Chairman's
Corner
Get Ready for
Fall Car Care
Month
Legislative
Summit an Eye-Opening Experience for CCPN
Members
CCPN
Joins AWDA in Development of Career Promotion Tool
Kit
Tips 'N Tools: Share Your
Tips!
Look Out
for the CCPN Service Dealer
Survey
CCPN to
Launch New Learning
Center
Send Us Your E-Mail
Address
Right to
Repair Act Gains 14 More
Supporters
Aftermarket
eForum™ Featured Valuable Educational Sessions in
Chicago
Quality
Continues to Drive Tool Purchase
Decisions
Which of
Your Employees is Ready to Take the Next
Step?
WELCOME NEW CCPN
MEMBERS
LINKS
Chairman's
Corner
Tony
Zanders, Heritage Auto
Repair
It's
All About You!
The Car
Care Professionals Network (CCPN) was officially
launched in January of this year and much has happened
since that time. To date, CCPN has nearly 15,000
members, thanks in large part to the support of
NAPA
and the
Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance, and we are working very
hard to increase that number substantially within the
next 18 months. The CCPN Board of Directors met in
Phoenix
during AAIA's
Spring Leadership Days where the goals for the next year
were outlined, including creating a venue where shop
owners can easily access affordable training and
education, as well as forming relationships with other
AAIA segments. I am happy to report that we are well on
our way to accomplishing those goals but need the
continued input from our members if CCPN is to
successfully carry out its mission – To
represent, support and improve automotive service and
repair businesses, by providing a national platform and
to promote communication and networking between service
professionals, manufacturers, distributors and
others.
In this
inaugural newsletter for CCPN members, readers will
learn about all the activities and initiatives of the
segment, as well as AAIA. While we firmly believe we are
on the right track, so to speak, it's important that we
get continual feedback from our members. After all, you
are the reason CCPN exists. You are who we're working
for. It's all about you!
Get Ready for
Fall Car Care
Month
Building on
the success of National Car Care Month in April, and in
response to the industry's interest in a seasonal
option, the Car Care Council has designated October as
Fall Car Care Month to focus motorists' attention on the
importance of preparing their vehicles for the upcoming
winter months. Volunteers across the country will be
conducting another round of events this October.
Remember: All CCPN members are entitled to receive a FREE "Be Car
Care Aware" POS Starter Kit that provides a variety of marketing and promotional
materials to help companies and organizations get
involved in the ongoing "Be Car Care Aware"
consumer-education campaign. An order form for the kit
is included in your CCPN new member packet or you can
obtain a copy by contacting AAIA's member services
department at 301-654-6664.
Legislative
Summit
an Eye-Opening
Experience for CCPN
Members
Several CCPN
board members joined hundreds of other representatives
of the automotive aftermarket at AAIA's Legislative
Summit in
Washington
,
D.C.
, June 12-13. A
first-time experience for many, the summit offers a
great opportunity for attendees to meet face-to-face
with their members of Congress to discuss issues of
concern to their business.
This year,
the hot button topics were Right to Repair and the
rising cost of healthcare to small business owners.
"It was an
incredible experience to actually have a face-to-face
conversation with my congressmen, telling them what's
important to my business," said
Mitch Schneider
, a shop owner
in
Simi
Valley
,
Calif.
, and director
of CCPN. "It really drives home the impact we can make
as an industry when we speak with one
voice."
To learn
more about how you can get involved in your
association's legislative efforts, contact AAIA's
government affairs department at
301-654-6664.
CCPN Joins
AWDA in Development of Career Promotion Tool
Kit
CCPN members
are part of a task force that has taken the first steps
toward developing a tool kit for use by repair shop
owners to recruit prospective employees. The idea
emerged from a joint meeting of the AWDA and CCPN Boards
earlier this spring. CCPN members noted that they were
often at a disadvantage in job fairs, meetings with
school counselors and other venues where prospective
employees shopped for careers. Despite having a strong
story to tell, the shops often felt their presentations
lacked the punch and flash exhibited by dealerships and
other organizations vying for
employees.
The AWDA
Board acknowledged this need and pledged to support
development of materials that shops could use to sell
the virtues of a career in the aftermarket repair and
service industry.
