2012 California Retail and Trade Business Conference hosted by Chairman Jerome E. Horton, California State Board of Equalization, will specifically provide a unique educational experience and an opportunity for an interactive dialogue between California's state and local retail and trade association members.

The emphasis this year is on current developments affecting municipal and state tax requirements and other key issues facing our business owners. This conference is designed to help businesses succeed with industry-specific information sessions that address regulations, tax laws, tax credits, audits, international trade, and surviving in a depressed economy.

Please click here for more information on the 2012 California Retail and Trade Business Conference.

Please click here for the full Conference brochure.  

Please click here to REGISTER for the Conference. 

Makers of all electric vehicles have been surprised by lower than expected sales, forcing the industry to take a closer look at more successful hybrid models instead, the New York Times has reported.

Please click here for full article. 

From 2000 to 2010, the number of Americans who consider themselves multiracial grew faster than those who self-identify as a single race, with the largest gains coming in the once racially segregated South and among those who identify as both white and black, according to a new U.S. Census Bureau report.

Those identifying with multiple races grew by 32 percent over the decade, for a total of 9 million. Single-race identifiers grew by just 9.2 percent, according to the 2010 Census, which also showed the slowest overall population growth rate since the Great Depression.

Ninety-two percent of those who reported being multiracial checked just two races on the Census questionnaire. Among the rest, 7.5 percent identified with three races and less than 1 percent reported four or more races.

The Census data confirm what demographers have known for some time: The United States is becoming more diverse. Population experts say the numbers don't tell the whole story, however.

"The number of mixed-race Americans may have grown even more than the official statistics show," according to D'Vera Cohn, a senior writer at the Pew Research Center. She cited the Census Bureau's own acknowledgement that "the 2000 base [of multiracial Americans] was overstated by about 15 percent nationally, and thus the percentage change for people reporting more than one race could actually be higher."

Cohn noted that the growth has been widespread, with more than half of the nation's counties reporting increases of more than 50 percent. And that trend is expected to continue.

 Click here for a complete list of ASCCA corporate sponsors and member benefits.  

I grew up at a time when the automotive culture was in full bloom. While I was an amateur mechanic I had several experiences with major repairs on vehicles that left me with such a feeling of accomplishment that I naturally was drawn to attending a college level automotive school and making a career in the field of automotive repair. I started the business 32 and 1/2 years ago by myself out of a rented apartment with four small garages in back. I impressed people (with money) with my hard work who backed me getting into a proper commercial location at year four. I got to buy one, then two and then three properties, side by side and expanded and hired until I reached 20,000 square feet of space and fourteen employees including nine technicians. ASCCA opened doors to educational opportunities and networking with other shop owners in a supportive community. I have studied human nature while observing the behavior of other shops in a group format. New ASCCA members should get involved in their board of directors and volunteer to boost the value of their Chapters. Make sure you attend as many meetings as possible and reach out to other shop owners.

ASCCA members like Art are shining examples of how One Member CAN Make a Difference!

Team Weekend 
December 8-9, 2012
Embassy Suites, Sacramento
Hotel Reservation
Room Rate: $149
Reservation deadline: Nov 16