Julie Massaro has been named as the new Executive Director of ASA-Colorado. Julie is an association industry veteran with extensive experience in project management, member recruitment, meeting planning, cost containment, budget management and volunteer leadership. Julie has more than 20…
Mary Barra, GM’s CEO, recently stated that the car industry will change more in the next five years than it has in the past 50. I don’t know about you, but I think the past five years have been a…
House passes repeal of McCarran-Ferguson Act for health insurers. Two major national issues have pushed insurance reform back in the national spotlight. First, efforts to reform or repeal Obamacare have produced a renewed interest in the repeal of the McCarran-Ferguson…
In 43 years of shop management and ownership, I’ve made every mistake possible. There was a year when my accountant had to prepare 102 W2s. Imagine how broken my systems and procedures were to go through that many employees in…
Many complexities of our business are now front-and-center. Consider the following: The independent sector of the automotive service industry is experiencing a crisis of profitability, retailer attitude and public perception. Most shop owners have bought themselves a job, not a…
An ASA member writes: I have a customer who has spent thousands of dollars with me during the past several years. Eighteen months ago, we installed genuine Toyota brakes on his 4Runner. A month later, the customer returned to my…
When the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released its Federal Automated Vehicles (AV) Policy in September 2016, the focus was on NHTSA issuing a guidance document and its four key sections: vehicle performance guidance; model state policy; NHTSA’s current…
Twenty years ago this December, the Prius was introduced to the world. Three years later, it came to America and the quintessential hybrid was born. Everyone has heard of Prius. The Plug-in Prius came out in model year (M/Y) 2012…
Rich White, senior vice president of the Auto Care Association (ACA), will retire in June after an 18-year career at the association that includes overseeing marketing and communications, market research, member services, trade shows and education and serving as the…
This is my first article as ASA’s chairman of the board. And I thought this would be a great time to share how I got involved with ASA and with two of my mentors. First, I had the opportunity to…
I recently spent an interesting weekend in Austin, Texas. It was interesting for two major reasons: 1) It was Austin and 2) It showed just how close we are to a revolution in the way we move, live and think.…
What’s the best tool for helping you work ‘on’ your business instead of ‘in’ your business? After selling my business in Buffalo, N.Y., in 2000, I moved to Maine seeking another business to acquire. I brought numerous businesses to the…
If so, it might be because you’ve forgotten the fact that you’re in the ‘knowledge’ business. Independent shop operators realize their labor rates must move higher to retain competent technicians, and the customer/client must be educated about the realities of…
When a service adviser tells the customer a shop tech made a mistake that’ll mean replacing a transmission... ... What would you do? One of our customers came in with a late-model Toyota Camry for some routine service work. Even…
What do the changes mean for the auto repair industry? The final U.S. House and Senate races have been called, and President Donald Trump’s new administration is moving forward with thousands of political appointments. There are some 2.8 million federal…
Your customers expect authoritative advice. So check out these examples for making their cars better than new. Our customers rely on us for our wisdom and experience, and this is of upmost importance when we have a chance to make…
Many members are still buzzing about the collaboration between ASA and Automechanika Chicago to co-produce a professional/trade show in July 2017. In AutoInc. Audio’s In The Trenches interview with Carm Capriotto at www.autoinc.org/audio/, ASA President and Executive Director Dan Risley…
This will be my final Chairman’s Message, as the duties of ASA chairman will shift to Roy Schnepper in April. My wife, Christy, and I want to thank you for your friendship and support that have been a hallmark of…
