I-CAR CEO & President John Edelen highlighted the successes of the company’s past fiscal year and provided insight into its future during the company’s International Annual Meeting held in Scottsdale, Ariz., last week.

Fiscal ’08 was described by Edelen as “a year of change and a year of progress.”

Edelen pointed to the major fiscal year accomplishments being: 

* Improving I-CAR’s engagement with the marketplace – “Among our accomplishments in Fiscal ’08, I-CAR must recognize the work of our committees, volunteers and program instructors – supported by Field Operations and Marketing – in achieving the levels of training activity in the local marketplace that are in keeping with the training needs of the industry and the role of I-CAR to meet them,” Edelen said. “The level of improvement over Fiscal ’07 is truly noteworthy.”

* Obtaining the voice of the customer and gaining direct input from the industry on how the training organization can better serve the industry and provide the training needed to repair today’s vehicles.

* Building upon a strong foundation of volunteers and program instructors through improved support – Edelen commented at length about the contributions of what he termed, “I-CAR’s Frontlines.” “For me, the local market network of committees, volunteers and program instructors is at the heart of I-CAR,” he said. “It is largely where the heritage and traditions of this organization are kept alive. It has been the eyes and ears of the organization, as well, over the years – providing insights and feedback on the needs of our customer, the auto collision inter-industry. Since last November, we have begun to supplement the feedback we get from the frontlines with other mechanisms: Industry Segment Advisory Councils, Market Segment Teams, industry relations activities, and others.” Edelen continued, “But, at the end of the day, it is our volunteers and program instructors who see first-hand how what we do creates a valuable training experience, or misses the mark. My commitment to this group is to continue to explore the most efficient and effective ways to capture the observations and the thoughts that you have, and to use them constructively. We must continue to enhance the I-CAR training and service experience at a market level. And, of course, we will continue to work with the International Advisory Committee as a channel for your feedback, as well.”

* Improving the infrastructure for improved quality and efficiency – a number of changes within the I-CAR organization, in its business processes and in its approach to technology will provide improved capability to identify and to respond to the needs of the inter-industry.

At the conclusion of the presentation Edelen announced that I-CAR will celebrate its 30th anniversary at the 2009 I-CAR International Annual Meeting being held Feb. 5-7, 2009, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. This event will combine the annual meeting of the I-CAR membership, company board meetings and a national conference for I-CAR volunteers and program instructors. For more information, visit www.i-car.com.