The Maryland Automobile Dealers Association Foundation [MADAF] recently hosted it's 4th black tie gala in Chevy Chase, MD.  Guests from around the state joined us for an evening filled with dancing, dinner, and remembering those who made our industry the powerhouse that it is today.

 
The evening began with a cocktail hour during which guests mingled.   After a seated dinner, we paid tribute to our 2013 Hall of Fame inductee, Frederick H. Bowis of Chevy Chase Chevyland [now Chevy Chase Nissan Acura] in Bethesda.

Fred's wife, Susan, accepted an award in his honor-a crystal tablet bearing Fred's image.  Congresswoman, Connie Morella, spoke on Fred's behalf.  Fred was a law student of her husband, Tony Moreella, at American University and later served as Connie's first campaign manager.     

Tony and Connie Morella with Susan Bowis.

This report highlights the tremendous economic impact the automobile industry has on the State of Maryland.  The Association uses this report when dealing with the legislature, governmental agencies and the media.  This is a very important report that cannot be prepared without your help!  Please take a few minutes to complete the attached survey and return it as soon as possible.  All responses will be held in strict confidence, please return them to Auto Outlook via fax 610.640.2907 or by mail to 5 Great Valley Parkway, Suite 234, Malvern, PA 19355. 

If you operate more than one dealership, please complete one survey form for each location. We will provide dealers a copy of the report upon its publication.  We appreciate your participation and thank you in advance for your timely response.

Fax the completed survey to Auto Outlook, 610.640.2907, or mail to 5 Great Valley Parkway, Suite 234, Malvern, PA 19355. 

MADAF announces that the Foundation has awarded two, two-year scholarships to students attending the Community College of Baltimore County-Catonsville.  Both students are enrolled in the Automotive Technology program at the school.  The first student, Kenneth Overton, is sponsored by Toyota of Waldorf.  The second student, Joseph Hill, is sponsored by Brown's Honda in Glen Burnie.   The two students were selected by our scholarship selection committee consisting of JP Bishop, Ethel Biensach and the head of the Maryland Teacher of the Year program, Dr. Darla Strouse.

This year in offering these scholarships MADAF chose to do so in the memory of an industry legend. The Joseph Cavendish Darrell, or "Cab Darrell" scholarship honors a man who became the executive director of our Association more than 68 years ago.  Cab spent 30 years representing dealers and crafting legislation that still exists today.

MADAF is now in the process of collecting applications for the 2014-2015 academic year.  If you know of a deserving student, please consider sponsoring them for this scholarship.  Applications may be downloaded by Clicking Here.

Resources Management Group and Portfolio. Providing F&I development products to dealers.  20 Cabot Blvd., Suite 400, Mansfield, MA 02048.  Greg Hoffman, President, 800.761.4546 or email: ghoffman@corprmg.com.

We thank the following dealerships who have contributed to the Association's Political Action Committee. To those dealers listed below, MADA offers a big "Thank You!" If your name is not on the list, MNCTDA/PAC Chairman, Stuart Brooks of Bob Bell Automotive Group urges you to get on board today! Your financial contribution allows us to support those Maryland legislators who have put our interests first and who have supported our industry in the past. We must have a presence in Annapolis, but unfortunately that costs money.

If you would like to send in your contribution today, please download the contribution form and return it today.  You may provide a corporate check payable to MNCTDA/PAC and send it to RSM McGladrey, 100 International Dr., Suite 1400, Baltimore, MD 21202. If you have any questions, please contact Charlotte Rutkowski at the Association office, 800.526.7423.

GOVERNORS CLUB

Bob Bell Automotive Group

Chevy Chase Acura Nissan

Criswell Automotive

Fitzgerald Automotive Group

Ideal Buick GMC Hyundai

Jim Coleman Automotive Group

Ken Dixon Automotive

King Automotive Group

O'Donnell Honda

Priority One Automotive

Thompson Automotive Group

Williams Family Automotive

LT. GOVERNORS CLUB

Freightliner of Hagerstown

SENATE CLUB

Adams Chrysler Dodge Ram

Annapolis Volvo

Baltimore Freightliner

Bayside Toyota

Beltway International Companies

Boyle Buick, Inc.

