During the appointment process, Mike Mohler, Chair of the Board of Directors, commented: “We are pleased to have Scott as a part of our leadership team to participate and contribute to our discussions of current and future industry issues”. “We look forward to his participation which will assist the Association in achieving its goals as an effective automotive aftermarket industry organization”, continued Mohler.

Mr. Austin began his career in 1978 working at a Western Auto Store in a small town in Oregon. Since then, he has worked in several facets of the automotive aftermarket from production engine rebuilding to buyer, from Operations Manager to manufacturer’s representative. His forty plus years in the industry gives him the experience that is needed in today’s competitive market. He has earned the respect of his customers, manufacturers, competitors, and peers. Mr. Austin joined NA Williams in 2016 and handles the 

traditional market in the west for the Company.

CAWA is pleased to present our Winter Educational Forum at the beautiful Silverado Resort & Spa in Napa, CA. We will have industry experts share their insight and critical thinking on contemporary topics that affect the automotive parts industry. We will also conduct Association business through our committees and Board of Director's meetings. We hope you and your colleagues can join us in the beautiful Napa Valley! 

Here is a preview of our general session:

Electric vehicles will change the automotive maintenance and repair industry significantly, in the not too distant future. Technicians, service centers, manufacturers, suppliers, retailers and other companies need to prepare.

This session begins with an overview on the future of electrification by Brian Cruickshank of Schwartz Advisors, followed by an interactive panel/audience discussion of what needs to be done to embrace this revolution of service and maintenance. Panelists include Jeff Jennings and John Martz of Volvo Cars North America, Mark Ferner of Bridgestone Retail Operations, Fran Labun of DENSO Products and Services Americas, Inc. and Luis Cergueira of Total Energies. The discussion will be moderated by Jennifer Maher, CEO of TechForce. 

See registration information here.

At the request of Bill Hanvey, the Auto Care Association’s President & CEO, CAWA will provide their representative, Taylor Mitchell, a position on the Task Force. This was confirmed by CAWA’s eCommerce Task Force Chair, Curt McDowell of NA Williams Company. Recall, the Task Force will have their inaugural meeting at CAWA’s Febraury Leadership Meeting in Napa, California. For details, contact programs@cawa.org.

The Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA) and the Auto Care Association together commissioned the 2021 Joint Electrification Forecast to provide the auto care industry with the insights needed to navigate the rapidly evolving industry.

As electric vehicle (EV) adoption increases with vehicle maker commitments, emerging policy, and developing technology, the long-term impact of this segment’s growth is profound. As EV sales continue to grow, and as car parc growth slows, we expect penetration to increase rapidly after 2030, growing to 36% of the car parc by 2045 under a base case analysis. This newly released report provides the latest data, trends and analysis on how these developments are expected to impact the automotive aftermarket; the data and projections in this report can be applied to all companies across the supply chain to inform long-term strategy and identify future growth opportunities. For details click here.

Recall, too, that CAWA will have an information session at the February 11, 2022 Leadership Meeting in Napa, California. 

Contact programs@cawa.org for details. Source: Auto Care Association

California’s minimum wage will increase on January 1, 2022 to $15 per hour for employers with 26 or more employees, and $14 for employers with 25 or fewer employees. In 2016, California became the first state in the nation to commit to raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour statewide by 2022 for large businesses, and by 2023 for small businesses. For details, click here. Source: California Department of Industrial Relations

President Biden signed into law the “Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act” (IIJA), otherwise referred to as the “bipartisan infrastructure bill.” This 1,000-plus page bill has been on the front page of every major newspaper, but what is the significance for the aftermarket industry and what comes next? The IIJA authorizes hundreds of programs across the federal government. Now that the bill has been signed into law, federal agencies must read through the legislation to determine what they are “required” to do, what they are “encouraged” to do, and then, in most cases, get to work drafting and implementing regulations with input from stakeholders. What you read about in the news is an interpretation of the law, not the law itself. Legislative text is often complicated and subject to interpretation. Ultimately, the federal agencies are given deference in their interpretation and execution of the text. See more details click here. Source: aftermarketNews

For those of you who didn’t see a recent 60 Minutes segment on supply chain issues, this is highly recommended that you watch this video. They give a very good overview of the problems we are all facing. Forwarded to CAWA by Steve Hughes of HCS International and Chair of CAWA’s Government Affairs Committee.

The attached article, courtesy of the Journal of Commerce (www.joc.com) is a very important read to understand what will no doubt extend and add to the supply chain crisis at our ports next year. In short, the ILWU has rejected a contract extension next year. Agreeing to a contract extension until after the current crisis is resolved, would have been a very prudent, positive and helpful action by the ILWU towards speeding up the process of resolving the current supply chain crisis we are experiencing at the nations ports. 

Instead, the ILWU are insisting on negotiating new contract, pushing for even higher wages and putting a stop to all future automation at ports on the West Coast. This action by the ILWU will no doubt cause even further disruption and delays in the supply chain. It’s important that you read the full article as Peter Tirschwell does an excellent job in explaining this development.

For background, click on the following link to the Pacific Maritime Association page, which will give you a view of the baseline wages and benefits currently enjoyed by ILWU members. In closing, for those of you moving your cargo through the Gulf states or East Coast, if you think you will be immune to this, you only have to look back to 2014/15 to realize this will affect every port in the nation.

Forwarded to CAWA by Steve Hughes of HCS International and Chair of CAWA’s Government Affairs Committee.

Interested in receiving a scholarship from the Association for your employees, children, family members and others who would be welcomed into the auto care industry?

Applying is easy! The online application process allows students interested in aftermarket careers to submit one application each year online at www.automotivescholarships.com and receive consideration for several scholarships. Funds for scholarships come from generous CAWA members and the University of the Aftermarket Foundation.

For more information, see www.cawa.org or contact CAWA Member Services at programs@cawa.org. Another member benefit.

Don’t just shop for socks and sweaters this holiday season… spend some time assessing your health insurance needs – you just might be missing out!

Through a partnership with Prominence, your company has access to Association health plans designed exclusively for our CAWA membership in Nevada. Prominence has been providing solutions for fully insured health plans for nearly 30 years and is backed by Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS), one of the largest healthcare management companies in the nation.

All Prominence health plans are open access – which means no referrals are required to see a specialist. And with a provider network that spans the state, your employees will have access to some of the region’s most loved doctors. This all adds up to peace of mind and confidence.

Don’t forget! Groups can enroll at any time in an Association Health Plan – you don’t have to wait until your existing health plan renewal month. 

Learn more on our website here or contact Prominence at PHP-GroupQuotes@uhsinc.com. Another member benefit.

The automotive industry has rallied in 2021, growing year over year despite the COVID-challenged economy. Now automotive businesses can enhance their health plan benefits for their valued employees with the CAWA Arizona Health Trust (CAWA) Association Health Plan through Blue Cross® Blue Shield® of Arizona (BCBSAZ). For more details, click here. You could be saving your company many insurance premium dollars! Another member benefit.