02/15/08
Message from the President
The Richmond Winter & Ice Festival for 2008 was again, as always, a huge success. It's a lot of work for everyone involved, as well as the sales people who are displaced from their workstations for the weekend. Thank you for putting up with the minor inconvenience. We had approximately 500 potential new customers come through our showrooms on Friday night for the Taste Of Richmond, and about 1,000 on Saturday for the entertainment and ice-carving competition.
It is February in Michigan, and as always that means SNOW. We've had our fair share of the stuff so far this year, and I know it's difficult for everyone having to move cars, clean windows, and shovel again and again. So I would like to thank everyone for their efforts keeping out campus clean and safe. Keep up the good work!
Dick Huvaere
President
Jim Simpson and Wertz Warriors raise over $400,000 for Special Olympics
The Wertz warriors, along with our own GM Jim Simpson, raised over $400,000 towards the needs of the Special Olympics on their 27th annual snowmobile endurance run. Vic Wertz, a former Detroit Tiger and Hall of Fame'r, had a dream, "to completely underwrite the Special Olympics Michigan State Winter Games." So, in 1981 he sWertz Warriorset out and succeeded to enlist many of his friends to help him with his dream. Together they considered a variety of ways to generate the money needed to fund the Winter Games for children and adults with intellectual disabilities in Michigan. “Each rider must donate $3,500 for the privilege of participating on the ride,” said Vic Battani, Chairman of the Wertz Warriors Board of Directors. “They must also use their own snowmobile and pay for any equipment they require in order to ride.”  The Wertz Warriors come from all walks of life, and whether as a rider or as a member of the support crew, all work toward raising money for Special Olympics Michigan.  “Each Wertz Warrior takes a week out of their lives to participate in the endurance ride,” Battani says. “They are all dedicated to this cause and raise money all year long. They are a tremendously dedicated and caring group of people.”  This years ride began in Mt. Clemens by trailering to Skidway Lake, and from there the snowmobiles were ridden 646 miles in 7 days while raising money along the way. Weather during the ride included sunny and 35F, rain, fog, snow and more snow, and wind chills of 65F below zero. 47 riders started and 32 finished with no major injuries. Next year's ride is expected to raise over $500,000 for the Special Olympics. Donations can be made to Special Olympics Michigan, PO Box 1132, Mt. Clemens, MI  48046. www.somi.org .
Euchre Party to support The Special Olympics
Wertz Warriors are sponsoring a Euchre party to raise money in support of The Special Olympics Sunday March 9, 2008 at 3pm, Eagles Hall, 7542 Palms Rd. Fair Haven. The party includes raffles, a silent auction, prizes and food. A cash bar is available. Cost is $15 per person and includes entrance to play, prizes, and food. To register contact Jim Simpson at 810-533-3410 or email jsimpson@huvaere.com . Proceeds to The Special Olympics Michigan, www.somi.org .
Newsletter Contest Winners
Congratulations Matt Simmons, Barb Cannon, Jennifer Evans, Mary Michelsen, Heather Depelsmaeker and Janet Laubach! You are the winners of the "Do you read the Newsletter?" contest by being the first 6 employees to respond within 2 hours of the newsletter mailing, and have won a $25.00 gift certificate the you can spend right here at Richmond Chrysler Dodge Jeep on any part, accessory, wearable, service procedure or vehicle purchase. Keep reading, our next contest is coming soon!
Daytona 500 and Dodge
In Sunday's pole qualifying for the 50th Daytona 500, Jimmie Johnson affirmed the dominance of Hendrick Motorsports -- as if it needed affirmation -- by capturing the pole for the Feb. 17 Sprint Cup season opener.
 Daytona.500.logo.193.jpgMichael Waltrip backed up the improvement Toyota has shown during preseason testing by grabbing the other front-row starting spot. In the unique qualifying format for the Daytona 500, only Johnson and Waltrip know where they'll start next Sunday. Johnson was the only driver to top 187 mph, as he powered his No. 48 Chevrolet around 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway in 48.109 seconds (187.075 mph). Waltrip, the 48th of 53 drivers to attempt qualifying, ran more than a half-second faster than Johnson on his first of two laps but couldn't squeeze enough speed out of the second lap to knock the defending Cup champion off the pole. As the year progresses, more and more folks will make less and less a big deal -- or any deal at all -- over the fact that these guys are racing a full schedule with a different racecar for the first time in many years, the Car Of Tomorrow. These teams invest tons of money into figuring out how to make them handle better and go faster, and drivers are paid huge amounts to figure out how to drive 'em. In time, everything will be fine and the many complaints forgotten.
Ryan Newman, driver of the Penske Racing No. 12 Alltel Dodge Charger, will make his seventh Daytona 500 start on Sunday. Newman has one top-five and one top-10 finish in Daytona 500 competition. Newman and his Penske Racing teammates Kurt Busch and Sam Hornish Jr. will be in the first Gatorade Duel on Thursday afternoon. Newman has come close to victory in the Daytona 500. In 2006, was running up front for the final laps of the race. The eventual winner of the 2006 race (Jimmie Johnson) had drafting help while Newman was left without the benefit of draft. Newman wound up finishing third. Newman won his first ever start at Daytona International Speedway in the ARCA Series in 2001. The Daytona 500 marks Newman's first points race with crew chief Roy McCauley calling the shots. Newman and McCauley were first paired together at Penske Racing in 2005 in a Nationwide Series effort that scored six victories in just nine starts. They won their last race at Homestead in 2005. Newman says he hopes to pick up where they left off. "Our outlook for the 500 is definitely good. We performed well last year, but we had duct work fail which failed the engine. I ran with the Car of Tomorrow car at Talladega last year and was strong (Newman finished fifth). I look forward to working with both Kurt (Busch) and Sam (Hornish Jr.) and trying to get Penske it's first Daytona 500 win."
 
