Dayco sales and marketing director retires
Dayco Australia sales and marketing director, David McClurg, has announced his retirement after almost four decades in the Australian automotive aftermarket.
McClurg moved into the industry after working at Cadbury Schweppes as a product planner. He joined Denso Australia in 1985, also as a product planner, introducing several new and highly successful parts to the company’s locally manufactured automotive range.
After three years, McClurg was promoted to product manager for the Denso Replacement / Aftermarket Radiator range, overseeing vast expansion and major automotive aftermarket business growth across the next decade.
After 11 years with Denso, McClurg was recruited by Dayco Australia as product manager, overseeing the company’s Australian and New Zealand aftermarket product range. He was promoted to sales and business manager after a year, overseeing a period of outstanding success for the component manufacturer.
McClurg became Dayco Australia and New Zealand sales and marketing director 15 years ago and was pivotal in replacing and growing the company’s lost OE sales (when car manufacturers ceased Australian manufacturing), with an aftermarket sales focus. He developed a program of constant expansion, including the introduction of product kits to make mechanics’ jobs easier, when no one in the industry was doing it.
McClurg also oversaw the company’s successful online catalogue, introduced long before it became the industry norm, becoming a mainstay of the industry. He was also responsible for the introduction of several new, high-quality non-core aftermarket products, which now represent more than 10 per cent of the company’s aftermarket sales in the region.
McClurg established and was the driving force behind Dayco’s highly successful motorsport marketing program, starting with the company’s original Supercars ambassador, the late Jason Richards. This progressed to Supercars teams, including the Nissan factory team; the first full time female Supercar driver, Simona de Silvestro; Porsche Carrera Cup’ International GT and Supercar Enduro driver, David Russell; the Mustang Supercar debut with Tickford Racing, and many more smaller team involvements. The marketing platforms made sure the Dayco brand was promoted to mechanics and car enthusiasts for more than a decade.
McClurg also oversaw the design and presentation of several Dayco trade media advertisements, the company’s successful local and international trade media PR program and its award-winning trade show stands and attractions.
Dayco Vice President – Aftermarket South East Asia, Arnold Mouw, said McClurg enters retirement after having achieved so much for the company.
“David brought enthusiasm, dedication and acute industry knowledge to his management roles at Dayco. He has been a mainstay at every industry trade event and international trade fair event during his remarkable close to four-decade automotive aftermarket industry career.
“We will miss him greatly from our team and we all wish David an enjoyable transition to retirement after having contributed so much to our company and to our industry for so long,” added Mouw.
McClurg said his career had been very rewarding.
“I have met and worked with some great people along the journey and I have enjoyed spending close to four decades in the automotive aftermarket industry. Most of my career has been with Dayco and I’m thankful for the opportunities that I was given to broaden my career with the company. I’m very proud of what we have been able to achieve together,” said McClurg.
Photo caption: David McClurg (centre) flanked on his right by Dayco South East Asia Vice President – Aftermarket, Arnold Mouw, and long-time industry colleague, Andrew Schram.
