APRA Says “Remanufacturing Means Jobs”

Although ISS has kept pace with changes in both the remanufacturing and manufacturing industries, it often seems like media (and America at large) often overlook the real environmental and economic value of the former in favor of the latter. Manufacturing gets the hype, while reman gets ignored. The truth, though, is that we feel each has a special niche in parts supply.

We fully stand behind the APRA (Automotive Parts Remanufactures Association) when they sent a letter to all 100 members of the U.S. Senate and 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives. APRA President Bill Gager asked them to seriously look at remanufacturing as a way to create jobs.

Gager stated, “Nothing creates good permanent jobs like the remanufacturing industry. So, as you (Congress) begin to deal with job creation in today’s economy, we would encourage you to seriously look at how public policy may be used to help the remanufacturing industry expand here in the United States.”

APRA estimates that there are more than 500,000 jobs in the remanufacturing industry and they include products as diverse as automotive and truck parts, toner cartridges, electronic equipment, cell phones, office furniture, locomotive, electrical transformers, air conditioning compressor units for office buildings,off-road construction equipment, agriculture and mining equipment, hydraulic pumps for all types of applications, and the list goes on.

Gager added, “Just about anything that is manufactured can be remanufactured, adding a second or third life to capital goods.”

Gager concluded, “Trade promotion, tax credits, job creation incentives and targeted grants are some ways to help the remanufacturing industry expand. We ask all members of Congress to join us in our mission of job creation.”

ISS has seen first-hand how warranty remanufacturing can create American jobs, because we have done it. Over the past 15 years our instrument, audio, BCM, and circuit board remanufacturing and exchange facilities have tripled in volume, adding numerous great employees to our own team. Our specialty is combining warranty remanufacturing and customer-pay remanufacturing, but we have seen both sides grow for us.

ISS does not pick favorites in deciding between build-new manufacturing and remanufacturing. Every client we speak with has unique needs in its supply chain. (Sometimes, we find that a mix of both can be the most cost-effective solution, where we both manufacture components and use those components for remanufacture.)  But we are happy to see the attention shift a little toward an industry that is by nature both green and focused on American job creation.

How can we help you find a solution for your company? Contact Us today!

Lockout Technology Secures Replacement Parts, and Profits, for Vehicle Manufacturers and Tier-One Parts Suppliers

Over the past decade, we have seen a major trend in vehicle manufacturers to include Lock-Out Technology in high-value components. These computer chip-based systems require parts to have factory-issued security codes to correspond to vehicle parts, or they will not function.  Increasingly, high-value replacement parts must be Vehicle Manufacturer (VM) approved, or they are useless.

The relative cost to implement this technology into existing chips is fairly small relative to the gain in market share it may realize. Thus, business is booming in this area.  In one high-end manufacturer that we are aware of, the security technology appears in all the following parts:

• Key/Lock Alarm System
• Steering Lock
• Shifter Lock
• Pushbutton Start System
• Engine PCM
• Instrument Cluster
• Transmission Shift Actuator
• Transmission TCU

Typical Vehicle Network

How this Impacts the Auto Industry

In many cases this prevents that part from being remanufactured or even re-used in the aftermarket. This drives parts business away from independent aftermarket suppliers and toward the vehicle OEM-authorized distribution network, where both the OEM and the Tier-One suppliers can capture more market.

Obviously, many in the aftermarket see this as a major threat. Salvage shops and parts repair shops, that make their livelihoods off high-value parts like transmissions seem the most threatened at the moment. But even major parts distributors must wonder how long before starter motors, alternators and other parts need a specially coded computer chip to function properly. However worrying it may be to them, though, the practice is perfectly legal. And for profit-motivated OEM’s looking to both horizontally and vertically integrate, it’s inevitable.

This of course does not mean that the OEM can simply charge whatever it wants for replacement parts. The aftermarket is adaptable so some levels of reverse engineering are going to be inevitable. More importantly, though, in today’s competitive auto industry Total Cost of Ownership is more than a buzzword. Consumers want vehicles that are affordable to maintain, and no Vehicle Manufacturer can afford to be known for outrageous repair prices. These codes are a path to replacement parts market share, not a license to print money without regard to the vehicle brand. Driving down costs for the OEM and the consumer is a major focus at ISS. As is the drive to improve quality.

