On April 28 and 29, the AASP National Board of Directors gathered in Raleigh, North Carolina, for its latest meeting. The two-day event was co-hosted by AASP Affiliate Independent Garage Owners of North Carolina (IGONC) and CARQUEST. A highlight of the meeting was a state-of-the-industry presentation/discussion led by Chris Chesney and other CARQUEST personnel.
The Board reviewed industry improvement grant applications and approved grant requests submitted by the Automotive Education & Policy Institute (AEPI) and the National Auto Body Council. The AEPI grant will enable the collection of – and web access to – unpublished or previously unavailable legal decisions finding in favor of collision repairers, while the NABC grant will assist in the creation of a glossary of industry terms in Spanish to serve as a communication tool for Spanish-speaking shop personnel and customers.
In other AASP business, the Board voted to lend its support to a national-level coalition of automotive aftermarket businesses and industry associations established to address the practices of General Motors relating to the marketing of dexos motor oil. GM has stated that the use of its dexos brand motor oil is “required” as a condition of the vehicle’s warranty, raising concerns among the aftermarket that consumers are being misled to believe that routine oil changes can only be performed at an OEM dealership.
Tony Pendola of the North Carolina Department of Environment & Natural Resources also addressed the Board to discuss implementation of the 6H Rule and the development of a tool to determine if a shop qualifies for exemption from the regulation.
Also, the Board voted to participate as a sponsor of SCRS’s Repairer Driven Education (RDE) programming during the upcoming SEMA show in Las Vegas.
"I’m excited that AASP is able to participate in, and support, the RDE programming at SEMA this year," said AASP President Rick Starbard. "After experiencing last year’s RDE firsthand, I was impressed with the caliber of the content provided. It was great to be able to experience educational seminars that are truly repairer driven, and our association is proud to be a part of that experience in 2011."
As in years past, AASP will also be sponsoring an educational program for repair shop personnel in conjunction with the AAPEX show at the Sands Center.
The next AASP National Board meeting will be held November 2 in Las Vegas.
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