Every year, the Automotive Service Association (ASA) sends 4,000 “How's Your Business?” surveys to randomly selected members. This year's survey will be in the mail soon. If you receive one, please take a few moments to complete and return it to ASA.

The survey allows us to chart the industry's evolution. By taking the results year after year, we are able to establish a history of the industry as well as projections for where we're headed.

One question the survey asks is what industry issue has the largest impact on your business. The most cited response last year was “finding good technicians.” The second most common answer was “keeping up with technology.”

ASA provides a solution to help you overcome both these concerns - the Congress of Automotive Repair and Service (CARS). CARS 2001 will be held Nov. 1-3 in Las Vegas. I'm writing this in July so you'll have plenty of time to make the necessary arrangements to attend.

How will CARS help you find good technicians and keep up with technology? By providing you and your technicians the absolute best technical training available anywhere.

If you want to find good technicians, the best place to begin your search is in your own shop. Bring your techs to CARS. By expanding their skills and knowledge, you have found one solution to the technician shortage problem. There will be 10 technical courses taught by such superstar instructors as Jim Linder, Mark Warren and Craig Van Batenburg. Even the most experienced tech can learn something from these guys.

What about keeping up with technology? The courses scheduled for CARS won't just keep you current with technology; they'll catapult you to its outer edges. One course will deal with 42-volt systems. (Some might be shocked to learn Ford is set to introduce a 42-volt vehicle.) Other courses will cover hybrid vehicles and alternate fuel vehicles.

Change sometimes evolves so slowly it happens without our realizing it. With the introduction of 42-volt systems and the mass production of alternate fuel and hybrid vehicles, the evolution of our industry just jumped to Mach 3.

Increasingly, collision shops have to make “mechanical” repairs. CARS provides a great opportunity for training collision techs. Many of the new technology cars, such as the Honda Insight hybrid, will be in collision shops before they're in non-dealer mechanical shops.

Whether you run a mechanical or collision shop, there will be something for you - and your techs - at CARS. To make it possible for you to bring one or two (or more) of your best techs, ASA is providing discounted technician registrations. Visit the ASA Web site (www.asashop.org) or call the meetings department at (800) 272-7467, ext. 235 or 241, to learn more.

I'll see you this November at CARS!

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