The Washington Metropolitan Auto Body Association (WMABA) held meetings in Springfield, Va., and Baltimore, Md., on September 19 to discuss potential issues related to parts procurement, specifically the State Farm PartsTrader pilot. WMABA reports that both meetings were well attended by regional repairers and parts vendors.
Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg gave an in-depth presentation covering the current information in circulation and quotes about the pilot, historical data relating to PartsTrader in other markets, and the potential ramifications for the U.S. collision repair industry. He also informed the group about other SCRS initiatives, including the upcoming Repairer Driven Education (RDE) sessions being held at SEMA Oct. 30-Nov. 2 in Las Vegas.
"It was invigorating to see the interest in this topic and to hear the potential problems it could create in the market for both repairers and parts vendors," said WMABA Executive Director Jordan Hendler. "We say as an association that this is such an important issue and one that has the potential to change the landscape of our industry drastically. I think it was heard loud and clear. The association will use information from this presentation and other sources to create a fact-based informative piece that can be shared in the industry."
Added WMABA Board Member Don Beaver, "I’m greatly concerned that our industry still doesn’t understand the repercussions of this program. I was also concerned with how little people knew about the topic with how much publicity is out there. My fear, which I know is shared by others, is that this will cause a reduction in parts profits because of modification to MSRP."
More information:
Large Number of Ohio Repairers Turn Out for ASA Meeting on PartsTrader
