John Rupert of XGM Automotive Inc. has been Appointed to CAWA’s Manufacturers' Advisory Council
During the appointment process, Young Suhr Jr., Chair of the Board of Directors, commented: “I am pleased to announce that longtime automotive associate John Rupert is joining the CAWA Manufacturers’ Advisory Council. I look forward to John’s participation and contributions to CAWA in assisting the Association in achieving its goals as an effective and valuable automotive care industry organization”, continued Suhr.
Mr. Rupert has 52 years of service in the automotive industry of which 35 years have been devoted to automotive lighting. He currently is the Executive Vice President of Sales, North America for XGM Automotive and previously served as the Senior Vice President of Sales for ADD Automotive. He has held other positions with a variety of companies including: Irontite, CEC, EIKO Lighting, GE Lighting, Osram Sylvania and Wagner Lighting over his long tenure in the automotive industry. See the complete press release here.
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CAWA’s eCommerce Task Force Produces Report: How the Digital Product Content Game Has Changed … and How to Respond
The Task Force has the following charter: “to establish a Task Force with representation from suppliers, distributors, retailers and solution providers to identify and solve business and technical challenges with the objective of enabling CAWA members to participate and flourish in the eCommerce channel”. See the link here to read the Task Force's white paper entitled “How the Digital Product Content Game Has Changed … and How to Respond”, authored by Scott Luckett of SPS Commerce, Inc., a member of the Task Force. The Chair of the Task Force is Curt McDowell of PDM Automotive.
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CAWA’s eCommerce Task Force’s Agenda at the June Leadership & Educational Forum | |
Among the many meetings, educational sessions and networking opportunities, CAWA’s eCommerce Task Force meeting is a must. Here is a partial look at their agenda for the meeting.
Key Factors Impacting the Aftermarket -Todd Campau, S&P Global
- Learn about top trends and their anticipated short- and long-term impact. Gather information to identify potential challenges and opportunities, and how to position your company for future growth.
- Insight on the Trends in the Vehicle Fleet
- Average Age
- Fleet Size
- New vehicle sales
- Changes that are coming to mobility
- Impact of new propulsion technology
- BEV
- PHEV
- FCEV
- How to position your business to take advantage of upcoming opportunities that will be created in eCommerce
For registration materials for the June 21-23, 2023 Leadership & Educational Forum, see here.
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CAWA thanks its June meeting sponsors for their generous support: | |
Repair Professionals Must have Multiple Quality Suppliers to Meet Customers’ Expectations | |
“We all hope and believe that once the supply chain is back to normal, our customers will return to their pre-pandemic habits, but I’m not so sure this will be the case.”
In our last article, we reviewed my belief that customer loyalty has shifted from the byproduct of long-term relationships to the consequence of performance. We examined how our industry is held to a high standard of completing each order perfectly, the reality that we earn our business one order at a time, and how the Millennial and Gen Z generations have different shopping habits. In this installment, I would like to shift gears and focus on a different reality that impacts customer loyalty, which is necessity."
In 2012, I was Chairperson of the California Automotive Wholesalers Association (CAWA) Executive Committee. For one of our Leadership and Educational forums, we were lucky enough to have industry icon John Washbish speak to our membership. As always, John’s presentations deliver potent messages that anyone associated with the automotive aftermarket should take to heart. Amongst the many insights John provided our membership, two stuck with me. One was the idea that at some point in the future will look upon the current time as “the good old days.” The other was something that I think is easily overlooked, a repair shop’s fill rate need. See more here. Source: Steve Sharp
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The Littler Annual Employer Survey 2023 | Widespread economic uncertainty. Evolving workforce expectations. Accelerating adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) tools. A growing patchwork of local, state and federal regulations. Numerous headwinds are colliding in 2023 – and presenting employers with a litany of tough decisions. Littler’s eleventh annual survey – completed by 515 in-house lawyers, C-suite executives and HR professionals based across the U.S. – offers insights for employers as they look to mitigate risks, seize new opportunities and lay the foundation for the future workplace. Learn More. Source: Littler | |
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Right to Repair Legislation – Let Your Voice be Heard – It’s Simple to Do!
