Latest news with #NADAShow
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Assurant Foundation Boosts Support for the NADA Foundation's Workforce Initiative with $30,000 Contribution
Sixth consecutive Assurant donation at annual NADA Show helps drive development of a modern, inclusive automotive service workforce ATLANTA, January 28, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Assurant, Inc. (NYSE: AIZ), a leading global business services company that supports, protects, and connects major consumer purchases, including automobiles, today announced the Assurant Foundation's donation of $30,000 to sponsor the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Foundation's Workforce Initiative, which promotes the value of dealership roles and facilitates access to educational resources. Jeff Strickland, executive vice president and president, Assurant Global Automotive, presented the contribution to Annette Sykora, chairwoman of the NADA Foundation Board of Trustees, and Andy Koblenz from the NADA Foundation on the Live Stage at NADA Show 2025, hosted in New Orleans this week. This is Assurant's sixth consecutive donation to the NADA Foundation. The donation will support the NADA Workforce Initiative, promoting careers that provide competitive salaries, great benefits, and excellent opportunities for advancement in dealerships nationwide. "The demand for automotive employees with high-tech skills will continue to grow as new automotive technology, including electric vehicles and greater connectivity, continues to evolve," said Strickland. "We have stood with our dealers for 60 years, helping them find new ways to thrive as the automotive retail landscape evolves. Through this ongoing support, we're pleased to help bring up the next generation of service technicians for those dealerships." The NADA Foundation's Workforce Initiative was founded in 2018 to address the shortage of service technicians through promotion of the job benefits and improved access to resources about programs, scholarships, and opportunities. In recent years, the NADA Foundation has broadened the initiative to enhance recruitment of all dealership roles and within all departments. The centralized resources offer a brand-neutral tool for recruiting talent and sparking an interest in dealership careers. "We are encouraged with the positive outcomes we've achieved through this initiative and thankful to our industry partners like Assurant for their support," said Sykora. "Our dealership teams are the cornerstone of our success as dealers. The tools provided by this program are instrumental in helping us attract, hire, develop, and retain top talent within our dealerships." Since 2019, the Assurant Foundation has donated $165,000 to the NADA Foundation. For more details, visit # # # About NADA The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), founded in 1917, represents more than 16,000 light-vehicle and commercial-truck dealerships with 32,500 domestic and international franchises. New-vehicle franchised dealers are directly responsible for more than one million U.S. jobs. About Assurant Global Automotive Assurant Global Automotive is a leading global solutions provider in the automobile and commercial equipment industries. Automotive industry partners span manufacturers, large group and independent dealers, agents, third-party administrators, financial institutions, insurance providers, and vehicle technology companies. With over 60 years of automotive industry experience, Assurant protects 55 million motor vehicles, including heavy trucks and heavy equipment. In 19 countries Assurant provides innovative automotive solutions like vehicle service contracts, guaranteed asset protection, and ancillary products, while providing dealer performance management and training, participation options, and more. Assurant Global Automotive is also a market leader in protection products for the commercial equipment industry, with more than 35 years of equipment protection expertise. Assurant provides a full suite of protection products and services for equipment dealers and financial institutions supporting commercial equipment. These include extended service protection plans, physical damage protection, guaranteed asset protection, automatic insurance, portfolio protection, insurance tracking services and more. About Assurant Assurant, Inc. (NYSE: AIZ) is a leading global business services company that supports, protects, and connects major consumer purchases. A Fortune 500 company with a presence in 21 countries, Assurant supports the advancement of the connected world by partnering with the world's leading brands to develop innovative solutions and to deliver an enhanced customer experience through mobile device solutions, extended service contracts, vehicle protection services, renters insurance, lender-placed insurance products, and other specialty products. Learn more at ### View source version on Contacts Media: David Sign in to access your portfolio
Associated Press
27-01-2025
- Automotive
- Associated Press
Cox Automotive Presents Diane Maher with 2025 Barbara Cox Woman of the Year Award
Diane Maher, president and chief strategy officer of DP Fox Ventures LLC and president and chief operating officer at Fox Motor Group, has been honored as the 2025 Barbara Cox Woman of the Year. Maher is recognized for her leadership in the automotive industry, community advocacy and notable philanthropic efforts. The Barbara Cox Woman of the Year Award includes a $10,000 donation to a charity of the winner's choice and a $10,000 Barbara Cox Memorial Scholarship for a Northwood University student. ATLANTA, Jan. 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cox Automotive announces Diane Maher, president and chief strategy officer of DP Fox Ventures LLC and president and chief operating officer at Fox Motor Group, as the 2025 Barbara Cox Woman of the Year. 2025 marks the 20th presentation of the award, named in honor of the late Barbara Cox, a trailblazer in the business world and a director of Cox Enterprises, the parent company of Cox Automotive. The annual award recognizes women who have made outstanding contributions to the automotive industry, championed community advocacy and demonstrated leadership. 