Saturday, October 31st
APRA Electrical Survive & Thrive Clinic
8:45 am - 4:00 pm / $105 early bird; $115 after 10/16/09
The day will begin with Bruce Purkey of Purkey’s Fleet Service, Inc. who will explain the latest developments in the heavy duty electrical field. He will talk about what rebuilders can and cannot do with the newer systems and will go into some of the most recent features of onboard data transmission that can record or send malfunction messages to the trucks’ terminals or maintenance facilities.

William Avancini, Sales Executive of Zen North America Corporation will then take the podium and explain the idea behind the design principles of Zen's clutch pulleys and starter drives. He will also explain the production, testing, and qualifying methods of these components.

Next on the agenda will be Mohammad Samii. During his 2-part session, Mohammad will explain the latest changes and systems. He will also discuss PCM activation of alternators and data bus operated warning lights along with case studies showing repair and diagnostic process with pinpoint voltage profiles and scope captures will also be discussed. The second part of his session will be pictorial showing some step-by-step rebuilding techniques of popular late model starters and alternators. This part also includes step-by-step pictorial slip ring replacement on most common alternators such as CS-130D, DR44G, Ford’s 3, 4, 6-G, and Bosch internal fan rotors that every small rebuilder can accomplish with tools they already own.

Following lunch Gene Kaiser, Regitar’s QC and Technical Services Manager will present the company’s latest effort to make compatible regulators. He will focus on Ford applications, which have been a source of trouble for rebuilders, creating conditions that indicate the alternator works fine, but the warning light remains on. Regitar’s other new regulators and products will also be shown and discussed.

Dennis Jacinto, president of Lester Catalog Company, will bring the audience up-to-date on the latest development of their catalog and the web-based KwikFinder® program, which is the most popular cataloging system for electrical rebuilders.

The day will finish with the ever popular panel roundtable discussion and Q & A session. The panel will be moderated by Dennis Jacinto and Dan Smith. This is the interactive part of the program where the floor is opened for audience questions regarding technical, marketing or any related issues concerning the rebuilding industry. Participants are encouraged to bring their questions and seek answers.

Calculating the True Cost of Cleaning
1:30 pm - 4:00 pm / $35 early bird; $40 after 10/16/09
Automotive parts remanufacturing is becoming more competitive every year. Progressive remanufactures are always looking for new ways to save money through process improvements. Surface cleaning is a remanufacturing process where companies can typically find improvement opportunities due to the ever increasing number of new chemistries and technologies available. Once identified, how does a company determine which options are most cost effective for their operation? This presentation will discuss the costs associated with cleaning and the methods used to calculate the true benefits to the organization. Three APRA member cleaning companies will be participating in the seminar: Guspro, LS Industries and Pro Ultrasonics

Sunday, November 1st
Opening General Session
Dynamic Marketing Confessions of a Street Fighter
8:15 am - 9:50 pm / FREE
Marc Slutsky of Street Fighter Marketing, in Columbus, Ohio will keynote APRA’s Opening Session on how to market, promote and increase sales without spending a lot of money. His presentation is very timely considering today’s economic challenges. The focus of his presentation will be on gaining the edge over your competition by out-thinking them instead of out-spending them. His street fighter tactics are a proven way to capture attention and help companies close more sales for more money. Slutsky has been with Street Fighter Marketing for 25 years and has been interviewed by The Wall Street Journal, INC Magazine, USA Today and Success Magazine as well as numerous radio and TV programs. Their client list includes AT & T, American Express, Honda, Marriott and Chevron along with the U.S. Military, State of Arkansas and the City of Dallas. He is the co-author of five books including “How to Get Clients” and “Smart Marketing” and has a package of audio and video training programs to increase sales.

Improving Employee Work Habits
11:00 am - 12:00 pm / FREE
While not an issue for some people, poor work habits are a major cause of disciplinary action. Left unaddressed, poor work habits can lead team members to assume that the behavior is acceptable, and that can become a critical management issue. Discussing such concerns as absenteeism, language issues, and dress and grooming habits can be a difficult but necessary part of leading a team. And just like other aspects of team leadership, correcting work habits that need improvement requires careful attention and skill. This program will provide the tools necessary to recognize and to address poor work habits – even those of a team member who may be successful in his or her job. By focusing on the negative behavior and gaining the individual’s acceptance and commitment to change, the manager effectively addresses the issue before it develops into a disciplinary problem for everyone on the team.

