ASCCA What You Need to Know

What You Need to Know

To Elevate and Unite Automotive Professionals, and Give Them Voice

Like ASCCA on Our New Facebook Page

Please visit us on our new Facebook page. We look forward to your comments and shared experiences. We will be posting information, links and events as a way to continue supporting our community and advancing our industry. Please encourage your friends and colleagues to "Like" us as well! We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Tax Increase Effective January 1, 2013

Reminder: Due to the passage of Proposition 30 in November, 2012, effective January 1, 2013 the state sales tax rose .25% to 8%.

NASTF Takes Steps to Add New Leadership

January 4, 2013 - St. Johns, FL - The National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF) Board of Directors have voted to reorganize its governance structure with the intent to attract broader support from the motor vehicle service industry. As NASTF sets out to amend its organization bylaws to reflect a more technical makeup of its leadership, the Board has elected Charlie Gorman, CEO of the Equipment and Tool Institute to be the Interim Chairman of NASTF for 2013.

ASA President, Ron Pyle, who had served as NASTF chairman since 2011 will serve in 2013 as the Immediate Past Chairman of NASTF. Other 2013 officers include Allen Pennebaker, owner of Orinda Motors as Vice Chair and Steve Handschuh, Executive Vice President of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association as Secretary/Treasurer.

"NASTF plays an important role in the automotive service industry," explains Gorman, "and I am honored to serve as the interim chair for 2013. There is much work to do as we open up the Board of Director nominating process, transition to a self-sustaining funding model and expand NASTF services to include more of the vehicle service industry. Our goal is to have everything in place by January 1, 2014."

Directors of the NASTF Board include Scott Brown (President of iATN), John Cabaniss (Director Environment & Energy for Global Automakers), Steve Douglas (Director of Environmental Affairs for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers), Doug Greenhaus (Chief Regulatory Counsel for the National Automobile Dealers Association), John Lypen (Director of Industry Relations for Motor Information Systems), Karen Miller (Senior Account Manager for Pacific Technology Solutions), and Tony Molla (Vice President of Communications for ASE).

"NASTF has come a long way since its conceptual creation in 2000," remarked Skip Potter, NASTF Executive Director. "The Board has taken huge steps in the past year to modernize and advance their organization. With them, I look forward to attracting more direct involvement in our leadership from both automakers and independent technicians."

Among the several upgrades made by the NASTF Board this past year are the hiring of Skip Potter as the organization's first professional executive director, launch of a Technician Outreach initiative that moves the March 8, 2013 General Meeting to the popular VISION Hi-Tech Training and Expo in Kansas City, and formalization of its management of the valuable NASTF Vehicle Security Professional Registry.

NASTF was established in 2000 to identify, communicate and resolve gaps in the availability and accessibility of automotive service information, service training, diagnostic tools, and equipment for the benefit of automotive service professionals and their customers. NASTF was incorporated in 2006 as a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit organization. Additional details can be found at www.nastf.org.

O'Reilly Automotive and Technical Chemical Company Fined $63,000 in Combined Case

SACRAMENTO - The Air Resources Board announced that O'Reilly Automotive, a specialty retailer of automotive aftermarket parts, equipment and accessories, and Technical Chemical Company, a manufacturer of automotive chemicals and products, paid a combined total of $63,000 to settle clean air violations.

Between December 2008 and May 2009, O'Reilly automotive sold O'Reilly Carb & Choke Cleaner, a consumer product that contained chemicals that contribute to the formation of smog that exceeded the limit for Carburetor Cleaners for cars in California. The product was manufactured for O'Reilly by Technical Chemical.

Technical Chemical manufactured the product containing more smog-forming chemicals than permitted in California for sale outside the state, however, a labeling mistake led to the sale of the non-compliant product in California. Since O'Reilly and Technical Chemical were both responsible for the violation, the penalty was split between the two parties.

"The Air Resources Board is diligent in taking the necessary actions to limit these smog-forming chemicals in automotive products that consumers use," said ARB Enforcement Chief James Ryden.

Under the settlement, a payment of $31,500 each from O'Reilly and Technical Chemical (half of $63,000 penalty) was paid directly to the California Air Pollution Control Fund as civil penalties. In addition, both companies agreed that they would not sell, supply, offer for sale, or manufacture for sale in California any consumer product in violation of California's standards for carburetor cleaners.

For more information on ARB's consumer products regulations, see:

http://www.arb.ca.gov/consprod/consprod.htm

IN THIS ISSUE

NASTF Takes Steps to Add New Leadership

O'Reilly Automotive and Technical Chemical Company Fined $63,000

Get Your ASCCA "The Sign You Can Trust" Sign Now and Win!