Scott Haugen, President at ISS, puts it best: “ISS sees the rise of this technology as an opportunity. We operate as both a Tier-One/service parts supplier, and as a Factory Authorized Remanufacturing Center. On the Tier-One side, it opens us up to a larger customer base, as we are the ones working with the Manufacturer to supply specially coded replacement parts. On the remanufacturing side, we work with the OEM to ensure parts are properly coded during the remanufacturing and exchange process.

“For both, we offer the highest quality of parts manufacturing and remanufacturing processes available anywhere, ensuring TS-level quality for both the Vehicle Manufacturer and the end consumer.”

For more than 60 years, our clients have often found us to be the shortest, easiest, most high-quality path for the VM and our Tier-One colleagues to capture aftermarket parts market share. We view this lockout technology to be an excellent means to that end.

For more information on how we can help you in the future contact us today!
Source: APRA

Visteon Names Robert Krakowiak Vice President and Treasurer

VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Visteon Corp. announced the appointment of Robert R. Krakowiak as vice president and treasurer, effective immediately. Krakowiak will be responsible for all activities related to corporate treasury at Visteon, a global automotive supplier based in Van Buren Township, Mich. He replaces Michael Lewis, who left the company to pursue other opportunities.

Krakowiak has 20 years of senior financial, operating and engineering leadership experience at global companies in automotive and other industries. He joins Visteon after approximately seven years at Owens Corning, where most recently he was vice president of finance for the composite solutions business. His previous roles at Owens Corning included vice president, corporate financial planning and analysis; divisional vice president and controller; and assistant treasurer.

From 2002-2005, Krakowiak was vice president and treasurer at Oxford Automotive. Before that, he spent six years at Kmart Corp. in roles of increasing responsibility, including divisional vice president, real estate finance and planning. He began his career at Ford Motor Co. as a product design engineer and senior financial analyst.

“Bob Krakowiak brings a broad range of financial experience in operational and treasury assignments, across a variety of industries, which is well-aligned with Visteon’s global profile and ongoing transformation,” said Martin E. Welch, Visteon’s executive vice president and chief financial officer.

Krakowiak has an MBA from the University of Chicago as well as master’s and bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan.

Equipment Manufacturers Urge Committee Support for H.R. 7

The American Energy & Infrastructure Jobs Act will be an economic engine for job growth and global competitiveness

AEM is urging support for the highway bill scheduled for consideration by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Thursday, February 2, 2012. AEM believes the long-awaited legislation would point the way to job creation, desperately needed infrastructure improvements, and greater national and international competitiveness for all domestic businesses.

“Our manufacturers believe H.R. 7 is one of the most important pieces of legislation before Congress this session for job growth and for our economic well-being.  AEM urges the House to quickly consider and approve H.R. 7 and to move quickly to conference with the Senate prior to the March 31 deadline of the current stop-gap funding,” Dennis Slater, AEM president, said.

“Roads, highways and bridges require long-term project planning. The American Energy & Infrastructure Jobs Act (H.R. 7) provides the construction industry with the market certainty it needs to make capital investments in employees and in equipment with new technologies for improved air quality and operating efficiencies. And in a still tenuous economy, it provides a much-needed growth engine,” Slater said.

The bill maintains federal funding for infrastructure in one of the most difficult budget environments in recent years.  The bill reforms and consolidates existing highway programs, accelerates project approval times, and eliminates earmarks.

Source: AEM Advisor

Severe Weather hits the NW and ISS

Despite the crazy weather and the anticipation that comes with it employees at ISS have remained calm. Pat Mayo said “We’ve made sure our employees are safe by changing schedules around and made use of carpooling.” ISS Kent branch is one of the certified remanufacturing centers of instrument & radio clusters in the United States. One tree in the parking lot of Instrument Sales & Service broke and hit an employees car. Colleen Wright said “this is minor compared to what Pierce and King County looks like.”

