in 1995 from Moorpark, CA to accommodate growth the company had seen for more than a decade.

CUSTOMER SERVICE SUPERSTAR

Johnny B's Pro Lube of Carbondale, IL has been named the winner of Performance Resources Inc.'s National Award for Excellence in Customer Service for the fourth quarter of 2001.

Johnny B's owners, John and Sharon Heern, are no strangers to awards as they have previously received beautification honors for two of their locations. They are also extremely proud of the "Customer Care" rules in place at each of their four locations, which focus on courtesy and professionalism.

As recipient of this prestigious award, Johnny B's Pro Lube will receive an engraved plaque noting its achievement. Performance Resources will also make a donation to the Automotive Oil Change Association's Scholarship Fund in Johnny B's name.

D&S ACQUIRES PURETAP

D&S Manufacturing of High Ridge, MO has acquired Puretap Inc., a manufacturer of water vending machines based in Festus, MO. With this acquisition, D&S is further expanding its line of vending products for self-service car washes to include the Puretap water vendor.

The Puretap vending machines will now be marketed as the PureVend(tm) Water Vendor by D&S. The PureVend Water Vendor by D&S allows car wash operators the opportunity to sell their spot free rinse water as premium quality drinking water. The PureVend systems supply clean, refreshing and delicious water to the consumer for a fraction of the cost of delivered bottled water. Bottled water sales are increasing at double-digit growth rates throughout the U.S.

WMDA's C-STORE EXPO

The WMDA Service Station and Automotive Repair Association has hosted an Expo dedicated to owners and managers of convenience stores, for the past 10 years. The Expo continues to grow and each year is more successful than the year before. This year, WMDA's C-Store Expo will be held at the La Fontaine Bleu in Glen Burnie, MD on Tuesday, April 30, 2002.

The C-Store Expo is geared specifically towards owners and managers of service stations that have convenience stores, co-branded stations, and car washes. For more information, call (301) 577-2875, ext. 104.

MOPAR PICKS MEGUIAR'S

Meguiar's Inc. has finalized an arrangement with DaimlerChrysler's Mopar Division to distribute its Professional line of Mirror Glaze cleaners, polishes and waxes through all Mopar corporate distribution centers. An official announcement was expected to be made at the National Automobile Dealers' Association (NADA) Convention on January 26, 2002.

Under the new arrangements, Chrysler/Mopar will offer its dealers a complete assortment of Meguiar's Professional Mirror Glaze products that are used in the prep, reconditioning, and detail areas, as well as in the body shop. Meguiar's will provide DaimlerChrysler dealer support through easy-to-comprehend collateral materials, hands-on field training, a "live" call center, as well as through the Internet.

"Today's paint finishes are superb, both visually and technically, and easier than ever to maintain with the right formulations, tools and technicians," says Barry Meguiar, president and CEO of Meguiar's Inc. "Our emphasis on information and training has become as important as the products we provide, and it is so rewarding to teach technicians how to eliminate things like swirl marks, which have become the number one paint-related complaint among car owners."