The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers (AASP) celebrated 10 years as an industry organization while in Las Vegas to participate in Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week events. Representatives from all AASP affiliate organizations were on hand to mark the occasion. Since its inception in 1999, AASP has grown to 11 state/regional associations representing more than 8,500 automotive aftermarket businesses located in 22 states around the country.
The newest of those associations is the Automotive Parts & Services Association (APSA), which was accepted as an AASP affiliate during the board of directors meeting on Nov. 6. APSA is a 10-state regional association headquartered in Austin, Texas. Founded in 1932, APSA now represents more than 800 members in the following states: Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming.
“We are pleased that APSA has recognized the value of national affiliation, and has chosen to join the ranks of AASP,” says Rick Starbard, AASP president. “APSA is a well-established organization sharing similar interests with AASP in important areas such as information access, and we look forward to the value that we can add to each other’s organizations.”
Jim Quinten, APSA president/CEO, says, “APSA is very proud to be affiliated with the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers. This new partnership will give APSA a well- recognized and quality national brand on which to grow our repair shop divisions.”
In other business, AASP board members received updates on state and national Right to Repair legislation, collision industry initiatives – including the Database Enhancement Gateway (DEG) and CIC Database Task Force – as well as activities taking place within the AASP affiliate organizations. Representatives from Dorman Products and Mitchell 1 also presented product and program updates.
AASP also sponsored an educational program at the AAPEX show on Nov. 5. The program, “Marketing on a Shoestring Budget”, was presented by Rick White, managing member of One Eighty Business Solutions (180BIZ), a Virginia-based coaching and business solutions provider to the automotive and truck repair industries. White offered tangible, proven ideas and tools to market their business at little to no cost.