Capitol Cadillac

College Park Honda/Hyundai

Hagerstown Honda Kia

Hoffman Automotive

Honda of Annapolis

Jones Junction

Kia of Waldorf

Midway Chevrolet

Plaza Ford, Inc.

R & H Motor Cars, Ltd.

The Frederick Motor Company

Timonium Toyota

Toyota of Bowie/Toyota Capital Plaza

Toyota Scion of Waldorf

Waldorf VW/Subaru

Win Kelly Automotive

HOUSE CLUB

Academy Ford Sales

Baltimore Mack Trucks

Bill Baisey Automotive

Buchanan Kia

Crouse Ford Sales

East West Lincoln

Euro Motorcars

Francis Scott Key Lincoln Mercury

Hickory International, Inc

Hinder Ford.

Honda of Bowie

West End Service, Inc.

Wilkins Automotive

With the change in the Hazard Communication standard last year every US company must train its workers on the new update soon. What does this mean for your company?

First and foremost, employees must be trained on the new regulation by December 1, 2013. The HazCom standards are simple: show the label, show the pictogram, show the safety data sheet, and test employees to make sure they understand.

The new law requires that employers train all employees working with chemicals on the following:

• The use of labels for proper storage.
• The use of labels for first aid and emergency personnel.
• The use of different pictograms on the labels.
• That chemicals have multiple hazards and how they are depicted on labels.
• The location of the Hazard Communication Program
• MSDS and Chemical Inventory Access
• Typical Hazard Communication Labels
• How To Read & Understand a MSDS
• Flammables and Combustibles
• Corrosives
• Compressed Gases

When training employees keep in mind that the regulation must be explained in a language that they understand. OSHA provides the following guidance:

OSHA requires employers to present information in a manner and language that their employees can understand. If employers customarily need to communicate work instructions or other workplace information to employees in a language other than English, they will also need to provide safety and health training to employees in the same manner. Similarly, if the employee's vocabulary is limited, the training must account for that limitation. By the same token, if employees are not literate, telling them to read training materials will not satisfy the employer's training obligation.

If your dealership has Spanish speaking employees, look for a training program that offers GHS training available in Spanish.

To learn more about the changes to the Hazard Communication Standard and their effects on automotive dealers view the KPA Dealer Webinar: GHS Embraced by OSHA for 2013 - How to Get Ready Now. 

#1: Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for Parts Managers - De-Mystifying the Financial Statement!  

Date/Time: Thursday, November 14 at 1pm  

Presenter: Rob Campbell of The Mironov Group  

Cost: $149.00 per participant

Knowing how to read, analyze and then create workable business strategies to impact these numbers is an important part of the Parts Managers job.  Join Rob Campbell for an examination of the Parts Section of the Financial Statement with an eye to both understanding how these numbers are calculated and how they should impact your management priorities.

Learning the secrets of the Financial Statement & other key performance indicators can help Parts Managers become more efficient in how they plan for growth and profit improvement.

You Will Learn:

• How to measure the "quality" of your parts inventory
• How to reconcile your actual Inventory to the G/L Inventory value
• How to treat the disease of "obsolescence"...not the symptoms
• The "right" Parts to Labor Ratio

 #2: BluePrinting the Body Shop...A Process for Improving Efficiency & Profits

Date/Time: Thursday, November 21 at 1pm  

Presenter:  Greg Criss

The key to larger body shop profits is in the creation of efficiencies that allow you to move more work through the shop per hour of operation.  Dealerships with successful Body Shops may use different production processes but they share one common trait - a desire to increase production efficiency by pushing more work through the shop.  One of these processes is called "blueprinting," creating a complete and accurate evaluation of collision damage to drive faster repairs, fewer headaches, improved efficiency, and higher profits.    

This webinar will cover the following: 

• How traditional estimating can cost Body Shops in lost time and money 
• The difference between a Body Shop "BluePrint" and an estimate
• What to include in your "BluePrint" & what to exclude
• How to make "BluePrinting" work in your Body Shop