Grote signs up new Canadian manager; Sponsors motor race series

MARKHAM, Ont. — Grote Industries has tapped Barry Duff to be its new category manager for the Safety Systems division in Canada.

Duff’s primary responsibilities are to manage and maintain Grote’s portfolio of lighting and safety products and market solutions.

He has 25 years of experience in the heavy-duty truck parts industry and was most recently with Kinedyne Canada as Canadian sales manager.

Meanwhile, the vehicle lighting systems maker also announced it will sponsor the Formula 1200 Championship Series for the upcoming 2007 racing season.

F1200 is a Canadian open wheel single seat racing series. Racing on the circuit is said to be so close that often three or four cars finish within a second of one another.

The series is seen as a steppingstone for young racers interested in driving professionally. It’s been described as a “driver development class rather than a car development class.”

“We saw a good fit supporting the Formula 1200 Drivers Association (FTDA) as it is truly the bridge for the young and up and coming racing talent in Canada,” said Brad Morris, GM of Grote Industries Canada. “We also saw an excellent opportunity to apply many of our advancements in lighting and electrical products to the racing community.”

The F1200s this season will be using Grote’s 2″ Red LED marker lights as a replacement to the traditional rain lights used in the past.