How to Submit Suggestions, Ideas, Issues to ASA

As a member-driven organization, ASA values your opinion, input and participation. If you have suggestions, ideas or issues you would like the national board of directors, the division operations committees or the Affiliate Assembly to address, please follow these guidelines. Contact information for the ASA board of directors can be found on page 2 of the September issue of AutoInc.

National Board of Directors: Contact any member of the national board of directors via telephone, e-mail or postal mail with your input. Your board of directors' listing can be found on the ASA Web site, in AutoInc. magazine or ASA OnDemand. You may also contact the ASA Membership Department to request the current contact information for the board.

Mechanical Division and Collision Division Operations Committees: Contact the current division director via telephone, e-mail or postal mail with your input. Division directors hold a seat on the board of directors, and their contact information can be found on the ASA Web site, in AutoInc. magazine or ASA OnDemand. You may also contact the national office to speak with the division managers.

Affiliate Assembly: Every January there is a "formal" call for issues to be submitted to the national office for the agenda of the Affiliate Assembly meeting held during ASA's annual convention. Agenda items to be considered for the Affiliate Assembly meeting should be sent to your affiliate delegate, affiliate executive director or the administrative assistant to the ASA president.

If an issue surfaces after the annual convention, the best approach is to provide the information to a board member or the manager of either the Collision Division or Mechanical Division. All members are also welcome to contact any ASA national staff person at (800) 272-7467, and their comments or suggestions will be directed to the appropriate group.

Look Who's in the Running for an Expense-Paid Trip to CARS or NACE

Want to win a free trip to CARS or NACE this year? Then recruit some members to ASA! But hurry - the deadline is Sept. 15.

For every member application submitted to the national office by a regular member, that member will earn 5 points. Moreover, they will become a member of the Chairman's Club, which has always been an integral part of the Automotive Service Association's membership recruitment program.

The member with the most points Sept. 15, 2008, will receive one expense-paid trip* to CARS or NACE. In the case of a tie, a drawing will be held to determine the winner. To be eligible for the trip, you must have a minimum of 50 points. Here are the current leaders:

Let ASA Help You Recruit New Members! To help with your recruitment efforts, ASA has a new flier, "5 Reasons to Join ASA," which you can download for free from the Chairman's Club page in the Members Only section of www.ASAshop.org. See you in 'Vegas!

*Expenses covered - round-trip airline ticket plus registration to the event and four nights in a hotel. Food and beverage are the responsibility of the winner. All accommodations must be arranged by ASA.

ASA-Michigan Hosts 23rd Annual Golf Outing

More than 144 golfers participated in ASA-Michigan's 23rd annual golf outing July 14 at Eagle Eye Golf Course in Bath, Mich.

Among golfers were Tammy Mason, standing; and (from left) Matt Mason, Brook Risner and Marty Mason. All are associated with Robert's Paint & Body in Chelsea, Mich.

It was a perfect day with temperatures in the mid-80s with a slight breeze. ASA-Michigan members enjoyed themselves and a great golf course (Eagle Eye in 2005 ranked among the top five new public golf courses in the nation).

A lot of credit for the day's success goes to the association's sponsors, including General Motors Corp.'s Parts Division, DHI Equipment, NAPA Auto Parts, Page Toyota, Jasper Engines, Advantage Benefits Group, Ashley Insurance, Zurich Commercial Insurance.

Credit also goes to the 2008 Golf Committee: Chuck Schweiger, DHI Equipment; Dave Arney, Ridge NAPA Store; Ken Burke, DHI Equipment; Paul Stewart, Zurich Commercial Insurance; Rich Sloat, Highland Road Collision; Steve Kirk, Kendal Auto; and Tim Rusche, Keystone Automotive. Sloat and Kirk are members of the board of directors of ASA-Michigan.

ASA Affiliate Events - Mark Your Calendar!

Sept. 19-21 - ASA-Texas Southwest Regional Automotive Show (SRAS), Houston Marriott Westchase; Charles Parker, (512) 495-9769, www.asatx.org.

Sept. 26-28 - Nebraska Direction 2008, Holiday Inn Coco Keys Resort, Omaha, Neb.; Jennah Haase, (402) 540-8055, www.asanebraska.com.

ASA to Introduce AutoInc.'s AutoLinks To Keep Automotive Industry Professionals Informed

The Automotive Service Association is partnering with MultiBriefs in coming up with a new e-mail resource to keep you better informed - free of charge - in regard to the automotive service industry.

With new procedures, new technologies and new regulations, the automotive service industry is evolving. To that end, ASA and MultiBriefs are creating AutoInc.'s AutoLinks, an e-mail resource that will provide comprehensive weekly news briefings of the week's top industry stories. The first issue will be distributed soon.

