Quantcast
Jump to content

  • Welcome to Auto Parts Forum

    Whether you are a veteran automotive parts guru or just someone looking for some quick auto parts advice, register today and start a new topic in our forum. Registration is free and you can even sign up with social network platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Google, and LinkedIn. 

     

Bill Hanvey: Now’s the Time to Support Right to Repair


Recommended Posts

rssImage-223b7fc56f97bb6ef20af6df9257658e.jpeg

In

link hidden, please login to view
, we gave leaders from the major distribution groups and trade associations an opportunity to reflect on the most critical issues affecting the automotive aftermarket. For the second year in a row, we let distribution leaders “riff” on these topics in their own words.

Here’s what Bill Hanvey, president and CEO of the Auto Care Association, had to say about the ongoing battle to pass Right-to-Repair legislation – in Massachusetts and at the national level.

“A rising tide lifts all boats” is a quote commonly attributed to President John F. Kennedy to suggest that investing in economic development can benefit everyone who participates in the economy. The same sentiment is true for the more than $400 billion auto care industry, as evidenced by our recent joint channel forecast that showed our industry outperforming our expectations in 2022.

That’s how we roll: Collaboration is critical between supplier, distributor and end user to ensure that we’re meeting the needs of our industry from the top of the supply chain down to the consumer.

It’s easy to get comfortable when the numbers are this good and it’s hard to keep up with demand … everything appears to be firing on all cylinders (of course, an automotive analogy). While it’s important to celebrate our success, it’s also critical for all of us to be engaged to thwart the biggest threat to our industry since its inception. 

On June 12, a representative from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

link hidden, please login to view
instructing them to ignore the Massachusetts Data Access Law (Right to Repair Act) that was approved by 75% of the voters because they interpreted it to be federally pre-empted by the national Safety Act. This letter came two years after the federal court in Massachusetts asked NHTSA to comment on the trial – which they opted not to do. 

This is a now a rallying cry for all of us, and I’m afraid that unless we activate our entire industry around this issue, we all will lose … especially the consumer. Shop owners and DIYers are already experiencing instances where data is not made available by the automakers, and this will continually escalate should we not pass Right to Repair at the national level.

The phrase “Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country” was actually first used as a typing drill in the mid 19th century – not shouted in the House of Burgesses by Patrick Henry as is commonly believed. We now have a new rallying cry of, “Now is the time for all men and women to defend the auto care industry and consumer choice,” which is critical to our long-term viability as an industry.   

Here’s how you and your company can take part in the most important battle our industry has ever faced:

  • Scan the QR Code below to send an automatic letter to your local congressperson telling them to support the REPAIR Act.
  • Download the Right-to-Repair promotional materials at
    link hidden, please login to view
    to conduct a unified company awareness campaign on Right to Repair. Our toolkit has everything you need to educate employees and customers about the necessity of Right to Repair.
  • Host your congressperson at your place of business. We have a complete program that handles the contacts, the logistics and the talking points. It’s easier than you think, and any politician is always looking for a photo op with their local business constituents. Here’s a link to our
    link hidden, please login to view
    to learn how to get started.
  • I saved the most important for last: Attend the Auto Care Association’s legislative summit on Sept. 21 in Washington, D.C. Join us and hundreds of your industry colleagues in Washington as we arrange meetings between you and your local congressional representatives so they can hear directly from you about our industry’s need to access vehicle data.
link hidden, please login to view

Meeting with an elected official is nothing more than a sales call, and guess what? You are the customer! The loudest voice in Washington is that of the taxpayer/voter – and we provide the talking points, the meeting schedule and a thoroughly American day participating in the political process. This is a day you will bring home to your family and friends, and I promise you: You will not regret it. 

Take a look back at highlights from our last legislative summit in 2019

link hidden, please login to view
and stay tuned throughout the year for additional details.  

Thanks to all of you for engaging in the protection of our industry’s future!   

The post

link hidden, please login to view
appeared first on
link hidden, please login to view
.

