P.M. Executive Briefing - Oct. 1
Editor's Note: Transport Topics Online is proud to offer Executive Briefing - a quick read on the day's trucking news. These summaries are produced by Information, Inc., which scours over 1,200 publications - from local newspapers to trade publications - and summarizes what they dig up. The result is the most complete trucking coverage anywhere. And only TT Online has it!Police Safety Blitzes Take Aim at Bad Drivers, Unsafe Trucks Fresh America to End Planned Acquisition of FreshPoint Inc. Wawa Markets, Teamsters Negotiate Past Contract Deadline KLEENAIR Announces UK Emissions Control Agreement FOCUS - Volvo Targets Renault Trucks Purchase - Paper People: Navistar International Corp.
This Afternoon's Headlines:
ul>
Police Safety Blitzes Take Aim at Bad Drivers, Unsafe Trucks
Police departments all over Canada are starting a highway safety initiative Saturday that will involve education as well as the Operation Impact crackdown on road infractions. Operation Impact will concentrate on driving after using alcohol as well as failure to use seatbelts. The police in London, Ontario, are planning to crack down on truck violations in the city Wednesday and Oct. 13, turning over trucks suspected of safety violations to Transportation Ministry inspectors. London (Ontario) Free Press (10/01/99) P. A3; Herbert, JohnFresh America to End Planned Acquisition of FreshPoint Inc.
The produce distribution concern Fresh America Corp. says it anticipates a third-quarter before-taxes loss of $10 million and will call off its plans for a $100 million purchase of FreshPoint Inc. The company is also replacing CEO David Sheinfeld with director Colon Washburn, who is also a partner in the Bentonville Associates Ventures consultancy. Sheinfeld will keep the position of chairman. The company's anticipated third-quarter revenue is $145 million. It also intends to divest certain direct distribution operations. Wall Street Journal (10/01/99) P. B8
Wawa Markets, Teamsters Negotiate Past Contract Deadline
Although the Teamsters and Wawa Food Markets came to no new deal prior to the expiration of a truckers' contract, negotiations went on and there have not been any pickets. Reportedly, a big concern in the negotiations is who handles pensions. The union says it wants other companies' drivers to honor any pickets that might take place. New Jersey Online (10/01/99)KLEENAIR Announces UK Emissions Control Agreement
KleenAir Systems and a U.K. firm have agreed to partner for the combination of the KleenAir NOxMaster System with a plasma-catalyst technology that has been shown to produce strong cuts in particulate emissions. In the United States, the combined system to reduce NOx and soot emissions would largely be marketed toward diesel-vehicle fleets. The Environmental Protection Agency and its foreign counterparts have been tightening rules on NOx and soot emissions, and KleenAir intends to combine various systems for controlling such emissions to produce a single product. Business Wire (10/01/99)FOCUS - Volvo Targets Renault Trucks Purchase - Paper
On Thursday, the Swedish newspaper Arbetet Nyheterna quoted an unnamed source as saying Volvo is looking to buy Renault's trucking operation Renault Vehicules Industriels (RVI), which in addition to European operations produces Mack Trucks stateside. This was after Volvo's shareholders okayed the Volvo-Scania merger, and despite CEO Leif Johansson's Wednesday statement that Volvo would wait until nearer the finalization of that merger before making any new buys.In the past, analysts said a combined Volvo-Scania would still lack U.S. market strength, and analyst Hans Westerberg of Den Danske Bank says, "It's not impossible for Volvo to buy Renault, but it's more likely they're after Mack Trucks as RVI is in close cooperation with Fiat's Iveco." Spokesmen for Renault and Volvo did not comment, although the Renault spokesman noted a statement from the company's chairman that RVI "was not for sale." Reuters (09/30/99) ; de Bendern, Paul
People: Navistar International Corp.
Navistar International has made former General Motors director of executive communications Greg Elliott its new vice president of communication strategy. Crain's Chicago Business (09/20/99) Vol. 22, No. 38; P. 54© copyright 1999 INFORMATION, INC. Terms of Service
