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4 Undercar Digest ucts, materials management, sales, and the aftermarket. "Our aim is to combine the best of both worlds," said Sommer. BPI Names Director & Manager Brian Kirts has joined Brake Parts Inc. (BPI) as director of retail accounts, and Clara Bailey has joined the company as sales manager, special mar- kets, according to Bruce Tartaglione, senior vice president of global sales and marketing. Kirts is responsible for a broad range of duties, in- cluding identification of new customers, customer acquisition, proposal and contract management, cus- tomer/account manage- ment and development, sales planning and fore- casting. K i r t s m o s t r e c e n t l y served as international sales manager for Robert Bosch, where he built relationships with distributors in more than 30 countries. He previously served as group product manager for Bosch and director, global marketing and sales for Morse Automotive. Bailey is responsible for the sales of BPI products to existing clients and prospect- ing for new clients with a focus on sup- porting their requirements and assisting them to grow their businesses. For the past 11 years, Bailey has served as the regional sales manager for TYC/Genera. During that time, she was successful in developing new prospects and working with existing key accounts in different distribution channels through- out the U.S. Midwest and the Central Canadian markets. Phoenix Systems Partners Canadian Rep Firm Phoenix Systems, makers of BrakeStrip and other brake-system diagnostic prod- ucts and tools, and Holm, Hicks, White & Associates (HHW) recently formed a part- nership making HHW an official represen- tative for Phoenix System products in Western Canada, promoting Phoenix Systems products to this specific market. "We are excited about the opportu- nity to expand our target market and bring BrakeStrip and other Phoenix Systems products to this market," said Ben Leamon Martinsen, vice president, marketing and operations at Phoenix Systems. "One of our biggest marketing challenges is get- ting enough people on the ground in the various markets we are targeting to at- tend trade shows and discuss our prod- ucts with the automotive professionals who need them. Now, Holm, Hicks, White & Associates can use their reach to help us with our marketing goals." Federated Presents Supplier Awards East Penn was presented with Federated Auto Parts' most prestigious supplier award during the Federated national meeting and awards dinner when the bat- tery manufacturer was named Outstanding Vendor of the Year. In addition, Federated supplier support awards were presented to those companies deemed exception- al in five key categories. • Outstanding Vendor of the Year – East Penn The monetary donation will help fund the team's efforts in building next season's formula car, along with assisting in other expenses associated with attending Formula SAE competitions held across the United States. The team finished sec- ond in fuel efficiency and 16th overall at the Formula SAE Michigan competition, w h i c h w a s h e l d a t t h e M i c h i g a n International Speedway, May 13-16 in Brooklyn, Mich. Kettering's Formula SAE team finished 10th overall at the Lincoln, Neb., com- petition last year. ZF Completes TRW Automotive Acquisition ZF Friedrichshafen AG, a global man- ufacturer in driveline and chassis technol- ogy, and TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. recently announced that the companies have completed the transaction under which ZF has successfully acquired TRW. TRW will be incorporated into ZF as a new division called Active & Passive Safety Technology. The combined company operates under the name ZF Friedrichshafen AG. "Today marks the day we combine the strengths of ZF and TRW into a world- wide leading systems supplier in the au- tomotive sector," said Stefan Sommer, ZF's CEO. "We are all very excited about our plans for the future, with the combina- tion allowing us to capitalize on strate- gic opportunities and create near- and long-term sustainable value for our cus- tomers and employees." "The combined company is a pow- erhouse of automotive technologies, ranging from driver assistance and occu- pant safety systems, to drivelines and transmissions, and braking and steering systems," said John C. Plant, president and CEO of TRW. "This unique combination of advanced technologies comprehensive- ly addresses the growing, industrywide trends of safety, fuel efficiency and au- tonomous driving." The closing marks the start of the in- tegration process of TRW that is project- ed to last three to five years. The process will start in those areas where customers will benefit from combined activities first; this includes the development of new prod- John. C Plant, president and CEO of TRW (left), and ZF's CEO Stefan Sommer Brian Kirts Clara Bailey