link hidden, please login to view

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Similar Topics

    • By Counterman
      WAI Global, in conjunction with the University of the Aftermarket Foundation (UAF), recently announced the WAI Global/Bill Ernst Memorial Scholarship.
      The WAI Global/Bill Ernst Memorial Scholarship will present one $2,500 annual scholarship designated for a student pursuing a career in the automotive aftermarket.
      The scholarship is available to students in two-year technical college programs and vocational schools and four-year college programs and subject to the same requirements as other UAF scholarships: applicants must be enrolled full-time in a college-level program or an ASE/NATEF (National Automotive Technician Education Foundation)-certified automotive technical program.
      Graduate programs and part-time undergraduate programs do not qualify.
      “Bill Ernst was employed by WAI for 20 years as a warehouse manager, account manager and senior account manager,” WAI said in a news release. “He represented all that was good in a dedicated employee. He was tenacious in obtaining new and retaining current business, driven by what was in the best interest of the company and the customer. He was universally well-liked, and a true pillar of the remanufacturing industry. Applicants should consider these attributes when applying.”
      Recipients will be chosen by a selection committee appointed by the University of the Aftermarket Foundation (including a representative from WAI Global), using completed electronic applications filed at
      link hidden, please login to view, and will adhere to the UAF scholarship deadlines for student applications and committee selection/awards. The post
      link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view.
      link hidden, please login to view
    • By Counterman
      Right to Repair has notched another victory.
      On Nov. 7, Ballot Question 4 in Maine asked this question: “Do you want to require vehicle manufacturers to standardize on-board diagnostic systems and provide remote access to those systems and mechanical data to owners and independent repair facilities?”
      At press time, more than 80% of Maine voters had answered “yes,” ensuring that vehicle owners and the independent repair shops of their choice can access the diagnostic tools and data necessary for routine repairs.
      “The result of [Tuesday’s] election in Maine proved another victory for the American consumer and the Right-to-Repair movement that is gaining support across the United States,” said Bill Hanvey, president and CEO of the Auto Care Association. “The right to repair is one of a few unifying issues our nation faces, and whether we achieve repair access chamber by chamber or state by state, I am confident that every American will soon have the fundamental right to repair what belongs to them. Right to repair isn’t going away and this victory demonstrates that it’s an issue that needs to be resolved.” 
      The Maine vote comes after movement on the federal level to advance the Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair (REPAIR) Act (H.R. 906). Last week, a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee unanimously voted to advance the bipartisan REPAIR Act to the full committee for consideration.
      “Maine voters’ overwhelming show of support for Question 4 adds momentum to the growing national push for right-to-repair protections,” CAR Coalition Executive Director Justin Rzepka said. “The CAR Coalition will continue this important fight at the federal level with bipartisan bills like the SMART and REPAIR Acts to ensure every American – no matter where they live – has the right to repair the car they own.”
      Meanwhile, John Bozzella, president and CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, said the results in Maine were “disappointing but hardly surprising.”
      “Out-of-state, big-box auto retailers – that don’t speak for independent auto repairers – spent nearly $5 million trying to scare Mainers into thinking that the right to repair their vehicles was going away,” Bozzella said in a statement. “It will not go away. Automotive Right to Repair already exists. Mainers can get their vehicle repaired anywhere, anytime, anyplace. That was true yesterday, and it’s true today and tomorrow.”
      Tommy Hickey, director of the Maine Automotive Right to Repair Coalition, told the Portland Press Herald that the next step is to meet with Maine’s attorney general and help guide the state on the best approach for implementing the law.
      In the news article, Hickey called Maine and Massachusetts the “godfathers” of the Right-to-Repair movement.
      The post
      link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view.
      link hidden, please login to view
    • By Dorman Products
      Technician Challenge - Tea Time #Dashlightquiz #shorts #technicianchallenge
    • By Dorman Products
      Intake manifold repair for RAM/Jeep EcoDiesels | Dorman OE FIX 615-311
    • Incfile.com
    • By Counterman
      MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers wrapped up the recent Aftermarket Technology Conference with a fun contest to raise funds in support of the Automotive Aftermarket Charitable Foundation (AACF).
      Terence O’Reilly and Jeffrey Marshall of Pricedex Software, the conference’s premier sponsor, once again led closing banquet attendees in the “Toonie Game.” O’Reilly and Marshall each flipped Canadian two-dollar pieces, or “Toonies,” as they are informally referenced in Canada.
      Attendees participated by making donations to the
      link hidden, please login to view and guessing how the coins would land. A series of fun and suspenseful elimination rounds resulted in a single remaining individual, Scott Howat of Tendeco Sales, who won a pair of watches, courtesy of Pricedex. “Beyond being an influential event for our industry, the Aftermarket Technology Conference embodies a collective spirit,” said Terry O’Reilly, president and chief executive officer of Pricedex and AACF corporate secretary. “It’s a chance for us to unite around the objective of advancing the aftermarket and amplify the invaluable assistance AACF provides to families nationwide.”
      Between attendees’ contributions and MEMA’s donation-matching pledge, a total of $1,400 was raised to support the vital efforts and initiatives of the AACF.
      The post
      link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view.
      link hidden, please login to view

×
  • Create New...