Posted: 05 Oct 2009 12:25 AM PDT

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GM retiree was outgoing, avid volunteer - detnews.com

Posted: 04 Oct 2009 09:55 PM PDT

Don V. Somers, Troy

Mark Hicks / The Detroit News

Don Somers loved to stop and chat with people, a trait that helped him throughout his years volunteering with a local American Red Cross mobile blood bank unit.

"It fit his personality. He was always outgoing and friendly," said his son Keith Somers. "No matter where he was, he always struck up a conversation. He was always happy to talk."

Mr. Somers died on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009. He was 85.

Born March 5, 1924, to Raymond and Estelle Somers, he grew up in Buffalo, N.Y.

Spurred by the Dec. 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor attack, Mr. Somers quickly enlisted in the military.

Serving in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II, he flew in a B-24 Liberator bomber as a waist gunner and was active in the South Pacific.

During his third mission, his plane was shot and Mr. Somers lost a leg.

Among his honors was a Purple Heart, relatives said.

After a lengthy recovery, Mr. Somers earned bachelor's degrees from what was then General Motors Institute in Flint as well as Cornell University.

On March 31, 1951, he wed Teresa Haitgema.

Relocating to Metro Detroit, he began working at GM Technical Center in Warren and became an automotive engineering manager in the Chevrolet division.

Even after retiring in 1980, Mr. Somers was devoted to automotive interests: motorcycles and tinkering with cars.

"He just loved cars and motorcycles," his son said. "He was always doing something with cars ... had a bunch of motorcycles over the years. He just liked the freedom of it."

Besides volunteering with the Red Cross, Mr. Somers also was a member and past president of the West Bloomfield Township school board and served with a GM retirees' group, relatives said.

"He was always active in the community," Keith Somers said.

Another love was journeying nationwide with his wife.

"They went all over the country," their son said. "They would spend a couple of months a year driving all over. Wherever their children lived they would go, from Colorado to Massachusetts to New York City to North Carolina to Louisiana. They were always there to visit."

At home, Mr. Somers enjoyed walking his dogs and hoisting an American flag in the front yard.

"Every day he flew a flag," Keith Somers said. "He was a very proud American."

Besides his wife and son, other survivors include three daughters, Ruth Somers, Debby Claussen and Cyd Karr; a son, Michael Somers; five grandchildren; a brother, the Rev. Eldon Somers; and a sister-in-law, Eileen Somers.

He was predeceased by a brother, Lowell Somers.

Services were held Friday.

Memorials may be made to Henry Ford Hospice/Lakeland Center, 26900 Franklin Road, Southfield, MI 48033.

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GfK Philippines Shifts Gear to Automotive - Business World

Posted: 04 Oct 2009 09:01 AM PDT

Monday, October 5, 2009 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES

Corporate Bulletins

GfK Philippines (GfK PH) has entered the tire market as a strategic move to expand its panel and channel reach in the market. Last July 2009, GfK PH has officially launched its initial activities to officially start auditing the passenger car tire retail market. Based on this activity, GfK PH identified the significant channels to be tire specialists and fast fitters or shops/garages offering minor services. However, other channels will also be included in the retail audit as long as these shops are carrying brand new passenger car tires such as garage workshops, spare parts shops, and tuning shops. Our first phase for the automotive panel is to focus in the metropolitan area or NCR and later expand to other key cities and provinces as we progress. Based on our retail census, more than 85% of retailers are independent or small retailers while the remaining piece of the market is the big chains. This will be a very challenging endeavor for us as this is outside our traditional retail audit business, according to Jake Savellano, GfK Philippines General Manager.

GfK PH sees the area of concentration in the Manila, Makati, South Manila (comprising Parañaque, Las Piñas, and Muntinlupa areas), Pasig, and Quezon City areas. GfK Philippines Business Development Manager for Automotive, Ron Arambulo said, The passenger car tire tracking have already started in other GfK Asian countries such as China, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Korea. We started off with NCR since it accounts to 40-50% of the total Philippine retail tire market.

The pragmatic approach of tire consumers has made tire retailers to be more aggressive in addressing the needs and wants of consumers. Discounts, bundling promos, freebies, print ads, and other below-the-line activities dominate the retail tire market scene. This is based on the initial activities done by GfK PH to jumpstart its automotive panel. Consumer tend to buy replacement tires that are either cheap thus, the influx of China-brand tires or just buy the kind of brand currently mounted on their vehicles. Consumers are very cautious in shifting brands and would prefer not to switch to avoid vehicular glitches. This reflects the local sentiments of retailers in recommending brands to retailers.

The tire market is evolving especially with China brands gaining traction in the local market. Despite the slowdown in car sales, we are optimistic that the automotive industry will gain its momentum and when this happens, we will be there to provide manufacturers and retailers with significant, accurate, and up-to-date retail market data and insights to help them become more competitive, added Ron Arambulo.

