Happy New Year! I hope your holidays were filled with family, friends and fun. Last year was a time of change for the Automotive Service Association (ASA), and those changes continue. We welcomed Dana, Ben and Ashley (see page 4)…
There are many “horror stories” that take place in the automotive industry. I mean, those that are fanned by media sensationalism. Just take your pick and run with a topic: “Woman accuses shop of stripping oil pan drain plug and…
The advancement of vehicle technology will make a dramatic difference in measuring a typical service shop business, and the aftermarket must relearn its measurements. In previous articles, I’ve written that a typical shop owner will require six to eight days…
A first-time customer, who was referred by another customer, came in with a Nissan Pathfinder that had a driver’s window that wouldn’t work. After removing the door panel and testing the switch, wiring and motor, it was determined that the…
Summers, working in his father’s shop, created many happy memories for Bryan Welsh, owner of Artistic Collision…
In 2011, I wrote about the Nissan Leaf and compared it to the Chevy Volt. Since then, ACDC bought one of each, so we know them well. But a…
In the mid-1970s when I graduated from high school, young people who wanted to go into a profession went to college. Those who wanted to go into a trade didn’t need college. They just needed to get a job and…
Congressional leaders and the administration are…
Repairing vehicles today requires research and specific information, no matter how much experience a repair technician has or how many tools a shop owns.
Whether you’re a new technician entering the automotive world, or you know someone who is – perhaps you’ve just hired one or two – it’s critical to understand one thing: Your education is never finished! “The future belongs to those…
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is Part Two of a two-part series on Succession Planning. Family businesses are the backbone of America. About 95 percent of all businesses in America are family or privately held. A 2014 study revealed that there are…
Being part of a family business offers some comfortable expectations, not least of which is the ability to be married and support a family at a young age. I owe this to the opportunities afforded by my family’s transmission shop.…
During the “lazy, hazy” days of summer, I’m sure you’re getting in many rounds at a more profitable sport than golf? By that, I mean never-ending rounds of business decisions. So what did you learn this year? Maybe you’ll see…
A customer called the shop with a motor home that didn’t have working brake or taillights. He was on day three of the family’s vacation and traveling north. The shop agreed to look at it immediately. When the customer arrived,…
The U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Financial Services has passed the Financial CHOICE Act of 2017. This bill, approved along party lines 34-26, replaces the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 that attempted to address…
The benefits that come with multiple shop operators (MSOs) and corporate-owned repair shops can prove immensely useful from a business perspective.
Ask Todd Black what’s the most important thing he’s learned in the automotive service repair business, and you’ll quickly discover a lot about his philosophy for success. He makes no bones about the…
Wei-Yun Gibson, former AYES apprentice, now works for Subaru of America.In a recent conversation with one of my industry partners, an independent shop owner located two miles from our high school’s automotive program, I invited him…