It will be delivered to the inboxes of ASA members (and some non-members), to keep readers abreast of topics that impact the automotive service industry.

You can subscribe to AutoInc.'s AutoLinks by visiting AutoInc. Online at www.AutoInc.org and filling out the subscription box on the home page. A subscription box is also available on the ASA Web site at www.ASAshop.org in the "ASA News" section.

Each edition of AutoInc.'s AutoLinks will contain articles gathered from an expansive list of sources, including The Associated Press, The New York Times, USA Today and leading industry publications, including AutoInc. magazine, the official publication of ASA.

This new e-mail resource will be a great way to keep informed. The electronic publication can be easily read in your office, home, or via your mobile phone or PDA. Archived issues can be accessed through a link on the AutoInc. home page (www.AutoInc.org) and ASA home page (www.ASAshop.org).

"The coming launch of AutoInc.'s AutoLinks further demonstrates our commitment to deliver the most pertinent news and information to our members and other industry professionals," said Ron Pyle, ASA's president and chief staff executive. "AutoInc. magazine has always been an integral part of our communication strategy. By expanding the magazine's depth and readership, we are further positioning ourselves as the informational authority of the industry. We look forward to providing our subscribers with a continuous briefing of the top industry news so they remain informed of current events and practices that shape the market."

AutoInc.'s AutoLinks will be published by MultiBriefs, a division of Multiviews Inc. MultiView exclusively serves the association sector by creating new forums for association-specific online media and information. Its services range from online supplier directories and electronic news briefs to video production and distribution.

"We understand that as the automotive industry evolves, it's becoming increasingly more important for ASA to keep its members informed. AutoInc.'s AutoLinks has been designed with the needs of ASA members in mind," said Dan Maitland, president of MultiView. "We look forward to delivering the news and information that ASA members have asked for."

Online Registration Open for ASRW Events

Online registration is now available for the 2008 International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE) and the 2008 Congress of Automotive Repair and Service (CARS), to be co-located and held during Automotive Service and Repair Week (ASRW) Nov. 5-8 at the Mandalay Bay and Convention Center in Las Vegas.

Attendees may register at www.NACEexpo.com and www.CARSevent.com. Hanley Wood Housing will assist attendees and exhibitors with all hotel, airline and car rentals - one-stop shopping for all travel needs. With travel costs only expected to rise, make sure you book your travel to Las Vegas sooner rather than later to lock in rates.

The educational conference will run from Nov. 5-8 (Wednesday-Saturday), and the Exposition will be open Nov. 6-8 (Thursday-Saturday). Both events will take place during the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week (AAIW), which will be held that same week in Las Vegas.

NATIONAL NEWS

• On Aug. 6, the national office upgraded its long distance service capabilities from T1 to digital PRI technology. This will ensure the association continues to deliver high-speed, high-quality customer service and communications to members.



• Ron Pyle, president and chief staff executive; John Scully, executive vice president; and Jo Ann Abramuk, administrative assistant to the president, recently traveled to Jackson Hole, Wyo., to attend an ASA executive board meeting. In addition to Pyle, executive board members in attendance included Reggie Denney, AAM, chairman; Earl Dohner, AAM, chairman-elect; Jerry Burns, AAM, secretary/treasurer; Aaron Clements, AAM, immediate-past chairman; and Ron Nagy, AAM, affiliate director.



• ASA was recently featured on a North Texas television station, KDAF-TV/CW 33, regarding its extended hours and four-day workweek. To view the report, visit http://cw33.trb.com. Scroll down to Top Video and search for video titled "Economy Driving Businesses to 4-Day Weeks."



• B.J. Johnson, vice president of membership services, met with ASA-Nebraska board members last month. ASA-Nebraska is one of 16 affiliate groups, and is currently preparing for ASA-Nebraska Direction 2008, to be held Sept. 26-28 in Omaha.




• Brie Ragland

  Brie Ragland, ASA marketing manager, attended a Maverick Marketing seminar July 23 in Dallas, presented by Terri Langhans, CEO of Blah, Blah, Blah Inc. and author of "The 7 Marketing Mistakes Every Business Makes and How to Fix Them." The program provided real-world examples, creative ideas and tangible tools for more effective marketing. Angie Wilson, vice president of marketing and communications, also attended the event.

Tim Zilke, president of the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), and Tony Molla, vice president of communications, visited ASA's headquarters in Bedford, Texas, July 16. Pictured left to right: Molla; Ron Pyle, president and chief staff executive; Zilke; John Scully, executive vice president; and Bill Haas, vice president, education and training.