Diversifying Your Business
11:30 am - 12:15 pm / FREE
Clemens Ortgies of BU Drive USA and Germany will cover their history of converting diesel engines into gas engines that use biogas, natural gas, liquefied gas, landfill gas, or sewage gas. Converting scrap engines to gas engines for decentralized power heating stations is not only a highly economic source of energy supply, it is a green approach that helps save our planet’s resources. The European market for decentralized systems with a capacity of up to 400 KW of power is booming, particularly for Combined Heat and Power plants using renewable resources. There is a monopoly on gas engine production with delivery times exceeding a year, so the technology from BU Drive is an opportunity to diversify your business. Also, on the program will be a discussion by Karsten Lange of their remanufactured turbochargers and the opportunities it presents for engine remanufacturers.

Exporting Assistance from Uncle Sam
12:30 pm – 1:15 pm / FREE
U.S. Dept. of Commerce will inform potential U.S. exporters on the role of the Federal Government in providing export assistance to U.S. companies. The seminar will cover the domestic and foreign arm of the Commercial Service, export counseling, market research, services such as Gold Key, International Partner Search and the role of other Federal Agencies.

Family Medical Leave Act and Review of Final Published Rules
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm / FREE
In November 2008, the U. S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued revised regulations interpreting the Family and Medical Leave Act, as amended. The revised regulations became effective January 16, 2009. These were the first revisions to the regulations since they were initially issued in April, 1995. In addition to reorganizing, modifying, and clarifying existing regulations, the DOL issued new regulations addressing the military family leave enacted by Congress in January, 2008. This program will consist of an overview of the FMLA and the new published regulations. Practical tools for regulatory compliance will be provided.

Taking Advantage of a Difficult Economy
1:30 pm - 2:15 pm / FREE
Will Burnett and Jon Gormin from Owner Resource Group of Austin, Texas will provide an overview of the current economic environment and will walk through a few case studies that show how owners have taken advantage of the economic climate to add real value to their companies. Business owners and senior management will learn what strategies for growth are available in today’s challenging economy and how those strategies can be financed in today’s environment.

Workstation Design for Lean Initiatives
2:15 pm - 3:30 pm / $35 early bird; $40 after 10/16/09
Another topic which impacts every remanufacturing operation is workstation design. Companies can benefit from applying industrial engineering techniques for increased productivity at any station where work is performed. This seminar will focus on proper workstation design while giving examples of common problems and ways to overcome them. Insight on why fixture use or misuse can impact productivity, quality and worker safety will also be discussed. Seminar participants will gain an understanding of what should be considered and implemented for optimal workstation layout. If you feel that your current workstation designs are in need of improvement, then this seminar is for you.

Improving Quality - Straight to the Bottom Line
3:45 pm - 5:00 pm / $35 early bird; $40 after 10/16/09
In-process scrap. Rework. Are these necessary evils? In many cases, these financial burdens can be reduced through a root cause analysis and subsequent corrective action. This seminar will focus on the processes used to analyze and troubleshoot the causes of failure to meet requirements in any shop. If you haven’t seriously explored quality improvement as a lucrative opportunity, then this seminar is for you.

Monday, November 2nd
Core and Reman - Market Ideas for the Future
7:30 am -9:00 am / FREE
This interactive session will feature Springfield Remanufacturing Corporation Managers who have implemented new and interesting ways to tackle the age old issues of core flow relative to a healthy remanufacturing process. The session will include Q&A with the express intent of capturing ideas for the association. The ideas expressed will be captured by APRA and used to identify future focus programs to help the industry improve and expand on the important topics.