The first
step in this process will be to inventory the tools that
are already available. Next, the task force will analyze
the need for specific data that would be of use in
promoting this industry. Finally, the task force
will determine potential audiences and venues by
age, experience, skill level, etc. Who will make the
best potential recruits and where are they best
found?
The task
force is committed to focusing on development of this
"tool kit," but the implications of this project could
obviously extend much further. It is hoped that this
first step will lead to even greater cooperation between
AWDA and CCPN in this area.
Tips 'N
Tools: Share
Your Tips!
If you have
a tip you would like to share with your fellow CCPN
members, e-mail your suggestion to info@ccpn.org. Include
"Tips 'n Tools" in the subject
line.
COMING SOON!
Look Out for
the CCPN Service Dealer
Survey
In an effort
to learn more about its membership, CCPN will be
conducting a survey of all members during the first
part of August. This brief survey is designed to gain
basic information about your business and should take
just a few minutes to complete.
"Once we've
gathered and analyzed the results of this first survey,
CCPN will issue another survey aimed at helping us
create benchmarks and best practices for our members,"
said Tony Zanders, chairman, CCPN. "The more information
we can gather about our member shops, the better we will
be able to serve them. I encourage everyone to take part
in the survey."
CCPN to
Launch New
Learning
Center
The Car Care
Professionals Network will be launching its new
Learning
Center
that will
provide online training and education designed
specifically for automotive repair businesses.
Categories for the courses include Technical Assessment
System, which will measure skills and knowledge of
various automotive systems, ASE test preparation,
general service, vehicle maintenance and professional
development.
"Part of
CCPN's mission is to help elevate shops nationwide and
we believe that training and education is a critical
component to this goal," said CCPN Director
Mitch
Schneider
. "Courses offered through the
CCPN
Learning
Center
are among
the best available anywhere and we are extremely proud
that we can offer this tool to our members at a minimal
cost."
The
Learning
Center
is expected
to be open early this fall. For more information, check
your mail in the coming
weeks.
Send Us Your
E-Mail Address
If you
received this newsletter through the mail it is because
we do not have an e-mail address on file for your
business. To help us communicate with you in a more
timely manner and to decrease our paper output, please
provide your e-mail address by contacting AAIA's member
services department at 301-654-6664 or e-mail info@aftermarket.org.
ASSOCIATION
NEWS
Right
to Repair Act Gains 14 More
Supporters
Congressional
support for the Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to Repair
Act of 2007 (H.R. 2694) has reached 19 co-sponsors,
announced by
Kathleen
Schmatz
, president and CEO, AAIA. The
proposed legislation has gained 14 new co-sponsors in
recent weeks.
"We
want to thank the 14 new co-sponsors for supporting this
vital piece of legislation that benefits every car owner
and small independent repair shop," Schmatz said. "The
growing co-sponsor list for the Right to Repair Act
demonstrates the commitment by many members of Congress
to ensuring that their constituents, and not the large
car companies, retain the ability to choose where to
have their vehicle serviced and
repaired."
The
14 new legislators supporting the Right to Repair Act
are Reps. Corrine Bordallo, D-Guam; Robert Brady, D-Pa.;
Corrine Brown, D-Fla.; Julia Carson, D-Ind.; Wm. Lacy
Clay, D-Mo.; Danny Davis, D-Ill.; Bob Etheridge, D-N.C.;
Steven LaTourette, R-Ohio; Barbara Lee, D-Calif.; John
Lewis, D-Ga.; Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif.; Mike McIntyre,
D-N.C.; Collin Peterson, D-Minn.; Pete Stark, D-Calif.;
and Ed Whitfield, R-Ky.
Aftermarket
eForum™ Featured Valuable Educational Sessions in
Chicago
The
Aftermarket eForum™, presented recently in
Chicago
,
received overwhelmingly positive reviews and praise from
attendees. The format of educational tracks, general
session presentations and panels, and wrapping up with
breakout sessions was well received by nearly 300
attendees. Presentations during the general session
focused on technology as an enabler for transforming
business processes, the value of rigorous IT project
management and techniques for achieving greater
inventory efficiency. Attendees also took advantage of
the opportunity to network with industry colleagues, as
well as technology and solution vendors during the
conference.
