January 5, 2012

MEMA Industry News 01-05-12

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Obama Makes Recess Appointments to NLRB

President Barack Obama on Jan. 4 said he will use a recess appointment to put two Democrats and one Republican on the National Labor Relations Board.

The move sidesteps Senate approvals to prevent the board from all but ceasing to function this year. It came hours after the president said he would use the same process to install Richard Cordray as head of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

2012 Legislative Summit “Early Bird” Registration Rates Extended to Jan. 6

Members of AASA, HDMA, MERA and OESA should not miss the chance to come to Washington and let lawmakers know what is important to their companies and what is needed to keep manufacturers competitive in the global economy. Click here to register.

The 2012 Legislative Summit offers members the opportunity to state their views on regulatory overreach (particularly within the NLRB), taxes, technology development, energy policy and other issues vital to the supplier industry. Now is the time to frame these issues for lawmakers in this Congress and to help shape the legislative agenda that will be before the new Congress in 2013.

Daimler Shows First Made-in-India Truck, with Entire Series to Follow

The first product of Daimler AG's commercial-truck venture in the Indian subcontinent, a new BharatBenz brand heavy-duty vehicle, has been unveiled by Daimler India Commercial Vehicles. It heads a new series of heavy, medium- and light-duty trucks for the expanding Indian market.

The cab-over-engine trucks are based on existing Daimler and Fuso vehicles, said Andreas Renschler, the Daimler Board of Management member responsible for commercial trucks and buses. The entire range will be shown on March 2.

Good Year for Autos, but a Test Waits in ’12

DETROIT -- American automakers last year posted their best sales since the financial crisis, earning healthy profits from better products amid a steady increase in demand for new cars.

But the road ahead for General Motors, Ford and Chrysler will be crowded with tougher competition from foreign automakers, as the relatively healthy American car market becomes an even bigger draw.

Betts Spring Promotes Next Generation Leadership

FRESNO, Calif. -- Betts Springs has promoted William Michael "Bill" Betts to vice president. In this newly created role, Betts will lead sales and marketing for Betts branded Spray Suppression business that includes Betts mud flap hangers, Life-Time Fenders quarter, single axle and tandem fenders and Spraydown aerodynamic mud flaps. Additional focus for Betts will be leading the company's efforts on strategic and operational planning.

Betts joined Betts Spring in June 2007 and most recently held the position of procurement and logistics manager responsible for global material sourcing and supply chain partnership development. Prior to Betts Springs, he worked as a business risk/supply chain consultant for Protiviti, focusing on assessment and development of best-in-class business processes. Betts holds a BS degree in Accounting and a Certificate of Entrepreneurial Excellence from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He will complete his MBA with distinction from Craig School of Business, California State University - Fresno in early 2012.

Visteon to Participate in Deutsche Bank Securities' 2012 Global Auto Industry Conference on Jan. 11

VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- Visteon Corp. will participate in Deutsche Bank Securities' 2012 Global Auto Industry Conference in Detroit on Wednesday, Jan. 11. Visteon's presentation will begin at approximately 2:45 p.m. ET.

Donald J. Stebbins, chairman, chief executive officer and president, and Martin E. Welch, executive vice president and chief financial officer, will provide an overview of the company's strategy, financial profile and related matters. A live audio webcast, along with the presentation material and other supplemental information, will be accessible through Visteon's website at www.visteon.com/presentations. A replay will be available following the event.

SEC Delays Issuance of Conflict Minerals Regulations

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has delayed its issuance of final regulations to implement the conflict minerals provision of the Dodd-Frank Financial Reform Act which was signed into law in 2010. The rulemaking is now listed as an “Upcoming Activity” in the January-June 2012 time frame on its Web site.

The delay is good news for AASA, HDMA, MERA and OESA member companies. Member companies operating on a calendar year should have an additional year to report on their use of conflict minerals than they would have had the SEC issued the regulation in December. For supplier companies who are not publicly held, this will give additional time to develop practices to determine origin of specific minerals in order to provide the information to customer companies.

Auto Centers Closing as Part of Sears Reduction

At least 30 Sears Auto Centers will be among those locations closed as part of Sears Holding Corp.'s plan to close as many as 120 of its retail stores.

The retailer announced before the holidays that it would close from 120 to 140 Sears and Kmart stores in an effort to reduce costs. Sears Holding has already announced 79 specific stores that will be closed, and among that group are 27 locations with Sears Auto Centers.

Kia, Chrysler, VW Set Pace as Dec. Sales Advance 9%

DETROIT -- Kia, Chrysler and Volkswagen posted some of the strongest sales gains for December as the industry closed out 2011 on a high note.

Automotive News estimates December volume was up 9 percent to 1.24 million from a year earlier -- in line with analysts' forecasts. Total industry sales were projected at 12.78 million for the year, up from 2010's total of 11.6 million and the 27-year low of 10.4 million in 2009.

Wanted in Thailand: About Half a Million More Laborers

Labor needed in the auto parts industry is set to double in the next nine years as Thailand becomes one of the world's top five vehicle exporters.

The Thai Auto-Parts Manufacturers Association (Tapma) said the country ranks 13th globally in automotive production, with 957,846 units estimated for all of 2011.

Bosch Plans to Invest in India

German auto parts maker Bosch Automotive Group plans an investment in the next three years to expand production capacity and research and development facilities.

The company will build new plants in Chennai and Ahmedabad, besides expanding existing facilities at Nashik and Jaipur, Bernd Bohr, chairman, Bosch Automotive Group, said on Wednesday.

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