The GfK Group

The GfK Group, founded in Germany and with its Philippine office located in Makati City, is the fourth largest market research company in the world. We specialize in retail sales tracking of consumer goods with data from retailers and resellers in more than 100 countries worldwide. For more information, visit our website at www.gfkrt.com or call +632 889 6764 local 105.

BMW Z4 Roadster launched in RP

Asian Carmakers Corporation (ACC), the exclusive distributor of BMW cars and motorcycles in the Philippines, celebrates 75 years of the BMW Roadster with the launch of the new BMW Z4 Roadster.

A fascinating milestone in automotive technology, the new BMW Z4 Roadster is the only vehicle in its segment to combine classic roadster proportions with a seating position close to the rear axle, rear-wheel drive and a fully-automatic retractable hardtop.

The new BMW Z4 offers all the driving pleasure of a BMW Roadster with particularly refined and stylish flair. Driving with the roof down, this two-seater offers a refreshingly intense experience of the sunshine and the wind rushing by — and driving with the hardtop closed, it provides all the comfort of a premium sports coupé. With this diversity and wide range of qualities, the new BMW Z4 represents the re-birth of the roadster.

"In a nutshell you can describe BMW's new sports car as the fast, beautiful and reliable car bound to give the ambitious sports driver one exhilarating experience after the other," said Jay Cruz, sales director of ACC.

The design of the new Z4 is characterized by classic details interpreted in a new and contemporary style. The appeal of this two-seater lies in its unique combination of elegance, agility, and supreme comfort.

The aluminum shells of the two-piece lightweight hardtop come to rest in the roof compartment, thereby maximizing space. Even with the roof closed, the new Z4 retains the proportions typical of a genuine roadster. With these features, the new model is the successor to both the BMW Z4 Roadster and the BMW Z4 Coupé.

Anyone who appreciates the open-air feeling characteristic of a BMW convertible can look forward to the new BMW Z4, which is now available at BMW dealers.

To learn more about the new BMW Z4, contact any of the authorized BMW dealers, Autohaus BMW (Libis) at 638-0734; Autozentrum BMW (Alabang) at 772- 6021 to 24; Klassik BMW (San Juan) at 722-2555; Performance Auto BMW (Cebu) at +6332 231 9791; Premier Cars BMW (Pampanga) at +6345 963 7777; and Prestige Cars BMW (Makati) at 892- 8127.

Pharmaceutical firm supports La Mesa Watershed project

Holding true to its commitment of making a positive difference in the lives of Filipinos, Otsuka (Philippines) Pharma-ceuticals, Inc. (OPPI) recently initiated an environmental project in collaboration with ABS-CBN's Bantay Kalikasan, called Adopt a Hectare.

The fund donated by OPPI will be used to finance the expenses to maintain one hectare in three years, which includes securing the perimeter from squatters, and to finance the caretaker of the area who takes care of the trees planted.

Employees were also one with the companies' vision as they trooped to the site to show support for the project. They participated during the ceremonial tree planting activity to symbolize the launch of the commitment.

Adopt a Hectare is another milestone added to the numerous corporate social responsibility projects undertaken by Otsuka. "We have done projects like helping streetchildren, bloodletting, and sponsoring the education of underprivileged kids. Now, we feel that this is the better time to do something for the environment, and this is the perfect venue for us," shared Pol Dimerin, president of OPPI.

The La Mesa Watershed is the last forest of its size in the metropolis.

The concentric expansion of human population in Metro Manila affected the forest. The inadequacy of watershed protection led to the former natural forest's cover to dwindle.

Bantay Kalikasan of the ABS-CBN Foundation, Inc. started a reforestation program in the 2,700-hectare La Mesa Watershed in 1999. By rehabilitating and managing the La Mesa watershed as a nature park, the following values would be enhanced: watershed protection; education; recreation-aesthetics; wildlife; and research, to name a few.

"This partnership with Bantay Kalikasan does not only help address the environment concerns we are currently facing. This is more than planting new trees at the site. The sustainability of the project is a factor that needs to be highlighted," Mr. Dimerin explained.

He added, "Otsuka's promise is to improve the quality of life of its community. We are already seeing the effects when we take advantage of the environment and through the Adopt a Hectare, we hope to educate the public and generate awareness on what should be done so that future generation can still enjoy Mother Earth's beauty and gifts to men."