Heavy snow and ice have caused thousands in the area to lose power and made road crews work around the clock.  Trees falling like domino’s and semi’s tipping over from the icy conditions. Some busy streets in Seattle and outlying areas looked more like ski slopes as kids break out their sleds.

This weekend should see some reprieve but with that brings flooding in other areas. ISS in Portland is seeing that first hand. Rivers and new levy built this summer have proven to work. Johnson Creek is normally the first area that TV crews setup to cover rising water but the new system seems to be holding up. High-wind warnings were in effect along the coast, where winds could gust to hurricane force, knocking down more trees and causing power outages, said CNN meteorologist Taylor Ward.

Instrument Sales has seen an increase of heavy equipment operators ordering replacement parts. “Cables break in this cold weather” said Matt Koehmstedt General Manager. “We are one of the largest Cablecraft builders in the Northwest and word of mouth gets around.” ISS just launched partdeal.com which makes thousands of parts available to many industries. “We support tractors, construction, off-road equipment…if it’s got a diesel engine, we can probably help you.”

ISS Expands Availability to Millions by Opening PartDeal.com

Over the past 60 years, ISS has had the broadest selection of specialty instrument, switch, air conditioning and cable products in the industry. With premium brands ranging from Red Dot to Stewart Warner to Cole Hersee, their jobber, fleet, OEM and installer customers have greatly benefited from a massive selection of high-quality parts.

With the introduction of the overhauled PartDeal.com, thousands of parts will be available to a far broader market. “We’re still supporting our fantastic commercial customer network,” notes ISS General Manager Matt Koehmstedt. “We just see this as a great opportunity to make it easier for the guy with the toolbox and a tractor to find what he needs online.” Partdeal.com primarily focuses on heavy-duty applications. “We support tractors, construction, off-road equipment…if it’s got a diesel engine, we can probably help you,” notes Matt. “And we’ve invested in taking literally thousands of photographs of our parts, so a lot of the time people will be able to see exactly what they are getting before they order. But we’ve also got stuff for guys that are into performance and other things.”

Grand Opening starts today and will feature special items and free T-shirt with a $75 order on partdeal.com

Happy New Year 2012

Tips for 2012

- Awareness of what behavior or trait you want to eliminate and/or create.

- Let Go of past mistakes – don’t beat yourself up, rather focus on positive results.

- Inspire yourself with an exciting and creative goal that will guide you.

- Visualize what it will take to achieve your goal.

- Energize for the journey to your goal with: physical, mental, emotional.

- How will I engage with Instrument Sales this coming year.

Dealerships around the county are unaware that ISS is one of the largest west coast remanufacturing facilities that can help with with their instrument clusters & radios. Our process is simple. Our shipping is fast. Our customer service is superior. Change is good.

We have built a reputation that exceeds our competitors by carrying electro-mechanical parts that others just don’t stock. ISS has had the broadest selection of specialty instrument, switch, air conditioning and cable products in the industry. With premium brands ranging from Red Dot to Stewart Warner to Cole Hersee, their jobber, fleet, OEM and installer customers have greatly benefited from a massive selection of high-quality parts.

Don’t forget about our most recent overhaul we just did on Partdeal.com which primarily focuses on heavy-duty applications. “We support tractors, construction, off-road equipment…if it’s got a diesel engine, we can probably help you!” Widely regarded as the national expert in this areas, their site will host the largest selection of pyrometers, lead wires thermocouples on the internet. We are improving the site daily by offering features that our customers have been asking for.

Social media…. We Tweet, We Post, We Poke, We want you to “LIKE US”. Make 2012 a year to remember.
“Go ahead, make our day”

No more truck idling in Oregon

Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber (D) has signed a measure that restricts truck idling while also preventing local governments from implementing their own anti-idling regulations. Under the legislation, signed June 16 by the Governor, trucks would not be allowed to idle their engines for more than five minutes is a 60 – minute period. The legislation grandfathers current local idling laws bur prohibits passing new idling laws, in an attempt to treat trucking regulation consistently.The bill also authorizes the state and local police to enforce the anti-idling regulation, rather than the state’s (DEQ) Department of Environmental Quality.

