BFS $100,000 donation for youth
NASHVILLE, Tenn.-Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. has added to its support of youth golf programs with a $100,000 gift to the Tennessee Golf Foundation.
The donation, made through the Bridgestone/Firestone Trust Fund, will help fund Nashville's new First Tee facility, The VinnyLinks at Shelby Park.
BFS said the new facility will include a nine-hole golf course and learning center and serve at-risk youth in East Nashville. The First Tee program is a national initiative of the World Golf Foundation that brings the game of golf to the country's youth regardless of race, gender or economic background. The program uses the game as a foundation to teach not only golf but also life skill lessons such as trust, honesty, sportsmanship and integrity.
BFS announced the donation April 19 in Nashville at a ceremony attended by former President George Bush, national chair of the First Tee program, his wife, Barbara Bush, entertainers Vince Gill and Amy Grant, and officials of the Tennessee Golf Foundation.
The tire maker has been a corporate sponsor since 1993 of the Vince Gill (The Vinny) Pro-Celebrity golf tournament, which raises funds for junior golf in Tennessee.
Smithers to close Texas test center
PECOS, Texas-Akron-based Smithers Scientific Services Inc. is closing its sprawling tire and automotive testing complex in Pecos, citing inadequate business volume the past few years.
The testing, research and consulting firm expects to phase out operations at the complex by May 31 and is putting the 5,800-acre facility up for sale.
The closing will affect 31 salaried and hourly employees, who are being offered equivalent jobs at other Smithers locations.
Employees also will receive severance packages that vary based on seniority with the firm.
Michael Hochschwender, Smithers' president and CEO, said the company had cut costs, made efficiency improvements and had tried to broaden the client base served by the test center in an effort to keep it open.
Smithers acquired the test facility in January 1987 from the Uniroyal-Goodrich Tire Co. It features a nine-mile, high-speed track for speeds up to 200 mph, plus a variety of road courses within the circular track.
ARI unit earns ISO 9002 status
PHOENIX-American Remanufacturers Inc. has received ISO 9002 certification of its Steering Products division
The certification covers the quality assurance system for power steering pumps, rack-and-pinion units and gear boxes for import and domestic passenger cars and light, medium and heavy-duty trucks. This signifies not only a commitment to quality but to total customer satisfaction, ARI said.
Timothy Campbell, president and CEO of ARI, said the company is dedicated to taking ISO 9002 certification to all ARI divisions in the U.S. and Canada.
iCARumba links with [email protected]
SEATTLE-iCARumba, an on-line site serving the automotive industry, announced an agreement with [email protected], a leading broadband Internet service provider, to offer users access to iCARumba's network of more than 17,000 online automotive service provider members.
Users of www.excite.com/autos can connect to www.icarumba.com through a link on the site's page. There, users can get a list of nearby service centers, pricing information, expert advice and schedule service appointments with iCARumba service provider members.
``This program will put 30 million consumers within three Web pages of every iCARumba member shop,'' said Ken Brookings, iCARumba CEO.