Recent Stories
Dealerships expand service hours to meet growing workload without adding bays

As demands for service increases, limited shop capacity is a growing problem for many new-vehicle dealerships.
This store's technicians like 4-day workweek

Nearly every dealership in his market has extended its service hours, says Joe Miller, service manager of Webster Groves Subaru in suburban St. Louis. But he warns that service departments need to make sure their technicians don't get burned out.
The billion-dollar part

Automakers and suppliers are investing billions to increase battery-making capacity in the U.S., and states want a piece of the pie.
Kentucky just upped its incentives ante

Kentucky is amping up its ability to approve industrial development incentives to compete with neighbors for future auto investment.
Lear stays put to supply Ford plant in Chicago

Lear has made Ford seats in Hammond, Ind., for a quarter of a century. Other nearby locations tried to lure the supplier's newest plant investment, but Lear stayed put.
Advisers' pay world gets a little bit flatter

Dealership service departments that have switched to flat-rate pay plans for their advisers say the system creates a more cohesive shop environment.
Dealership provides training for service technicians in Texas program

Charles Maund Toyota in Austin, Texas, is training formerly homeless people to work as service technicians.
Tire makers are rolling in

Over the past three years, foreign producers have added millions of units of new U.S. tire manufacturing capacity.
Steel suppliers plan big projects

Steelmakers are lining up billions in U.S. plant investments, and not all of it will go to traditional steel production centers.
Virginia dealership group trains nonviolent inmates to become its service techs

Virginia dealership group fights service technician shortage by training and hiring nonviolent jail inmates
GHSP saw future, put stamping in past

GHSP, a 90-year-old Michigan stamping supplier, is transforming its business from traditional metal parts to advanced technologies.
Digital tools help service departments become more efficient, transparent and profitable
Digital technology is changing the game in fixed operations. An array of software tools aids service departments in elevating practices from vehicle walkarounds to parts orders.
U.S. lights come on for China's Rebo
In the North American vehicle lighting market, one player's desire to cash out was the ticket for another player to join in. Enter Rebo Lighting and Electronics -- a Chinese company virtually unknown in the United States, but with considerable recognition in its home market.
Why Denso is spending big in east Tenn.
Denso is spending $1 billion on a 30-year-old plant in east Tennessee. Here's why.
Shop night -- boon or bane?
Some dealerships allow service techs to work on their own cars and trucks when the shop is closed to customers. Are they boosting employee morale or risking major liability without financial gain?