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AASP-Missouri Members Vote to Merge with Midwest Auto Care Alliance The members of AASP-MO (Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Missouri), in a unanimous vote, elected to merge with the Midwest Auto Care Alliance. Effective Nov. 1, AASP-MO will close its doors and members will become part of the MWACA organization. MWACA will add the Gateway Collision Chapter to its long list of active chapters in the Midwest, as well as merge the organization’s two St. Louis mechanical chapters. AASP-MO and MWACA have worked together over the years to educate the Missouri State Legislature on various industry-related issues. Their joint work included working to prevent the elimination of Missouri’s
vehicle safety inspection legislation. Seeing the benefits of merging to make the numerous bene fits, services and programs available to AASP-MO members, Ron Reiling, AASP-MO executive director, reached out to Sheri Hamilton, executive director of the Auto Care Alliance and the Midwest Auto Care Alliance, to discuss the possibility of joining forces once more, but this time on a permanent basis. “Both associations are on the same page and our members are our top priority,” Reiling said. “MWACA is just a great fit for AASP-MO members and that is why we had no probSee Vote to Merge, Page 13
Company Says it Has Recent Auto Body Shop Estimate Data for Sale by John Yoswick
The ongoing discussion about auto body shop data privacy at the quarterly Collision Industry Conference (CIC) meetings took a new turn this summer when an association leader described what a data aggregator company had recently offered to sell to his organization. Aaron Schulenburg, executive director of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS), said the company contacted him, after speaking with one of SCRS’s state affiliate groups, to see if SCRS might be
interested in acquiring data it has on recently-written collision repair quotes. The company, which Schulenburg did not identify by name, told him the information could be used by SCRS member shops to contact consumers who received a recent estimate to say, “Hey, I know you’ve gotten a recent quote, and our business could do the work for you.” Schulenburg asked what type of information was available. The company told him, “through our data aggregation partners and proSee Data for Sale, Page 26
Vol. 11 / Issue 12 / September 2022
Impacted Crash Survivors Continue Fight for Michigan Auto Reform by Tess DeGayner, Midland Daily News
On April 3, 1982, Karl Adams’ family of three became a family of two. A head-on traffic collision with a truck killed his 25-year-old wife that spring evening. It also changed the life of his 21-month-old son forever. “I couldn’t recognize him,” Karl said, recalling his arrival to the hospital, after he was contacted by officials via phone. “It just looked like someone beat the hell out of him…It did everything but kill him.”
Lake, MI, resident Karl Adams, right, encourages his son, Lance, left, to raise his thumb while the camera snaps for a portrait on July 14 in Downtown Midland. Lance faces long-term recovery from an auto crash in 1982. Credit: Tess DeGayner/tess.degayner@hearstnp.com See Michigan Auto Reform, Page 22
SEMA Show to Feature Educational Program Focused on Personal and Professional Development Dozens of industry leaders and experts will take the stage at the 2022 SEMA Show Education Program, where attendees will have the opportunity to learn about current and future trends, proven business strategies and new opportunities while at the annual event taking place in November in Las Vegas. Beginning Oct. 31—the day before the official opening of the four-day SEMA Show—the 2022 SEMA Show Education Program will include more than 70 free and premium sessions within 14 tracks. Showgoers may choose individual sessions across different tracks, mixing and matching the offerings to create a personalized agenda that meets one’s individual needs. “The Education Program is one of the SEMA Show’s key pillars, and it’s always been highly rated by participants,” said Pamela Brown-Matthis, SEMA director of education. “We challenged ourselves and pushed to make the program better than ever. We focused heavily on bringing in elite subject matter
experts and high-profile industry leaders. SEMA Show attendees are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to hear from industry experts while at the show.”
SEMA Show attendees can learn about current and future trends, proven business strategies and new opportunities from industry leaders and experts as part of the 2022 SEMA Show Education Program.
New this year are four sessions focused on challenges and opportunities associated with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in the workplace. The first DEI session, “Diversity and Inclusion: How You Can Advance Equal Opportunity in Your Workplace,” See SEMA Show, Page 20
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