What’s New: In Brief (August 19, 2008)

Carstar Automotive Canada has created two new regional director positions aimed to help the company develop three distinct regions of operation within Canada. Bob Gagnon will assume the role of regional director eastern Canada (Quebec and the Maritimes), bringing to the role 25 years in senior automotive franchise system management positions. Lloyd Wheeler will take on the position of regional director western Canada (B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba), with 20 years of experience in senior automotive retail, franchise and service positions. Currently, the Ontario region is managed by Larry Jefferies, executive vice president, but a regional director will be added in 2009.

Karen Clark & Company has launched a wind damage scale for assessing the likely insured damage from tropical storms or hurricanes. The KC Wind Damage Scale differs from the well-known Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, which is used to categorize hurricanes, a release says. The Saffir-Simpson scale starts at 74-mph, while insured damages are typically experienced at lower wind speeds. The scale ranges from KC 0, for a storm with winds less than 40 miles per hour and in which negligible insured damage would be expected, to KC 7, denoting a hurricane with winds in excess of 160 miles per hour, and in which all but engineered and highly fortified structures would likely suffer complete destruction. The scale provides a detailed damage description for each category, the company adds.