HD Engine Failure Analysis Seminar
9:05 am - 10:05 am / FREE
Failure analysis as a marketing and customer satisfaction tool for heavy duty engine remanufacturers is an important topic. Every engine rebuild begins with an engine performance problem. For remanufacturers, determining the cause of the failure can go a long way toward solidifying customer relationships and preventing future performance issues. Steve Matthiesen with SuperFlow Technologies will discuss "Heavy Duty Engine Analysis & Failure Prevention Using HD Engine Dynamometers and Data Acquisition Systems." Several other industry experts will discuss how and why engine failures occur and how to prevent them. All are industry veterans who have analyzed engine related problems and will be able to give attendees real life examples of failures and their causes and solutions.
Presenters: Bob Gaylen, TAWAS, Inc. and Steve Scott, IPD

Opportunities for Remanufacturers
9:30 am – 10:45 am / $35 early bird; $40 after 10/16/09
Remanufacturers often focus on their existing capabilities and customers when looking for new opportunities to advance their organization. This focus can yield excellent results, but all too often opportunities can slip by unnoticed. This presentation by RIT will cover a variety of topics, related to the remanufacturing industry, which will challenge the attendees to refocus on emerging opportunities. Topics such as the momentum building around environmental sustainability will be discussed as it relates to material reuse, increased governmental awareness of remanufacturing, the turmoil in the automotive industry, and current emphasis on “green economy” jobs.

Becoming a Superior Coach
11:15 am – 12:15 pm / FREE
Managers are responsible for so much these days – hiring staff, meeting budget targets, and achieving department goals. It would be easy to simply ignore individual job task coaching. Shouldn’t managers spend their time driving team performance and not developing individual performers? This program will provide the tools necessary to successfully coach individuals to perform a job, a task, or a skill. In order to achieve results, coaching must go beyond just showing how to do something. Coaching involves observing, analyzing, demonstrating, and giving feedback. It’s a process of developing relationships with team members - relationships that ultimately can build the trust and respect that are the foundation of successful organizations.

The Future of Parts: New and Remanufactured, Online
11:30 am – 12:30 pm / FREE
Famous Rhodes, Director of Parts & Accessories, eBay Motors, will be speaking about the opportunity of selling used and remanufactured automotive parts on the internet. The content will review the rise of online shopping for parts customers and the growing available inventory. Highlights will include eBay Motors recent announcement with Hollander and will cover category and online consumer behavior research conducted by eBay Motors.

APRA Electronics & Mechatronics Clinic
2:00 pm – 4:30 pm / $55 early bird; $65 after 10/16/09
E&M Division co-chairman, Joe Kripli, has arranged for an informative afternoon starting with a short seminar from Mohammad Samii, Contributing Technical Writer for APRA's Global Connection newspaper. Samii will explain the basics of Toyota's popular THS-II operation and familiarize the group with the drive-by-wire design principle behind Toyota's most successful Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) and its Power Split Device (PSD) that works as a Constant Speed Transmission (CVT).

Dr. Stefan Freiberger and Matthias Albrecht of Bayreuth University in Germany will focus on how the communication between car and steering pump is investigated and stored. They will also discuss how the system can be tested during the remanufacturing process. The title of their presentation will be “Developing Testing Technologies for Remanufacturing Automotive Mechatronics and Electronics Communicating via CAN Bus.”

Also on the agenda is Mark Malaspina, Vice President of Business Development for ATC Drivetrain, who will present “How New Technology Has Changed Remanufacturing.” The Clinic will end with a question and answer session.

APRA Air Conditioning Clinic
1:30 pm – 4:30 pm / $45 early bird; $50 after 10/16/09
The focus of this year’s Air Conditioning Clinic will be on business methodologies for an economic crisis. Klaus Zenk of Santech Industries, Inc. and Chairman of APRA’s Air Conditioning Division, has arranged for an excellent group of speakers to share their specialized knowledge with the division.

Bob German, Senior Staff Engineer for the National Center for Remanufacturing and Resource Recovery will discuss how to re-invent your company by implementing lean and improved efficiencies. Tom Massey, Owner of Auto Air and More in Las Vegas, Nevada, will present “Silent Killers,” the newest unseen forces destroying compressors. Next on the agenda will be Jon DeLucia, Owner of Nostalgic Air in Tampa, Florida who will talk about the new generation of A/C specialists and how he found direction in the market. Rounding out the clinic will be Dr. Lein-Lein Chen, PhD, with the College of Business at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Dr. Chen, who was on last year’s program, returns to discuss the outlook for the U.S economy.