AAIA Celebrates Tenth Anniversary
BETHESDA, MD – June 30, 2009 – July 1, 2009 marks the tenth anniversary of the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA), the only automotive aftermarket trade association that represents the shared interests of manufacturers, distributors, retailers, service and repair businesses, program groups, manufacturers’ reps, educators, publishers and other specialized membership organizations.
On July 1, 1999, AAIA was established upon the consolidation of the Automotive Service Industry Association (ASIA) and the Automotive Parts & Accessories Association (APAA). Today, AAIA has 23,000 member companies and affiliates, representing more than 100,000 repair shops, parts stores and distribution outlets.
“In the past decade, AAIA has created and executed numerous bold initiatives on behalf of its members and the industry as a whole,” said Kathleen Schmatz, AAIA president and CEO. “For example, a number of aftermarket groups have joined under the AAIA umbrella; a highly-successful consumer education campaign was created and directed; countless legislative and regulatory battles have been fought at the state and national level; and new technology and education programs have been introduced. These and other achievements demonstrate how AAIA has invested the resources to aggressively position itself as the pre-eminent trade association that stands for leadership, connection and empowerment in the automotive aftermarket.”
A timeline of AAIA’s milestones over the past 10 years is featured in the June/July issue of Aftermarket Insider, posted on www.aftermarket.org.