Federal legislation has been reintroduced to protect vehicle owners’ rights to decide where and with what parts they can repair and maintain their vehicles. United States Representatives Neal Dunn (R-FL-02), Brendan Boyle (D-PA-02), Warren Davidson (R-OH-08), and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA-03) introduced the “Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair (REPAIR) Act” in the House of Representatives, as the result of the advocacy efforts of MEMA Aftermarket, The Auto Care Association, CAR Coalition, SEMA – and a wave of industry support, including CAWA. The bill ensures affordability, accessibility, and a strong supply chain by safeguarding a free and competitive repair market for the nation’s 292 million registered passenger vehicles and millions of commercial vehicles. Tell your legislator to support the legislation. Simply click on this button and show your support.
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What Does the End of Title 42 and I-9 Flexibility Mean for Employers? | U.S. immigration policy and the Biden administration’s response to the ongoing migration crisis have been hot topics in the news. We break down potential considerations for employers as the pandemic-era immigration policy ends and border crossings from individuals without documentation in search of asylum are expected to rise sharply. Learn More. Source: Littler | |
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Employers Have 30 Days to Reach Compliance after I-9 COVID Flexibilities End on July 31, 2023 | On May 4, 2023, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) announced that employers have 30 days to reach I-9 compliance after COVID-19 flexibilities end on July 31, 2023. Under this announcement, all employees onboarded using remote verification must have in-person physical verification of their identity and employment eligibility documentation used for their Form I-9 by August 30. Learn More. Source: Littler | |
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Looking for a Dentist or an Opera Singer or an Automotive Professional?
Tell your company’s HR Department (or the person in charge of hiring your associates) that CAWA has an industry specific job board. We created the job board and participate in conjunction with the Auto Care Association, MEMA, SEMA and ASA to name a few national associations. So, your job opening would be viewed by a great number of candidates given the exposure, though not only CAWA distribution, but the other industry association’s communications vehicles, as well.
See https://www.cawa.org/Jobs for details.
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Even in ‘At-Will’ California, It’s Wise to Follow Disciplinary Process | |
We opened up an office in California recently. We have a couple of problem employees, but I heard California employment is “at-will” and we can just terminate their employment. Is that true?
California is indeed at at-will state, and both employer and employee can end the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause. However, an employer can’t end the relationship for an illegal or discriminatory reason. Many individuals in protected categories (protected from discrimination) will claim their race, religion, or other protected class as the basis for a termination. In addition, at-will does not protect an employer when an employee claims they were terminated for refusing to perform an illegal act or in retaliation for engaging in a protected activity, such as taking a legally protected leave of absence. See more discussion here. Source: Our Friends at the California Chamber of Commerce
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Why LESS Work is THE WAY ‘to Sales Success’? | |
The above title “Why LESS work is THE WAY” showed up in my e-mail box from a sales speaker and trainer in another attempt to make a ton of money with an online course. I see this far too often. Another example of telling salespeople what they want to hear instead of what they need to hear. The average salesperson is desperate to significantly increase sales while at the same time avoiding calling on strangers and facing rejection.
Look, unless you have tens of thousands of dollars to spend on online advertising, or you can afford to hire a bunch of good appointment setters, the only way you’re going to ramp up your sales is through the tried-and-true method that works every time.
The biggest issue I see with unsuccessful salespeople is that they aren’t willing to do the work. Specifically, they aren’t willing to go out and make the calls and face the amount of rejection they need to face in order to have a successful business. The most popular phrase I hear from these people is, “I believe in working smart, not hard.” Be smart, but first, be willing to work hard.
See more here. Source: John Chapin
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