Conference slated

The Philippines will host the 15^th Asian-Pacific Corrosion Control Conference (APCCC15) which will tackle the latest developments and new ideas on corrosion control and conservation of material resources in the region. To be held in the country for the first time, the three-day conference will run from Oct. 18 to 21 at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati City and is being organized by the Philippine Corrosion Society Inc. (PhiCS) with plenary sessions that will feature leading international experts on corrosion. With over 100 delegates from 15 countries already confirmed, the conference will also showcase 40 scientific papers on corrosion in the chemical processing, semiconductor, oil and gas, nuclear power, utilities, construction, and medical industries. For more information, contact Fairs & More Inc. at 845-1324 or 759-6680 and look for Zai Tan-Perez or e-mail to: apccc@fairsandmore.com.ph; contact APCCC Secretariat Annalyn Wong at 392-5545 or 0917-8976357.

ATR KimEng receives best domestic broker award

FinanceAsia, Asia's leading financial print and online publishing company, has announced that ATR KimEng Securities, Inc., the stock brokerage subsidiary of the ATR KimEng Group, was chosen Best Domestic Broker in its 2009 Country Awards for Achievement, an annual look at the best financial services firms in each country around the region. In photo during the awards gala dinner is ATR KimEng Securities chairman and president Lorenzo Roxas (center) receiving the award from FinanceAsia.com editor Anette Jonsson (left) and FinanceAsia and AsianInvestor publisher Jonathan Hirst.

Alphaland opens in Southgate Mall

Rick Santos, CB Richard Ellis chairman, joins Mario Oreta, president of Alphaland Corp., Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay and Roberto Ongpin, chairman of Alphaland Corp. at the Southgate Mall opening ceremonies on the corner of Pasong Tamo and EDSA in Makati. The tower's 40,000 square meters of office space atop the new mall is scheduled for turn over in November. Facilities will be managed by CBRE.

BPI recognized as best asset management firm

BPI Asset Management has been named as Best Asset Management Company, Philippines in The Asset Triple A Investment Awards 2009.

BPI Asset Management retains a dominant market share of the asset management business in the Philippines, managing over P380 billion in assets, representing 22% industry share among 38 market players as of June 30.

Its vast pool of institutional and retail clients consists of 835 institutional accounts, including several government institutions and top corporations in the Philippines and 46,000 individual clients.

BPI Asset Management's industry leadership is backed by the complete line of trust products and services it offers, highly experienced pool of investment and trust practitioners and state-of-the-art system infrastructure.

BPI Asset Management has a long history of experience in money management and has the prestige of being the only local bank qualified to be a third party custodian on the strength of its CAMELS rating of 4.

The Asset Triple A Investment Awards comes on the heels of recognition earlier this year from the Reader's Digest Asia's Trusted Brands where BPI Asset Management won Gold for the third straight year.

The Asset Triple A Investment Awards is Asia's defining recognition for excellence for the leading investment companies in the Asia-Pacific. The Triple A Awards methodology adopts a rigorous approach to the selection of the best institutions and products throughout the region. After detailed analysis of the submissions, point scores for both quantitative and qualitative factors are combined in the determination of the winners.

The Asset is the leading finance publication for Asian corporates and global investors active in the region. The magazine specializes in providing analysis and insight into how Asia's leading companies raise and manage their capital, as well as the buying behavior of global investors active in Asia's markets.

The Asset is published by Asset Publishing and Research Ltd.

Filipina is 100^th cadet pilot in Etihad flying program

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has welcomed the 100^th cadet pilot to its innovative and expanding flying program.

Filipina-Emirati Shareefa Al Bloushi from Abu Dhabi, whose mother is a Filipina, is a member of Etihad's tenth group of cadets which recently started the 18-month training program at the Horizon Flight Academy in Al Ain. She is also the sixth female Emirati cadet pilot to join the program, and eighth female overall.

The Etihad Airways cadet pilot program was launched in June 2007 with the first group of cadet pilots, who graduated from the course in February 2009, now training and flying aboard the airline's Airbus A320 fleet.

"The recruitment, training and development of cadet pilots is of the utmost importance to Etihad Airways and an integral part of maintaining our position as a leading global airline," Captain Richard Hill, Etihad Airways' chief operations officer.

"To reach the milestone of 100 cadet pilots is a great achievement and we offer Shareefa, our 100th cadet pilot, and her new colleagues our best wishes as they start training."

Shareefa Al Bloushi is a member of Etihad's expanding female pilot community which currently includes 15 female first officers and cadet pilots within its ranks. This figure is expected to double during the next 12 months.

"I am extremely proud to be a part of the Etihad Airways female pilot community and to be learning alongside other women pilots from across the world," Ms. Al Bloushi said.

"While the program is rigorous and demanding it will ensure that I have the best training and development for when I graduate and become a fully-qualified Etihad pilot."

In order to gain the Airline Transport Pilots Licence (ATPL) the cadet pilots have to complete 750 hours of classroom tuition and 205 hours flight training in single and multi-engine aircraft.

During this time they also have to pass the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority's theoretical knowledge and flying exams.

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