Don’t miss ASA-Arizona’s annual Automotive Training & Expo, taking place June 22-24 at the WeKoPa Conference Center & Casino in Scottsdale, Ariz. The weekend will include top-notch training for all members of your shop on topics such as diesels, hybrids,…
Congrats are in order for Brenda Rodriguez, our NASTF membership administrator at ASA. Brenda was notified this week that she is a finalist for the Achiever Award in the 2018 Fort Worth Admin Awards. Hard-working and conscientious, Brenda has worn…
Our industry is undergoing a time of unprecedented change. Again. Getting bombarded with rapidly advancing electronic, material, manufacturing and powertrain technology is nothing new to ASA members. We’ve been here before, and each time someone predicted the end of the…
In the seven years that I’ve been in the automotive repair business, I’ve learned many lessons. One that really hit home concerns inspections. When I opened my shop in 2011, our inspections were not…
Progressive shops employ a special business-building process. They possess a positive culture that will create the top 10 percent of shops in the industry and provide careers for the owners and staff that are second to none in the automotive…
A customer comes in with a 2003 Chevy Suburban for some routine service work and rear shocks. The following Monday, the customer calls to complain about holes being cut into the plastic inner fender shrouds to gain access to the…
You, the technician, need a voice. I write these articles several times a year, and they also substitute for my therapist. After working on motor vehicles for decades, you start to question your perceptions. Did Nissan make the redesigned Rouge…
Bill Garoutte, a 30-year veteran business development, marketing and collision industry executive, has been chosen to take the helm of the National Auto Body Council (NABC), succeeding founder and former Executive Director Chuck Sulkala who retired at the end of…
Register online now for the Automotive Service Association’s (ASA) 2018 Annual Business Meeting, scheduled for May 2-6, at the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort Hotel in Orlando, Fla. Events will kick off with a continental breakfast sponsored by…
Jerry’s ABRA Auto Body & Glass, an honorary ASA member-shop, in Mankato, Minn., hit a home run last summer with the Alzheimer’s Association. In fact, more than 30 of them. During the 2017 season, the shop’s longtime partnership with the…
CarMax, the nation’s largest retailer of used cars, recently announced that it is expanding its commercial relationship with RepairPal, a leading provider of auto service and repair via a network of its certified shops. Additionally, CarMax reported that it had…
Two powerhouse companies recently joined forces to serve the automotive aftermarket. Advance Auto Parts, a leading parts provider and an ASA Sponsored Benefit Provider, and Interstate Batteries, North America’s leading battery replacement brand, have announced a strategic partnership that will…
Clark’s Car Care, an ASA member-shop in Naperville, Ill., recently received a monetary fist-bump for its community support activities. Synchrony Financial, one of ASA’s Sponsored Benefit Providers, named Clark’s to its list of 2018 “Working Forward” Small Business Award winners.…
When I find myself talking to fellow shop owners about joining the Automotive Service Association, I’ve noticed that the conversation has changed a bit over time. It used to be that the benefits your association offers were front-and-center. Since taking…
The federal government and numerous organizations did not waste an opportunity of a major auto show to talk about new vehicle technologies and public policy. The U.S Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee held a hearing, titled “Driving Automotive Innovation…
In a perfect world, as owners, we all dream of running a successful business. We strive to work hard, hire great employees, provide the best benefits possible, have great customers, make a profit, give back to the community, enjoy family…
It’s critical today, in measuring shop finances, to break down the revenue and examine the type of revenue coming through the door. But most shops just measure parts and labor, and then look at their bank balance to see what…
A shop owner from Chicago writes: How do you balance what is written in your employee manual vs. the needs of your customers and your employees? My employee manual states that no employee can take more than five days of…
