From coast to coast, consumers are getting the message: For a safer, more reliable ride, replace your vehicle’s shocks and struts every 50,000 miles.

Sponsored by Monroe shocks and struts, a brand of Tenneco Inc., the billboard campaign encourages consumers to follow a regular vehicle maintenance schedule, a key element to catching and preventing potential problems with a vehicle’s shocks and struts.

The billboards, based on Monroe’s “Safety Triangle” consumer education concept, currently appear in more than 150 locations and are expected to generate more than 790,000 brand impressions.

In other brand news, the Monroe “Witch Shock” promotion — offering consumers up to $60 in future automotive services when they protect their driving safety by replacing worn shocks and struts — will work its spell throughout the U.S. and Canada through Oct. 31, 2006. The fall program enables consumers to receive dollars off future automotive services when they purchase qualifying Monroe shocks and/or struts or Rancho performance shocks through a participating business location.

For more information on Monroe products, contact your nearest Monroe supplier or visit www.monroe.com.

LARGE TURNOUT EXPECTED FOR ADN’s 1ST INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION
The 1st International Convention of the Automotive Distribution Network is on pace to sell out, with more than 1,500 attendees expected for the Feb. 11-14, 2007 gathering at the Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

Fusion ’07 will enable Parts Plus warehouses, auto stores and Car Care Centers to assemble for the first time with IAPA WDs, jobbers and ASP shops to help chart the future direction of the Network, according to Mike Lambert, president of the Network. Representatives from the Network’s international associate members based in Canada, Mexico and Australia will also be in attendance. For more information, contact Bob Barstow at (901) 682-9090.

WORLDPAC ANNOUNCES NEW MARKETING SERVICE FOR ITS CUSTOMERS
WORLDPAC and CPC Associates, a pioneer in new resident marketing, have joined forces to offer all WORLDPAC customers the opportunity to increase their business by providing a professional, turn-key, direct-mail program targeting families that have recently moved. Following last month’s launch, almost 200 WORLDPAC customers enrolled in the program. For more details, contact Jim Phillips at (510) 608-5573.

SKF LAUNCHES TECHNICAL E-NEWSLETTER THROUGH POLE POSITION PROGRAM
SKF now offers a technical e-newsletter as an element of its Pole Position program. The Pole Position e-newsletter provides automotive technicians with the industry’s latest technical tips, failure analysis data and product information.

“The Pole Position technical e-newsletter provides our customers with another channel to access the latest industry information so they can maintain the most profitable repair business possible,” says Per Jacobsson, director of marketing, SKF Automotive Division. To sign up for the Pole Position technical

e-newsletter, visit www.vsm.skf.com and click on the Pole Position icon.

Energize Fall Brake Sales, Earn Chances for Free iPod Through Wagner ThermoQuiet ‘iPad’ Promotion
Federal-Mogul Corporation announces an innovative Wagner ThermoQuiet brake pad promotion designed to drive consumer traffic to service providers and parts stores.

The Wagner ThermoQuiet “iPad” promotion, running now through Nov. 17, offers a free $25 iTunes music card for the purchase of each set of premium ThermoQuiet one-piece brake pads. For each redeemed consumer entry, the shop owner, technician or counterperson will earn entry into a sweepstakes for one of hundreds of 30GB iPods. (The promotion is not affiliated with Apple Computer, Inc.)

For more information, contact your Wagner Brake Products supplier, visit www.tqipad.com or call program headquarters at 1-800-680-4971.

CAR CARE GUIDE NOW AVAILABLE TO THE AFTERMARKET
A new, first-of-its-kind Car Care Guide, published by the Car Care Council, turns technical automotive jargon into easy-to-understand everyday language for motorists, taking the mystery out of vehicle maintenance and repair. The guide is now available to the independent aftermarket and can be ordered on the council’s website at www.carcare.org.

The 56-page guide fits easily in a glove box and explains the nine most common preventive maintenance procedures and repairs that need to be performed to keep cars operating safely and reliably, while maintaining their long-term value. It also includes a list of questions to ask when these maintenance or repair procedures are being performed on a car.

AAIA TOWN HALL SHIFTS GEARS
For the first time ever, the AAIA Town Hall will reach outside the aftermarket industry to showcase major corporate executives of Fortune 500 companies to share relevant successful strategies that are transferable to the aftermarket. The Town Hall, sponsored by NASCAR Performance, will be held Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 7 a.m. in the new Palazzo Ballroom in the Venetian Hotel.

“As we listened to suggestions from our members and association volunteers about Town Hall, we kept hearing a call for a fresh approach, from non-aftermarket thought leaders to gain broader insight and solutions to challenges we can consider adopting,” said Kathleen Schmatz, AAIA president and CEO. “One issue rose to the top of the list — people — the human asset, an issue shared by all industries and clearly throughout the aftermarket channel.”

To purchase tickets, visit www.aftermarket.org and click on “AAPEX.”

ENGLISH/SPANISH GLOSSARY MOST POPULAR ASE WEBSITE DOWNLOAD
The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) announced that the ASE English/Spanish Glossary of technical automotive terms has become the most popular download from the ASE website since its release in January. To date, more than 28,000 copies have been requested. The translations contained in this glossary represent most, if not all, of the terms a technician may encounter on the associated bilingual certification exams.

The glossary was developed to assist ASE with the production of bilingual English/Spanish test forms. Of equal importance is its availability as a valuable resource to Spanish-speaking test candidates as they prepare to take the ASE exams.

To download a copy of the glossary, visit the ASE website at www.ase.com and look in the Download section under the “ASE Resource Center.”

WIX FILTERS DONATES MORE THAN $50,000 TO FFA THROUGH BOX-TOP PROGRAM
As part of the brand’s long-standing support of the Future Farmers of America (FFA), WIX Filters recently presented more than $50,000 to the FFA through the WIX Filters/FFA box-top program.

For 19 years, WIX Filters has sponsored the box-top program benefiting FFA chapters throughout the country. Participating chapters encourage businesses and individuals in their communities to use WIX oil, air and fuel filters and turn in box tops, which the chapters redeem for a 25-cent per box-top contribution from WIX. FFA members redeemed a total of 186,293 WIX Filters box tops as part of the 2006 program, which provided a total of $52,573.25 to local FFA chapters.