The NAFA Fleet Management Association announced last week that Don Esmond, senior vice president of automotive operations for Toyota, is the first speaker to be confirmed for its annual Institute & Expo.   The I&E, which takes place April 9-12 in Charlotte, N.C., will bring more than 2,000 fleet industry professionals together for four days of education, […] [Read More]

Canadian automotive Web portal Auto123.com unveiled the list of finalists for each of the 14 categories comprising its annual awards program. A press conference will be held Thursday at the Intercontinental Toronto Yorkville Hotel Willard Room to announce winners of the 2011 Auto123.com Awards. The 44 finalists for the assorted honors include: 2011 Subcompact of the Year Ford Fiesta [Read More]

General Motors enjoyed the most substantial initial public offering the country has seen this year, generating about $16 billion in its much anticipated IPO that launched Thursday morning, according to a NYSE statement. GM chief executive officer Dan Akerson rang the opening bell of the NYSE, which, in this case, was accompanied by the sound of a […] [Read More]

It might be a more festive Thanksgiving for franchise dealers if current sales trends continue. J.D. Power and Associates believes new-vehicle retail sales will remain strong in November and continue to provide the muscle behind the market’s strength for a third consecutive month Firm analysts projected that November new-vehicle retail sales are expected to come in […] [Read More]

Ford will be transferring the majority of its shares in Mazda to various business partners of the Japanese automaker, thus lowering its ownership stake. However, the two OEMs will remain strategic partners, according to Mazda. Currently, Ford has 11 percent ownership stake in Mazda. Ford will hold on to a 3.5-percent stake in the automaker and is […] [Read More]

Combining feedback from its own site as well as its Facebook page, Cars.com handed out its first Shoppers’ Choice Award on Thursday. The vehicle coming out on top among a total of 10 finalists consisting mostly of domestic models was the Ford Mustang. The Mustang topped two other units from Ford as well as vehicles […] [Read More]

J.D. Power and Associates unveiled its 2010 U.S. Sales Satisfaction Index Study on Wednesday, and the automaker that earned the best buyer satisfaction score among luxury brands was Jaguar, while Mini earned this distinction among mass market brands. This marked the third straight time Jaguar has been honored as the top luxury make in terms […] [Read More]

Dealer Services Corp. of Indiana said this week it has reached a significant floor planning milestone. The lender commemorated its 2 millionth financed vehicle, which was purchased by Tony and Ron Jarrah, who own Hanover Auto Sales. That dealership is located in Allentown, Pa. In commemoration of hitting the mark, DSC took care of the […] [Read More]

How can your business improve non-verbal communication skills with women customers and create a better overall experience? Reputation management and creating positive word-of-mouth with women begins and ends with how effectively you communicate with her verbally and non-verbally during her entire experience with your business. Let’s look at some non-verbal ways to communicate with women […] [Read More]

Just a day after raising the price range of the common stock in its initial public offering, General Motors on Wednesday increased the proposed size of its common stock as well. GM upped the common stock figure from 365 million shares to 478 million shares. Previously, the company announced the estimate price range for those […] [Read More]