NEWS
BURSON AUTO PARTS MANAGERS CONFERENCE A MAJOR SUCCESS The company’s largest ever Store Managers Conference was held across May 2-6 in Melbourne The 2022 Burson Auto Parts Managers Conference marked a triumphant return to major team building events for the company, proving to be an outstanding success across its activity packed fiveday schedule. Conducted under the inspiring theme of “Today’s Actions are Tomorrow’s Legacy,” the 2022 Burson Auto Parts Managers Conference enabled each of the 180 store managers taking part to learn from guest keynote speakers, senior BAPCOR management identities and each other in a completely open and friendly environment. In total, more than 600 people connected, discovered and learned throughout the Burson Store Managers Conference week. Inspiration was found with the conference’s key note speaker, Australian tennis star Jelena Dokic, who addressed the store managers on Monday May 2. Her story outlined the sheer strength that
can be found against repeated adversity, going from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows and emerging stronger as a result. A strongly attended store manager exclusive trade show held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre was held on Wednesday May 4, with a total of 70 valued Burson Auto Parts suppliers enthusiastically taking part in this expo. All of the store managers were also taken on a guided tour of the new BAPCOR Distribution Centre on Thursday May 5, seeing for themselves what 50,000 square metres of state-of-the-art Goods to Person product distribution automation for more than 160,000 SKUs handled on a daily basis looks like. The evening of Thursday May 5 saw the conference venture to Melbourne’s magnificent Crown Palladium Ballroom to celebrate the Australian company’s 50th Anniversary together with the company’s suppliers and their guests. A total of almost 400 guests took part in what was a highly entertaining and enjoyable event, with a highlight being the Burson Auto Parts Store of the Year awards and the introduction of the Burson Auto Parts Hall of Fame Award. The inaugural inductees included the company’s longest serving store manager, Rhonda Kelly, along with outstanding staff mentor and dedicated manager, David Lawrence. An almost four-decade
Burson Auto Parts career saw David Jeffrey honoured, completing the maiden Hall of Fame award recipients. The final day of the conference saw more inspiration from a number of AFL star guest speakers, including Max Gawn, Captain of the Melbourne Football Club; Alex Neal-Bullen, Midfielder, Melbourne Football Club and the Essendon Football Club General Manager, Josh Mahoney. “Everyone really embraced the conference theme of Today’s actions leading to tomorrow’s Legacy, which was very pleasing to see during each of the presentations and keynote addresses of the event,” BAPCOR Trade Executive General Manager, Steve Drummy, said. “I am also delighted to have had so many of our valued supply partners assist with this conference. They are key contributors to the success of Burson Auto Parts and our customers’ businesses.” For more information, visit www.burson.com.au
DAYCO PARTNERS WITH NUVERA To offer comprehensive fuel cell vehicle solutions Dayco, a leading engine products and drive systems manufacturer for the automotive, heavyduty, and industrial market segments, has entered a strategic partnership with Nuvera Fuel Cells, LLC, a manufacturer of heavy-duty, zero-emission fuel cell engines for on and off-road mobility and other applications. This association brings together the best of both companies’ capabilities to design and develop advanced fully integrated fuel cell solutions for a wide range of commercial vehicles, stationary, industrial, and mobile applications. Together, Dayco and Nuvera are developing integrated fuel cell electric power solutions for a sustainable and clean future. Nuvera’s patented controls and flexible applications architecture for fuel cells along with Dayco’s long standing capabilities in propulsion system technologies will improve system performance, robustness, and reliability with highquality assurance and scalability. “Dayco’s energy control management and integration competencies coupled with Nuvera’s
decades of experience in fuel cell technologies will allow us to provide a highly optimised and efficient full zero-emission integrated fuel cell power system for commercial vehicles, industrial, material handling, and off-highway applications with best-in-class performance and durability,” Dayco Executive Vice President of OE Sales and Business Development, Wouter Nijenhuis, said. Compliant with global emission reduction regulations and trends, Dayco acts as a Tier 1 supplier and vehicle integrator to provide optimal vehicle performance and energy management. Dayco says its unique offerings provide advanced zero emission propulsion solutions built around Nuvera’s eighth-generation fuel cell stack technology, integrated into a power system with balance of plant components and embedded controls. “With ever-tightening regulations in the US, Europe, and Asia, there is a critical need for zero emissions power solutions for commercial vehicles in trucking, public transit, and many off-road sectors that meet highly demanding performance
Wouter Nijenhuis
requirements,” Nuvera Chief Executive Officer, Lucien Robroek, said. “Nuvera’s commercially available fuel cell packages deliver high efficiency, reliability, and durability. Coupled with Dayco’s engineering services and automotive componentry, we are providing our customers a direct path to adoption of fuel cell powered vehicles and machinery.” For more from Dayco, visit www.dayco.com Australian Automotive Aftermarket Magazine June 2022
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