ASA-Central New Mexico Chapter Holds Air Quality Meeting

The monthly meeting of the ASA-Central New Mexico chapter was held Dec. 9, 2008, at the Nativo Lodge in Albuquerque. "We had a great turnout with roughly 95 people and more than 50 collision shops from Albuquerque and surrounding areas in attendance," said Jim Maddox, chapter president.

Attendees at the ASA-Central New Mexico chapter meeting Dec. 9.

Everyone interested in the EPA's air quality regulations and mandated registration process for New Mexico body shops was invited to attend the dinner meeting. The cost was $18 per person and included a hot roast beef dinner. Three speakers presented the information: Steve Dubyk, New Mexico Environmental Department representative, and Roger Polisar and John Liberatore from the Albuquerque Air Quality Bureau. All three are in environmental assistance programs that assist small businesses in understanding the environmental regulatory requirements associated with doing business in New Mexico. Their jobs are to help small businesses meet air quality regulation exemptions and provide assistance in filling out permit applications.

The presentation has been posted on the New Mexico Environmental Department Air Quality Web site: http://www.nmenv.state.nm.us/aqb/ sbap/index.html.

Key Performance Indicators Allow Benchmarking of Member-Businesses

ASA members can now access key performance indicator (KPI) data through the newly released ShopMeter located within the Members' Only section of the ASA Web site. Powered by Mitchell 1, ASA's newest Web-based member benefit - ShopMeter - provides national and regional averages on a number of data sets, including average repair order dollars, top 10 repair jobs, average parts sales and the most frequently serviced vehicles.

Vote Now

Elections for the 2009 Automotive Service Association (ASA) national board of directors are being held through Feb. 28. Not sure you know the candidates? Read the bios on pages 14-15 of this issue, and listen to their recorded messages on the ASA Web site.

ASA members may vote by calling a toll-free telephone number, or through a secure voting site accessed from ASA's home page (www.ASAshop.org). Whether voting by phone or via the Internet, ASA members will need their member number plus a three-digit personal identification number to vote. These numbers can be found on the mailing labels of this issue, the December 2008 or the January 2009 issues of AutoInc. The member number and personal identification number are directly above the addressee's full name and enclosed by parentheses ( ).

All regular members in good standing with ASA are eligible to cast their vote for the two positions of ASA general director.

For voting questions, please contact ASA at (800) 272-7467, ext. 295

Annual Convention Coming Up April 30-May 2

The 2009 ASA Annual Convention will be held April 30-May 2 at the Caribe Royal All-Suites Hotel & Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. This year's meeting will include a keynote address, the national board meeting, an Automotive Management Institute (AMI) seminar, a state of the association address and a swearing in ceremony, a leadership training session, benefit provider reception and much more.

Watch your mail for registration and housing information. Looking forward to seeing you in Orlando!

Win an Expense-Paid Trip to CARS or NACE!

No one can recruit another shop into your trade association better than you. That's why the Chairman's Club has always been an integral part of the Automotive Service Association's membership recruitment program.

We are pleased to say the tradition continues, and joining the club couldn't be easier. Signing up one new member for ASA gets you in! What's the reward for your time and dedication? One lucky member will win an expense-paid** trip to the Congress of Automotive Repair and Service (CARS) or the International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE) in Las Vegas this fall.

For every member application we process at the national office that is attributable to your recruiting efforts, you will receive 5 points. We will determine if you're eligible by the information provided on the membership application. The most common credits for recruiting come from members' providing ASA's national recruiters with the names and addresses of prospect shops in their area or by their personally visiting shops with a recruiter.

The member with the most points Sept. 15, 2009, will receive one expense-paid** trip to CARS or NACE. In the case of a tie, a drawing will be held to determine the winner. You must have a minimum of 50 points to be eligible for the trip.

To help with your recruitment efforts, download ASA's "5 Reasons to Join" flier for free by clicking on the ASA Chairman's Club tab in the Members Only section of the ASA Web site. Plus, find other tools and helpful information to help you take an early lead in the 2009 competition.

**Expenses covered: round-trip airline tickets for two plus registrations to the event and four nights hotel lodging. Food and beverage are the responsibility of the winner. All accommodations must be arranged by ASA.