Component manufacturers

May 1, 2008
D. Mike Pennington, ArvinMeritor's senior director of global marketing communications and industry relations for Commercial Vehicle Systems, was awarded

D. Mike Pennington, ArvinMeritor's senior director of global marketing communications and industry relations for Commercial Vehicle Systems, was awarded this year's Lifetime Achievement Award by the Truck Writers of North America (TWNA) at the group's annual banquet at the 2008 Mid-America Trucking Show. Pennington began his trucking industry career on the editorial staff of Memphis TN-based Southern Motor Cargo magazine. In 1985, he joined ArvinMeritor, when it was still Rockwell Automotive, as manager of product publicity and business relations.

Austin Hardware & Supply Inc. has named Vicki R. Taylor the company's chief financial officer. Taylor has spent the past eight years as chief accounting officer and corporate secretary for Everest Connections LLC, a telecommunications firm.

Alcoa Wheel and Transportation Products, a Cleveland OH-based business unit of Alcoa Inc., has promoted Victor Marquez to global vice president of marketing-AWTP. In his new role, After joining Alcoa Mill Products in 1994 as a sales representative, he transferred to Alcoa Wheel Products in 1999 and most recently served as director of marketing for commercial vehicle wheels.

John Parr recently assumed duties as vice president of international business development for Hendrickson. He will be based in the United Kingdom but will spend considerable time in the United States working with the firm's leadership team. Parr comes to Hendrickson from Knorr-Bremse, Munich, Germany, and most recently served as the Asia Pacific Truck chief operating officer based in Hong Kong, China.

Fontaine International has hired Emma Thompson as vice president of finance and Paige Dahlke as controller. Thompson was Fontaine International's controller from 2002 to 2005, and for the past three years, she has served as assistant sector controller for Fontaine's parent company, Marmon Highway Technologies. Dahlke has 15 years of financial management experience. Immediately before joining Fontaine Parts Connection, she was chief financial officer for American Pipe & Supply, a wholesale pipe and plumbing warehouse distributor.

Knaack LLC, a division of Emerson and its Emerson Professional Tools business, has appointed Demetrios “Jim” Pahno vice president of manufacturing. He has more than 22 years of engineering and manufacturing management experience. Before joining Knaack, Pahno served as vice president of manufacturing for the American Locker Group in Dallas TX.