Swamy Kotagiri

🔊Message to OEMs from the front lines of the automotive supply chain When I asked auto supplier CEO Anthony Trecapelli of The Gemini Group, Inc. what message he would send to the OEMs, his answer stopped me in my tracks: 👉 “Don’t be afraid to be a team.” It's easy to get caught up in your own goals, numbers, next move, and career. Tony believes success comes when you walk in the door and put the person next to you ahead of yourself. That's how real teams win. If you're competing against countries where teamwork is built into the culture, you won't stand a chance unless you embrace the same. This is leadership, raw and real. 🎙️ Hear Tony’s full perspective on the latest episode of the Automotive Leaders Podcast.  👉Link here: https://lnkd.in/g5Hq7zn4 #leadership #automotive #culture #podcast

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If you’re in manufacturing, chances are you’ve seen the name JTEKT stamped on something. JTEKT North America Corporation is not just random Scrabble letters some executive pulled out of a hat. J – JTEKT (from Jidosha, aka “automobile” in Japanese, as it all started with Toyota spinning wheels and dreams). TE – Technology. KT – Koyo Tokushu, the heritage company that merged in. Put it all together and you get JTEKT: the love child of Toyota’s machine tool division and Koyo Seiko (the legendary bearing maker). In 2006, they merged forces in Japan and decided the world needed one mega-brand to dominate spindles, bearings, and steering wheels alike. JTEKT is a Toyota Group company, meaning they’ve got Big Car Energy but they don’t just do cars. They do bearings, driveline components, machine tools, and electronic steering systems. Basically, if it spins, rolls, or points straight on a highway, they’ve touched it. Known under the Toyoda brand in North America, JTEKT makes hardcore CNC machines. Horizontal and vertical machining centers, grinding machines, gear skivers…the “big kid toys” that keep aerospace, automotive, and medical shops running. Through the Koyo brand, they’ve been keeping the world rolling since before grandpa bought his first pickup truck. The quiet heroes behind electronic power steering. You don’t think about them when your steering wheel is smooth, but you sure would if it wasn’t. In a world obsessed with the “new kids” of tech, AI startups, EV disruptors, and whatever Elon’s doing this week, JTEKT is the boringly reliable friend you actually need. They’ve been around, they’ve merged the best of Japanese precision and Toyota discipline, and they quietly run massive chunks of the world’s manufacturing backbone. JTEKT is like the Spotify playlist you didn’t make but listen to every day. Always in the background, always running the show, and without them, your daily life would be chaos. Michael Graham John Suzette

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A key topic at hand at today's Automotive News Congress: Chinese automakers are advancing toward the North American market, raising serious questions for the industry and policymakers alike. Michael Dunne threw down a clear recommendation when prompted what advice he would have for the American auto OEM CEOs in the room. "Cut it in half." Everything from the number or brands to trim levels, body styles, engine types, and accessory packages. Extreme? Existential.

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Dealership technology startup Lectrium announced growth with key hire Reggie Brustulin. Reggie has 4 years of experience at Tesla, and 2 years of experience at Herb Chambers / Asbury Automotive. Lectrium founded the EV Merchandising vertical, which adds VIN-specific Range, Charging, and Savings details to dealership VDPs (Vehicle Detail Pages). See Lectrium’s site [SPONSORED]: https://www.lectrium.com/ When most dealership websites were built, there was only one fuel type (ICE). Now there is ICE, MHEV, PHEV, EREV, and BEV. Reggie brings strategic experience from the showroom floor to help dealerships navigate the new EV retail environment after the federal tax credit cut. Lectrium is OEM-certified with OEMs like BMW, MINI, and Audi, and works with major Automotive Groups around the USA to improve engagement time, educate shoppers, and drive faster turns of EV inventory. Reggie was a Lectrium customer for 18 months and decided to join the team because he believes in the mission that much! Lectrium integrates across the retail automotive ecosystem with inventory feed providers, website providers, google analytics, and dealer CRMs to power faster EV sales. Many car dealerships are struggling to adapt to the rapid shift toward electric vehicles, compounding the challenges created by the loss of the US federal tax credit. Unlike traditional gas cars, EVs often require longer explanations, more education, and test drives to win over hesitant buyers, yet sales staff are frequently undertrained and underincentivized to promote them. Lectrium helps dealerships with the EV transition. "Lectrium has empowered our dealerships to merchandise and showcase EV benefits in a way that informs, educates, and encourages shoppers to consider EV options," said Alex Keenan at Ewing Automotive Group. EVinfo.net is an EV-influencer led publication, offering sponsored articles, interviews and more to the EV industry. See samples below: https://lnkd.in/gH5Gdqb7 Sign up for the EVinfo.net e-news: https://lnkd.in/gHq6iA2p #evcharging #electricvehicles #Sponsored #Ad

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There is an irony in Detroit right now: The automaker most reliant on U.S. manufacturing is among the hardest hit by tariffs. Ford Motor Company, the second-largest American carmaker, prides itself on making most of its vehicles in the U.S. Some 80% of the cars Ford sells in the U.S. are built there, and it makes more vehicles in the U.S. than any other automaker. But the Dearborn, Mich., company said the Trump administration’s latest trade deals with Japan, the European Union and South Korea put it at a disadvantage with foreign rivals. Those deals now set a 15% tariff rate, which is lower than the 25% auto tariff that went into effect this spring. Ford faces steeper tariffs on many parts as well as higher costs for imported aluminum, which is subject to 50% duties. Ford, one of the industry’s biggest users of aluminum, buys the material from U.S. suppliers who pass on a chunk of their tariff costs. https://lnkd.in/e3pbbHHD

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I think people need to remember that our certification tests are created by subject matter experts (SMEs) who are working in the industry (working master techs, professional instructors from OEM’s, Aftermarket, and schools, etc.).   Contrary to what some hear, ASE employees don’t make up the questions. It is that committee of SME’s who develop the questions in workshops. The questions that survive that workshop get a test of their own, as unscored questions with live test-takers, to make sure they work.      I’m grateful for those SMEs who are are turning a wrench or teaching by day, and dedicating their time at night—real people trying to do good.   Also, we're listening to everyone on how to make these tests better through the task list surveys so many of you have so graciously been taking. As we find situations where some tasks are rarely being done in the shop environment, question content will change. More to come on survey results impacting test content in the next few weeks. Stay tuned.   We're listening. We're making changes. Through our surveys, we're iterating.   Thanks for helping us to keep moving forward.

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Big moves in the manufacturing world Stellantis’ decision to reopen its Illinois plant (creating 1,500 jobs) is not just a win for the U.S. workforce—it’s a strategic signal. The reshoring of production, coupled with their investments in Detroit, Toledo, and Kokomo, highlights the importance of agility in supply chains and the critical need for advanced, tech-driven logistics. At @nowports, we see this as another reminder that the future of manufacturing depends on reliable, streamlined, and scalable logistics solutions. Supply chains must evolve as fast as industries like automotive adapt to new market demands, sustainability goals, and technological advancements. It's key to mention that this production was initially planned in México. Still, after Donald Trump got into office, Stellantis relocated to the USA to avoid potential tariffs. https://buff.ly/4avXPgz

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