EXPANSIONS

BKT to open Midwest warehouse distribution center

WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla.—BKT USA is looking to open a third U.S. warehouse, somewhere in the Midwest, to service its growing customer base.

AUTOMOTIVE

Eaton names new senior vice president of manufacturing for industrial sector

BEACHWOOD, Ohio—Power management company Eaton has named Mike Gallant senior vice president of manufacturing for the industrial sector.

AUTOMOTIVE

Editorial: Industry still split on Trump policies halfway into term

The bloom isn't quite off the rose yet, as far as the industry's view of the Trump administration is concerned. The tax cuts were welcome, and the regulatory rollback—though not entirely beneficial—offered help to those mired in compliance...

FINANCIALS

Goodyear's Rich Kramer urges industry to adapt, avoid complacency

GRAPEVINE, Texas—The evidence of permanent shifts that have occurred in the past few years in how we think or act—what Goodyear CEO Rich Kramer calls an "inflection point"—is about as apparent as a flat tire.

AUTOMOTIVE

Subaru places first in Consumer Reports' 2019 car rankings

WASHINGTON—Subaru took first place in Consumer Reports' annual ranking of car brands, edging out Genesis, the magazine's 2018 top choice.

FINANCIALS

Carbon black suppliers working to overcome obstacles

WASHINGTON—The problems the carbon black industry has faced in the last few years—short supply, logistics problems, difficulties in increasing capacity, competition from silica, and the costs of environmental compliance—are coming to a head in...

EXECUTIVE ACTION

Beaver Manufacturing promotes Mark Eagle

MANSFIELD, Ga.—Beaver Manufacturing has promoted Mark Eagle to the post of global sales manager.

AUTOMOTIVE

PTDA report shows slowing growth for 2019

CHICAGO—The fourth quarter 2018 Sales History & Outlook Report released by the Power Transmission Distributors Association shows an increase in the average PTDA distributor's index for the last period of 2018.

ASSOCIATIONS

MEMA promotes William Long to lead supplier group

WASHINGTON—The Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association on Feb. 18 named William Long as its new president. He replaces Steve Handschuh, who retired in December.

EXECUTIVE ACTION

VMI expands factory in Poland, opens service center in Thailand

AMSTERDAM—VMI Group has brought online an expansion of its factory in Lezano, Poland, and officially opened a new service center in Thailand.

INTERNATIONAL

BASF applies thermoplastic polyurethanes to shoe shanks

LUDWIGSHAFEN, Germany—BASF has developed new thermoplastic polyurethane material grades that it claims are optimal for use in the manufacturing of shoe shanks.