Nominate an ASCCA Member of the Month

January Member of the Month John Camara

John Camara, Camara Auto Service, Inc., Tulare, CA

In his own words:

"I became inspired to get involved in automotive repair from always being curious as to how toys and other objects worked. When my personal objects would eventually break I would naturally try to fix them. When I entered high school I enrolled in auto shop classes and eventually an opportunity came along for me to work part time at a full service station assisting in the repairs. That began my automotive repair career.

In 1972 the owner of the facility I grew to manage unfortunately experienced serious medical complications and he could no longer work full time and looked for a buyer to take over his business. At that time I decided this would be my opportunity to own my own repair shop. I then was able to start my own business on January 01, 1973.

From the very first ASCCA meeting I attended in my chapter we sat at a round table with five shop owners and tried to help one of the shop owners solve a problem with a car they were working on. At that point I knew I wanted to belong. Afterwards, staying in ASCCA was easy, there is a quote I believe is from Henry Ford and says "If you want to be successful surround yourself with successful people." That is what I have done in ASCCA.

To my fellow shop owners who are new in ASCCA the first thing that I would recommend is to ATTEND a meeting, PARTICIPATE in a chapter or the state meetings and don't be afraid to speak up and ask questions; everyone there is your friend."

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

Calendar of Events

Team Weekend

Saturday, Febrary 8-10, 2013

Fairmont Newport Beach

Hotel Reservation: 1-800-441-1414

Room Rate: 129

Agenda and meeting registration information will be available soon.

2013 Industry Summit

Saturday, February 9, 2013

8:00 am - 11:00 am

Fairmont Newport Beach

Click here for agenda.

Get Your ASCCA

The Sign You Can Trust! Sign and WIN!!

The ASCCA Public Relations slogan is designed with the purpose of ensuring that the ASCCA sign is synonymous with quality automotive shops. The slogan, The Sign You Can Trust! is directed at your potential and existing customers.

This exciting new campaign started by incorporating our new slogan The Sign You Can Trust! with our existing logo, creating public awareness that will translate into consumers looking for shops displaying the ASCCA sign. The goal of our campaign is to increase your business with new customers and help you retain existing clients.

Participation in The Sign You Can Trust! campaign will strengthen the public's awareness that ASCCA shops are the shops they can trust to meet their automotive needs.

NOW you can participate in the campaign AND win great prizes at the same time! For a limited time, members displaying the new sign along with their existing sign can be entered into a drawing to WIN! All you have to do is 1) purchase The Sign You Can Trust! sign for $20; 2) attach it to your shop with your ASCCA sign; and 3) take a photo and submit it to staff at [email protected]. Each photo will be entered into a drawing for the chance to win one of our great prizes, which include:

Beautiful limited addition print by wildlife artist Sandra Jordan
Three cases of synthetic motor oil from Kendall Oil
$100 gift card
Made to order ASCCA jacket from G & K Services, Inc.

In addition, the Chapter with the highest percentage of photos sent in from individuals will win (1) free admission to the 2013 ASCCA Summer Education Conference and 2 nights hotel accommodations!

To submit photos for entry into the lottery, please send your photo to ASCCA staff at [email protected] - please include your name, shop name, city, and Chapter number.

For more information on getting the ASCCA logo with the new slogan and for purchasing an adjunct sign, contact ASCCA staff at (800) 810-4272 or email Heather Vigil at [email protected].

Nominate an ASCCA Member for Member of the Month!

The ASCCA Member of the Month is a new program developed by ASCCA leadership to recognize our members who go above and beyond to support our core purpose: To Elevate and Unite Automotive Professionals and Give Them Voice.

Each Member of the Month will receive a certificate and a $50 Visa gift card. Additionally, the member will be recognized on the ASCCA website homepage for one month, announced on Team Talk, featured in the WYNTK and in the California Independent.

YOU can nominate a Member of the Month by sending your recommendation to Heather Vigil at [email protected]. All nominations should include a summary of why your nominee should be considered for ASCCA's Member of the Month.

When making a recommendation, please use the following criteria:

Faithfully adheres to ASCCA code of ethics
Active proponent of ASCCA (both State and Chapter); talks up ASCCA to non-members
Actively helps oter shops succeed (both member and non-member shops)
Utilizes member benefits (ASCCA Advantage) and mentors new members utilizing benefits
Active in local Chapter (where applicable) and state events
Adds his/her voice to legislative issues; contacting representatives on key issues
Pays dues on time
Participates in/monitors Team Talk

Each nomination will be carefully reviewed and considered by the ASCCA Membership Committee. The pool of Members of the Month winners will be voted on by the Chapter Representatives Committee for Member of the Year to be honored at ASCCA's Summer Conference, June 21-23, 2013 at the Hilton Irvine Orange County.

For more information on the Member of the Month program, please contact Heather Vigil at [email protected].

Special Thank You to ASCCA's Diamond Sponsors!