'Recognizing and celebrating remarkable women leaders in the automotive industry is deeply rooted in our values at Cox Automotive,' said Steve Rowley, president of Cox Automotive. 'Barbara Cox, the namesake of this award, was a true pioneer – an entrepreneur, philanthropist and advocate for women in business. Diane Maher embodies that same spirit. Her success in leading DP Fox Ventures and Fox Motors, her unwavering commitment to improving her community, and her example of hard work and humility inspire us all, especially women aspiring to leadership in this industry.' The honor was presented during the Northwood Dealer Education Awards on Jan. 25, 2025, at the NADA Show. Along with the prestigious recognition, Maher will designate a $10,000 donation to the charity of her choice. Furthermore, Cox Automotive will award a $10,000 scholarship to Brooke Englehardt, a junior at Northwood University, home to the nation's leading Automotive Marketing and Management program. 'Barbara Cox was not just ahead of her time – she was a trailblazer whose passion for cars, business, family, and community continues to inspire countless others, including me,' said Maher. 'Like Barbara, I have always believed in making an impact through my passions. These donations continue Barbara's legacy by providing financial support and encouragement to Brooke at Northwood and supporting a charity that is important to my community – One Starfish Foundation. These enduring gifts reflect her ideals and remind us all of the power of a life well lived. Cheers to Barbara Cox, her family, and the lasting impact they continue to make in our industry!' A Visionary Leader with a Legacy of Excellence Maher oversees operations at 43 locations and 51 brands at Fox Motors, a division of DP Fox Ventures LLC, a diversified management company with interests in transportation, sports and entertainment, fashion and retail, resort management and real estate. With a workforce of 2,175 under her leadership, Maher has played a key role in shaping her organization's growth. Joining DP Fox as vice president of Finance in 1993, she oversaw the acquisition of all Fox Motors dealerships since 2000. Before her role at DP Fox, Maher built a strong financial foundation at Deloitte & Touche LLP as an audit manager and consultant. Her expertise extends beyond professional accomplishments. Maher founded the One StarFish Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to dismantling stigma and providing resources for individuals impacted by mental illness, homelessness and incarceration. She also lends her leadership to boards such as Our Daily Bread Ministries and the West Michigan Policy Forum. Maher, a certified public accountant since 1987 and a Ferris State University graduate, has impacted both the automotive sector and her local community in Grand Rapids, Michigan. DP Fox Ventures and Fox Motors DP Fox Ventures LLC, home to Fox Motors, represents an extensive portfolio across multiple industries. Fox Motors stands out as a retail automotive leader recognized for innovation and growth. With over three decades of leadership at Fox Motors, Maher's strategic insights have driven lasting success for both the organization and its employees. Northwood University Student Receives $10,000 2024-2025 Barbara Cox Memorial Scholarship In addition to presenting the award to Maher, Cox Automotive will also award the 2024-2025 Barbara Cox Memorial Scholarship of $10,000 to Brooke Engelhardt, a marketing major from Saline, Michigan, on behalf of the honoree. Engelhardt is currently in her junior year and served as the chief marketing officer for the 2024 Northwood University International Auto Show. Furthermore, she is recognized as one of Northwood's Fresh Air ambassadors, a role that highlights her embodiment of the university's values, which include freedom, respect, empathy, spirituality, honesty, achievement, integrity and responsibility. About Cox Automotive Cox Automotive is the world's largest automotive services and technology provider. Fueled by the largest breadth of first-party data fed by 2.3 billion online interactions a year, Cox Automotive tailors leading solutions for car shoppers, auto manufacturers, dealers, lenders and fleets. The company has 29,000+ employees on five continents and a portfolio of industry-leading brands that include Autotrader®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, vAuto®, Dealertrack®, NextGear Capital™, CentralDispatch® and FleetNet America®. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with $22 billion in annual revenue. Visit or connect via @CoxAutomotive on X, CoxAutoInc on Facebook or Cox-Automotive-Inc on LinkedIn.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Alfa Romeo Hopes Scrapping All-Electric Plans Will Make Americans Care Again
Good morning! It's Monday, January 27, 2025, and this is The Morning Shift, your daily roundup of the top automotive headlines from around the world, in one place. Here are the important stories you need to know. It's a tumultuous time for America's automakers, as after years spent plowing millions of dollars into an electric vehicle-only approach to car sales, they're now questioning everything thanks to tough sales and a president who practically hates the things. This is leading automakers to backtrack on targets, and now Alfa Romeo has completely scrapped its ambition to go all-electric. The Stellantis-owned brand says it will no longer work to be an EV-only brand by 2027, which means it could launch new gas-powered cars in America, reports Automotive News. The comments were made by new Alfa boss Chris Feuell, who is desperately trying to turn around years of declining sales for the historic Italian marque: Feuell, who assumed responsibility for Alfa Romeo in December, said the brand changed course in the last month. Feuell said the conventional gasoline version of the Tonale is now starting to reach dealerships, and the company will try to hook buyers with a lease offer of $399 per month or less. Feuell asked dealers during the brand's Jan. 26 meeting at the NADA Show whether Alfa Romeo should bring the Junior compact crossover to the U.S. market. The vehicle has electric and mild hybrid variants. 