ACDelco marking a century in aftermarket

GRAND BLANC, Mich. (May 25, 2016) — On May 11 a hundred years ago, General Motors Corp. founder William C. “Billy” Durant assembled a “dream team” of premium automotive brands into a new company he called United Motors Corp., which later became ACDelco.

His goal was to provide a single source for service and replacement parts to the growing number of car buyers in the nation.

Today, as the ACDelco brand celebrates its 100th birthday, the company is reflecting on its heritage while planning its future in a transforming automotive industry.

The company — with a storied brand history that included tagging along for flights over the Atlantic with Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart; on the racetrack with Dale Earnhardt; and into outer space on Apollo moon missions — said it is “leveraging its GM roots to understand the advanced powertrains, telematics and technologies that will reshape the future for everyday motorists.”

Robert Sanford, general director for ACDelco, said “no business achieves this kind of a milestone by itself, and we're grateful for the support of our parts customers and employees who've helped make ACDelco what it is today. We're honored that so many insist on using ACDelco parts, and we're looking forward to another 100 years of aftermarket leadership.”

Born in Flint, Mich., ACDelco, GM's Original Equipment automotive aftermarket parts brand — and OE brand for GM's Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac nameplates — has evolved to hold a global presence in the aftermarket. It claims a catalog of more than 90,000 parts across 37 lines.

In addition to offering premium parts, ACDelco said it was among the first aftermarket providers to focus on “the importance of training technicians on proper installation techniques.” An earlier iteration of ACDelco, United Motors Service, offered its first course in automotive air conditioning repair in the 1970s at each of its 30 GM Training Centers across the U.S.

The company is marking its centennial this year in several ways:

• Top Shops: Through July 30, ACDelco is accepting nominations for its Top Shops contest, which will reward members of ACDelco's Professional Service Center (PSC) program that practice the best service, customer care and community engagement.

Five grand prize winners and their guests will win a trip to Las Vegas and receive special recognition by ACDelco at the Automotive Aftermarket Product Expo (AAPEX) show, Oct. 31 through Nov. 3. For more information and nomination requirements click here.

• “100 Years, 100 Futures”: As part of ACDelco's efforts to invest in the next generation of automotive technicians, the company said it is teaming up with the General Motors Automotive Service Educational Program (ASEP) to distribute 100 scholarships to students pursuing careers as automotive technicians.

The scholarships will help defray the costs of college for students enrolled in the ASEP program, which combines classroom and real-world, paid internships at sponsoring GM dealerships and independent ACDelco PSC program shops.

Beginning this month, the company plans to announce five scholarship recipients weekly through ASEP and ACDelco social media channels, emails and newsletters.

• ACDelco Day of Service: ACDelco said it is using its anniversary to help give back to the local communities it serves. During the week of May 11, in 17 cities across the U.S., the company partnered with the GM Foundation, local chapters of Safe Kids Worldwide and its PSC program shops to help families in need repair their vehicles.

To learn more about ACDelco's history and plans for the next 100 years, visit ACDelco.com/100years.