All
Aftermarket eForum™ attendees will receive access to all
of the presentation materials and audio files of the
event when they become available. The proceeds of the
event benefit the "Be Car Care Aware" campaign
spearheaded by AAIA.
Quality Continues to Drive Tool
Purchase Decisions
Quality
continues to be the most important factor for repair
shop owners, service managers and technicians when it
comes to current and future shop tool purchases,
according to the 2007/2008 Tool Purchasing
Trends, newly released by the
Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA).
Quality was also ranked top on the list in 2003 and
2005.
Other
high-ranking factors that influence tool purchasing
decisions are brand name, warranty, service and
availability. Price and payment options were only
somewhat important to survey
respondents.
Tool
Purchasing Trends will help
readers gain insight into current and future purchasing
decisions of professionals who utilize shop tools for
automotive repair. The report is part of an annual
series of surveys devoted to collecting data on tool
purchasing trends in odd years and equipment purchasing
trends in even years.
"Since the
original Tool Purchasing
Trends report was published in
2003, the 2007 edition represents our second update,"
said Ron Rossi, director, market research. "Based on 892
respondents participating in the survey this year, our
findings support the trends reported earlier. We are
confident our readers in the Tool and Equipment segment
will find the 2007 edition to be a critical resource for
budgeting and long-range strategic
planning."
The report
covers the following:
- Factors
that influence past and future tool
purchases.
- Brand name
importance.
- "Made in
USA
"
importance.
- Current
and future tool spending.
- Tools
provided by repair shops.
The newly
reorganized 2007/2008 Tool Purchasing
Trends report is available in
print format only. The price of the report is $125 for
AAIA members and $250 for non-members. To purchase the
report, call 301-654-6664 or visit the
AAIA
Commerce
Center
at www.aftermarket.org.
Which of Your
Employees is Ready to Take the Next
Step?
The AAIA
Leadership Development Network (LDN) encourages
junior-to-mid-level aftermarket professionals to develop
lasting involvement in the industry and the association
through participating in Fall Leadership Days, Sept 5-7,
in
Chicago
,
Ill.
"The Next
Step program is the heart and soul of the LDN
Committee," said LDN past chairman Frank Frederick, ROL
Manufacturing of America, Inc. "As part of our mission,
LDN recruits industry talent to get involved with AAIA's
various committees and initiatives which benefit the
entire aftermarket."
The Next
Step program, which represents the next step in
automotive aftermarket leadership, allows those who are
new to the industry an opportunity to see – up close –
how the association and various aspects of the industry
work. As people become more connected and involved in
the industry, they are more likely to build long-lasting
careers in the aftermarket.
"The Next
Step program is designed to give its participants an
opportunity to see what is involved in being an industry
volunteer," said LDN chairman Don Keeling, N.A. Williams
Company. "It gives them insight into vision and
structure of AAIA and the overall benefits to being a
part of the committee
process."
Next Step
participants attend various AAIA committee meetings,
participate in a roundtable about best practices and
network at the lunches, dinners and receptions. Most
meals are included, and the employee's company will be
asked to cover travel expenses.
"The program
can offer the Next Step participants networking
opportunities both personally and professionally,"
Keeling said.
LDN members
who know a junior-to-mid-level industry executive who
would benefit from this program are encouraged to
participate. For an application form and further
information on LDN, contact Marcella Tilli at
301-654-6664 or e-mail marcella.tilli@aftermarket.org.
WELCOME NEW
CCPN MEMBERS
Bud's Repair
Service,
Klamath
Falls
,
Ore.
Car Care Service,
Berkeley
,
Calif.
Larry's
AutoWorks,
Mountain
View
,
Calif.
McNabb's
Service & Repairs,
Wescosville
,
Pa.
Mr. Mechanic Auto Service Center,
Southfield
,
Mich.
Schaen Inc,
D.B.A. Atlantic Automotive Repair,
Newark
,
Del.
T-Auto,
Redwood
City
,
Calif.
LINKS
|