'The biggest thing in our product and technology road map is transitioning from what was a BEV-only strategy for Alfa to one that is multi-energy,' Feuell told Automotive News after the meeting. 'We've got 110 dealers ... in our U.S. network, and it would be very challenging for them to survive with a BEV-only portfolio.' Those dealers are already struggling to survive, as Alfa's sales are dropping like flies these days. The brand sold just 8,895 cars in 2024, which was down nearly 20 percent compared with 2023. In 2022, it sold more than 12,000 cars and in 2021 it shifted more than 18,000 units here in America. Clearly, something dramatic needs to happen at Alfa Romeo if it hopes to survive in America. As such, Feuell says she aims to raise quality at the brand, offload the 2024 stock that currently accounts for around half of its inventory right now, and strengthen the dealer network. The next step will be convincing Americans that they should care about Alfa Romeo once again, and I'm not sure a few hybrid SUVs will be quite enough to do that. Just when you thought every car with a faulty airbag had already been recalled thanks to enormous campaigns to fix issues with Takata and ARC inflators, Kia has issued an enormous recall due to issues with its airbags. The Korean automaker will recall more than 80,000 cars due to improper deployment of the airbags, reports CNN. The issue isn't to do with the airbag itself, and rather the wiring that is meant to set it off, as CNN explains: Automaker Kia America is recalling more than 80,000 vehicles due to floor wiring beneath the front passenger seat that can become damaged and prevent airbags and seat belts from deploying properly. Damaged wiring can also cause an unintended side curtain air bag deployment, according to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The recall covers 80,255 2023-2025 Niro EV, Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV), and Hybrid vehicles. In order to fix the problem, Kia dealers will inspect the wiring in impacted Niro models. If issues are uncovered, they will then replace and reroute the wiring, free of charge. Owners of models affected by the recall will be notified in March. If you are worried that your car might be affected by a recall, there are a few easy ways to check if it's the case. First up, the NHTSA has a super handy app that you can use to see if your vehicle is impacted by a recall, or you can head to the regulator's website and plug your VIN into its recall search tool. Jaguar is in the midst of an enormous re-brand that will see it relaunch itself as a desirable, relevant car brand once again. We've already seen the new logo and concept car that's meant to embody this new direction, and now the automaker has revealed that it's plowing millions of dollars into personalization to attract luxury buyers. The British automaker will invest $80 million across Jaguar and Land Rover to try and tap into the demand for luxury trimmings that high-end buyers want, reports Reuters. The move follows similar efforts from the likes of Aston Martin and Bentley in recent years, which have helped boost income for the two brands: JLR will more than double the capacity of its SV Bespoke Paint matching service, allowing Range Rover SV clients to paint their cars in any colour, including those matching their private jets or yachts. The company will open new paint facilities in Castle Bromwich, West Midlands and Nitra, Slovakia. If it works out, then Jaguar could be a winner as Bentley boasted just last year that profits at the automaker had surpassed $600,000 as a result of its personalization services. What's more, Rolls-Royce announced earlier this year that it was adding $300 million to its own bespoke services, which it said would enable buyers to add more colors, more fabrics and more gold to their cars. For years, we've been told that autonomy is coming. When it does, it's going to revolutionize the world by making tasks easier, people more productive and it could also mean that you won't have to talk to others as much. This has led automakers to invest millions into autonomous cars and private startups have set out to create autonomous taxi services across America. Now, the boss of Uber has stepped in to calm concerns that autonomous cars are going to steal taxi drivers' jobs. Uber chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi said there's currently space for both human- and self-driven cars, and said this will be true for at least the next five years, reports Business Insider: 'So, for example, in San Francisco, our business continues to grow and Waymo is growing — just the overall envelope of the business is growing faster,' he said, referencing the self-driving car division of Google's parent company, Alphabet. Uber partnered with Waymo in 2023 and provides access to self-driving rides in some cities through its app. Though Uber plans to increase the number of AVs in its ride-hailing fleet, Khosrowshahi said that the integration will proceed slowly, at least for the coming decade. 'I think we will operate in a hybrid network,' the Uber CEO said. 'A combination, you know. By far predominantly human drivers, and then some AVs feathering in over the next 10 years.' While companies like Uber and Tesla have been promising autonomy for years, Khosrowshahi says the next ten years really will be crunch time for self-driving taxis as they 'work their way' into the system. He doesn't have much to say about what will happen to taxi drivers once autonomous cabs are truly integrated, maybe he knows the answer will anger taxi drivers across America. Or, perhaps he suspects that after another ten years of autonomous driving research, we'll be in the same position we are now. 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