Instrument Sales & Service has a few solutions. As a large distributor of Cole Hersee, we offer a line of Low Voltage Disconnects and FlexMod modules which are designed to shut off non-starting circuits when the battery voltage drops below what’s needed to re-start the vehicle. We also carry a large selection of RedDOT products including the R1200 and R1205 which can run off of a bank of batteries. No more truck idling can save you money in the long run if you use a Timer. The timer only uses 1 gallon of Diesel for up to 20 hours.

ISS can jump start your cold idling season. Contact a customer service representative today for additional questions or to order.

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Customer Service reigns supreme at ISS

In much of today’s business, excellent customer service seems to be lost as part of the overall customer experience.

Many times automation or other quick fixes are used to reduce cost and speed answers through the system to keep the product moving, many times at the expense of the customer and long term satisfaction with the product or service you may provide.

At ISS we pride ourselves in providing expert customer service to ALL customers. This includes internal as well as external customers. Contrary to popular belief there is not an endless supply of customers. In today’s highly competitive marketplace excellent customer service will retain hard to get customers and provide a tool to get other customers. By treating our internal customers the same way, we keep highly trained employees and they in turn are able to share their expertise with those customers that need it.

The following is a excerpt from a conversation between an ISS customer and an outside sales person at ISS.

“I just got off the phone with a VERY happy customer in California.  I called to see how we were doing, and the customer went on and on about all the help he received from Jack and Derek (2 long time techs with ISS) on a particular cluster that he was working on.”  The customer said, “…it’s that kind of service that makes ISS special.  At most places, if you’re lucky, you might get a tech to talk to, but they’ll speak all sorts of techie Greek and Jibberish, all the while being very boring and slightly rude, but not here at ISS!!”

As you can see by this quote excellent customer service is alive and well at ISS.  We take pride and will accept nothing less than excellent customer service not only in the Customer Service Department but throughout our organization. The proof is in the pudding as the old saying goes.

If you have had a similar experience, by all means boast away…. we would love to hear from you!!

Use the contact us form to share your story or pick from one of the various social media buttons below!

How To Choose A Supplier aka Cheapest Is Not Always Better

Your supplier is a key player in your business. Even if you do all the right things, but your supplier fails to deliver as promised, nothing else really matters.

That is why choosing the right supplier can not be taken lightly. You don’t want to hire your brother-in –law or some body’s friend of a friend, it is just too important to your business. Listed below are some suggestions and available resources to help you make the right supplier connection.

1. GET REFERRALS: Talk to people in your own network , review trade publications and manufactures directories , and search the internet for sites like www.instrumentsales.com. Sites like this provide easy access to a full menu of a potential supplier’s capabilities and specialties.

2. ASK QUESTIONS: Don’t be timid, you are asking this person or company to become part of your business team. Taking the time now will save you money and frustration in the end.

3. ASK FOR REFERRALS: Check the credibility of a candidate supplier by speaking to their customers. Find out first hand if promises and delivery schedules are met and budgets are kept. We all know that not everything runs smoothly all of the time, ask them to tell you how an obstacle was overcome, that will speak volumes.

4. WEIGH COSTS: Is the cheaper quote really less expensive in the long run? Your client really doesn’t want to hear you are having issues with a supplier and you can not deliver on your promises because of it. Frankly they just do not care, their main concern and yours should be to,that they get what they contracted for from you on time and on budget.

ISS has built their business on the principals of providing quality service and meeting the obligations of some of the largest names in the industry including General Motors and Harley Davidson. We have a ISO/TS 16949:2009 Certificate and a ISO 14001:2004 Certificate. From manufacturing, engineering, distribution and remanufacturing ISS has a proven track record of supplying companies of all sizes with unmatched service and reliability.

How can ISS help you today? 1-800-333-7976