May 25, 2022—The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of New Jersey held a Town Hall meeting last week for automotive industry professionals.
According to a press release, the intention of this meeting was to create a space where individuals could share their experiences and express their thoughts surrounding some of the most pressing challenges across the industry.
Discussions were led by AASP/NJ President Jerry McNee and AASP/NJ Executive Director Charles Bryant. Some of the initial talking points brought to the table included labor rates and issues surrounding replacement parts access.
“It was really well received,” said AASP/NJ President Jerry McNee in the press release. “The meeting served as a sounding board, allowing repairers to discuss various topics and possible ways to resolve these issues.”
Overall, the conversations had at the meeting revolved around establishing what the most pertinent challenges across the industry truly are.
“Based on the questions asked and conversations that took place, it’s obvious that the collision industry is fed up with how insurers are dealing with auto body shops at the present time,” AASP/NJ Executive Director Charles Bryant said in the press release.
McNee also commented that the discussion was not just a place for attendees to list their grievances and complain. It was about working together and providing a platform.
There was constructive work done during the discussion, with McNee stating that he feels as though they all left the conversation with an idea of possible solutions.
The meeting was well attended, but both McNee and Bryant agreed that more shop owners and industry professionals from the state of New Jersey should have been in attendance. Bryant said that shop owners need to be aware of the power in numbers for these situations in order to properly propel change.
“If you aren’t willing to make change, it won’t happen,” McNee said in the press release. “Stop crying about it and do something about it.”
