Curt McDowell of NA Williams has been appointed to CAWA’s Board of Directors. The appointment was made by Mike Mohler, Chair of the Board, who commented: “Curt comes to CAWA leadership with a diverse background in technology, sales, process engineering and management. We will look forward to his participation and contributions, as a member of the Board, in assisting CAWA to achieve its goals as an effective automotive aftermarket industry organization”. See the complete press release here.

This year, the Association awarded ten scholarships to deserving students. The three top awardees will also receive a scan tool, donated by BOSCH and all awardees will receive a $300 gift certificate to purchase tools thanks to Alltrade Tools.

In a related matter, Mort Schwartz who was a co-founder of the CAWA scholarship program, donated $5,000 to the scholarship fund this month. Thanks to all who have contributed funds for scholarship awards.

Mark your calendars and plan on attending CAWA’s gala dinner on October 31st to kick off this year’s AAPEX/SEMA Shows. Proceeds from the dinner will also go to support the Association’s scholarship program. For more details, contact programs@cawa.org.

CAWA is excited to launch a monthly social media alert program to make it easier for you, our members, to engage and spread the word! Every month, CAWA will send an email out with an easy one-step button to share that month's post directly to your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. This will not only help our engagement, but will increase reach for important issues and events that impact our industry. Every like, tweet and share helps!

If you haven't done so already, make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or join our CAWA LinkedIn group! (click below)

I recently came across an old sales book: Secrets of Closing Sales by Charles B. Roth. In the book he talked about a group of salespeople in Detroit who tried a new idea and increased their sales by 100%. He then talked about another group in NYC who used the same idea and increased sales by 150%. Finally, he cited several examples of individual salespeople who used the idea and increased their sales by as much as 400%. More ideas and explanation here. Source: John Chapin

The appreciation is to the Federal Trade Commission on their findings and conclusion of the recently released report entitled: “Nixing the Fix: An FTC Report to Congress on Repair Restrictions”. The report highlights the barriers that face consumers when they seek independent repairs, including from independent motor vehicle service facilities, for the products they own. See the complete letter to the FTC here. Source: aftermarketNews

Even before the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases, more companies were contemplating mandating the COVID-19 vaccine for employees. With the Delta variant causing a spike in cases — and turbulence in the stock market — experts believe more employers are likely to implement mandates. For many businesses, it’s likely to be a controversial decision. COVID-19 is a sensitive subject on numerous fronts and vaccine mandates present both practical and legal challenges. See more discussion here. Source: Sacramento Business Journal

What a year it has been, we have made it, but not without many scars, pain, frustration, and pure exhaustion. I hope you have also found some joy spending time with your loved ones, connecting remotely with people maybe we haven't had the time for, and focusing on ourselves. Industry week in Las Vegas is around the corner, and I look forward to seeing everyone there and picking up where we left off. Planning is underway, and it is that time of year where CAWA is reaching out to each of our leaders, members and friends for help to support the future of the Aftermarket Industry. It is time to start rounding up support for the 2021 CAWA Scholarship Auction!

CAWA is asking for your help! Donations are needed to support the scholarship fund program and continuing to enrich a tradition of quality leaders. Let's make a positive impact after such a tough 2020 by paving the way for our future leaders.

See the enclosed letter (here) and the fundraising form (here) and contact Jesse Oregel of the DANA Corporation as this year’s Fundraising Committee Chair. Jesse can be reached at jesse.oregel@dana.com or 909.714.2437.

Governor Doug Ducey signed legislation to create a new tax bracket for small businesses, excluding them from a potential 77% tax increase. Senate Bill 1783 creates a new tax class for small business owners who would otherwise file as a pass-through entity. This will allow them to forego the 3.5% income tax surcharge established by Proposition 208. Under the plan, “small business income” is defined as interest, dividends, profits and certain capital gains. A flat tax on small business income will phase in over time, starting at 3.5% in 2021 and decreasing to 2.5% in 2025. Learn more here. Source: Our Friends at the Arizona Chamber of Commerce

Globally, a growing number of countries have pledged to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). The European Commission (EC) proposed the first European Climate Law in March 2020, as part of the European Green Deal, to ensure the goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 to be written into law and set a tightened target of 55% CO2 reduction from 1990 levels by 2030. Mainland China, currently the world's highest CO2 emitting country, also pledged to achieve a carbon peak by 2025-2030, then a 20% reduction from the peak by 2035, and eventually carbon neutrality by 2060.

The United States (US) rejoined the Paris Agreement in February 2021, committing to achieve net-zero by 2050 and an interim CO2 reduction target of 50-52% by 2030 from 2005 levels in the Biden administration's climate plan. Transport is one major source of CO2 emissions, accounting for more than 21% of total annual CO2 emitted globally, nearly 30% in the European Union (EU) and the US. See more details here. Source: IHS Markit

Frost & Sullivan’s recent analysis, Global Aftermarket Outlook 2021, finds that the global automotive aftermarket will gather momentum this year as a slowdown in new vehicle sales due to the impact of COVID-19 and aging vehicle parc will create more opportunities in the aftermarket space. With the availability of vaccines and lockdown lifts, the market is estimated to garner $478.8 billion by 2025 from $362.21 billion in 2020, an uptick at a 5.7% compound annual growth rate. Additionally, while the global demand will exceed the pre-COVID levels in 2022, the market will likely increase by 7.1% in 2021, with revenues from online sales in the aftermarket estimated to grow at 14%.

See the complete article here. Source: aftermarketNews

Should you and/or your employees be affected by fires, you should know that the Automotive Aftermarket Charitable Foundation (www.aacfi.org) has funds to support aftermarket associates in these catastrophic events. Also, the Collision Industry Foundation's Disaster Relief Task Force is dedicated to raising, managing and donating funds to provide emergency relief to the repair community who have been impacted by natural disasters or other catastrophic events. For more information, visit: http://www.collisionindustryfoundation.org

CAWA has partnered with Prominence Health Plan to offer a statewide Nevada solution for health plan benefits. With an Association Health Plan, automotive industry businesses with two (unrelated) to 50 full-time staff can now offer high-quality, affordable insurance coverage for their employees and their families.

If your company currently has insurance through another carrier, you can work with your existing broker to enroll in a NEW Association Health Plan - you don't have to wait for your traditional renewal period! 

For more information about CAWA Association Health Plans, contact your health insurance broker or Prominence Health Plan at PHP-GroupQuotes@uhsinc.com.