Chrysler planning to make deep cuts in models
Chrysler LLC, undergoing a rapid realignment, is making plans to cut the number of models it sells by perhaps half as it also moves aggressively to slim down its dealer network, with the ultimate goal of a stronger dealer network and achieving higher profits, according to people briefed on the plans. "In the end, we will have a more viable dealer body focused on the customer," Jim Press said. "When that happens, the customer, dealer and company wins. That builds commitment, drives profitability and builds franchise value." Chrysler said it will work with its dealers on options to create customer-driven alternatives that align the dealer network with the product portfolio. The Auburn Hills automaker has been working under its so-called Project Alpha to get more of its dealers to sell all three of its brands -- Dodge, Chrysler and Jeep -- under one roof.
CHRYSLER'S STATEMENT
Chrysler Vice Chairman and President Jim Press and his executive team last week completed an eight-city “New Day” road show, reaching approximately 3,000 of its dealer partners to discuss the company’s 2008 strategy and express their commitment to product, dealers and customers; driving dealer profitability, and building franchise value.Jim Press
During the meetings, the company introduced a new corporate initiative, Project Genesis, intended to align the needs and wants of the customer with its product portfolio and the dealer network. With the overall goal of taking care of the customer, Chrysler LLC plans to align Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge product offerings in one facility. The company did not provide a timeline for the initiative.
“We started a dialogue with our National Dealer Council and continued the process by listening carefully to what our dealer partners had to say,” Jim Press said. “Here at the National Automotive Dealer Association Conference we have the opportunity to hear from more of our dealers. The results of all of this exchange will be factored in to our long-range plan. At this point, we have not made any final decisions regarding our dealer optimization or future product plans, nor has the company set any firm timelines. Our dealers are and will continue to be an integral part of this process moving forward.”
As Project Genesis evolves, the company will work with its dealers on a menu of options to create customer-driven alternatives that align the dealer network with the product portfolio.
“In the end, we will have a more viable dealer body focused on the customer,” said Press. “When that happens, the customer, dealer and company wins. That builds commitment, drives profitability and builds franchise value.”
Automakers say shine-free matte finishes are the latest trend
Dull was the new shiny at last month's North American Auto Show in Detroit, where at least eight cars from General Motors Corp., Volkswagen AG's Lamborghini and Audi divisions, and others sported a gleam-free matte finish. It's a trend likely to show up more and more as drivers seek to differentiate their vehicles. Matte finish has been appearing on show cars for several years, usually as an accent color to highlight a specific feature such as fender flares. But the all-over matte finish, a trend that began with customizers, is going mainstream. Karen Surcina, color technology and marketing manager of Dupont Automotive, said buyers should expect to see matte finishes on specialty or limited-run vehicles in the next two or three years. "We expect that the matte trend would be more of a niche offering," she said.
It's easy to see why automakers are keen on the trend. Ed Welburn, GM's vice president for design, said nearly all automakers are experimenting with matte because it shows off the pure design of the car. "It reduces the design to the very core elements because you're not influenced by the surroundings at all. You don't have the reflections of trees or buildings or the reflection of clouds or anything on the car because of the matte finish," Welburn said at the Detroit show, where GM's Hummer HX and Chevrolet Groove concepts had matte finish. "You see the pure surface development and nothing else."  Aaron Bragman, an auto industry analyst for the consulting company Global Insight, said another reason matte finishes are taking off is that young drivers, who are used to the flat finishes on their cell phones and laptops, no longer equate shininess with luxury. Because matte is a clear finish, it can go on over any paint color, from the gray-green of the Hummer HX to the robin's egg blue of the Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 Coupe. Lamborghini, which made its first foray into matte last year with the metallic gray $1.4 million Reventon super car, is now highlighting the sharp lines of its Gallardo Spyder with a new matte brown paint. Mercedes-Benz AG introduced its small sport utility concept, the GLK Freeside, in a pearl white matte in Detroit, while Chrysler LLC's Jeep Renegade turned heads with its bright green matte.
Study: Web is fastest growing auto information source for moms
According to Experian Research Services, a market research company, a four year trend among automotive buyers suggests that the Web is the fastest growing source of vehicle information prior to buying a vehicle. This growth is contrary to other resources like word-of-mouth, television and automotive magazines, which have remained sluggish over the last four years. Additionally, moms were among consumers with the highest intent to purchase a vehicle in the next two years and most likely to rely on the Internet as part of their decision to purchase or lease.
"If your audience is changing media sources and buying behaviors, you need to change your tactics to complement theirs,” explains Chris Wilson, president, Experian Research Services.
"It (Experian automotive data) condenses a vast amount of information into orderly reports that are easy to manipulate, use and share," said Mario Murgado, president and CEO, Miami Automotive Retail.
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Employee Profile:
Barb Capozzo
IT Manager

Employed since September 2003

Barb's family:
Barb is married to husband Charlie, and has one daughter Madison 2 1/2 years old. She also has another baby on the way, due May 1st.

If she wasn't at work, Barb would be:
Running a marathon or spending time with her family.

Barb's hometown:
Saginaw, MI.

Barb's favorite place to travel:
Houghton Lake MI.

Barb's first job:
Teaching gymnastics in Saginaw.

Barb's favorite television show is:
Doesn't have one, doesn't watch a lot of TV, prefers playing with Madison.

Barb's favorite place to dine is:
Mongolian BBQ.

Barb's favorite vehicle is:
Town and Country van.

Something you may not already know about Barb:
Barb has competed in tractor pulls and scored a first place trophy in the Powder Puff Division.

Thanks Barb for being such an asset to The Huvaere Group!

 

Today's Motivational Quote
"Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all."
Sam Ewing