R. L. Polk & Co. Launches Into the Commercial Vehicle Aftermarket

Licensing Agreement With Commercial Motor Vehicle Consulting, Inc. Creates New and Innovative Products for the Commercial Aftermarket

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., July 8 -- R. L. Polk & Co. has entered into a licensing agreement with Commercial Motor Vehicle Consulting, Inc. (CMVC), for the supply of a Commercial Vehicle Parts Consumption Database. Under the terms of the agreement, Polk and CMVC will jointly develop a Parts Consumption Database that will initially measure the size of the brake, tire and petroleum product markets.

Polk will apply the Parts Consumption data to its Vehicles In Operation(R) (VIO(R)) database that currently contains 50 million commercial vehicles and a number of descriptive variables to segment the vehicle population. The combined Polk/CMVC information will be distributed via Polk's Trucking Industry Profile(R) (TIP(R)) system.

"Our agreement with CMVC will allow us to build a strong foundation to measure the size of the commercial aftermarket, plan inventory volumes and assess stocking decisions at a geographic or fleet level," said Mike Gingell, vice president of Polk North America's Commercial Vehicle Group. "We are pleased to have the opportunity to partner with CMVC and we are very optimistic about the future of our relationship."

Chris Brady, President of Commercial Motor Vehicle Consulting, Inc., stated "We have all seen or heard about the difficulties companies have objectively measuring the success of their commercial aftermarket programs due to the lack of available information. The strength of this aftermarket database is that companies have the capability to measure and analyze the parts aftermarket by market segments, such as sales territories, vocations and OEM nameplates to just name a few variables. CMVC is pleased to have the opportunity to partner with R. L. Polk & Co. and we are excited about the value this relationship will bring to the market."

About R. L. Polk & Co.

Polk has served the automotive industry for more than 80 years and is the longest standing curator of automobile records in the United States. Founded in Detroit in 1870, Polk launched its motor vehicle statistical operations in 1922 when the first car registration reports were published. The company now provides automotive solutions to nearly every segment of the motor vehicle industry as an analytical consultant and statistician, as a provider of database-marketing services, and as a supplier of vehicle histories. Based in Southfield, Mich., Polk is a privately held global firm, currently operating in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Mexico, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.

About Commercial Motor Vehicle Consulting, Inc.

Commercial Motor Vehicle Consulting was established in 1999 with the mission to focus exclusively on market research and analysis of the commercial motor vehicle industry. CMVC is dedicated to market analysis and research that assist clients in developing market, investment, business and strategic plans for the North American market. CMVC currently provides services for OEMs, component suppliers, service firms, trade organizations and publications.