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Research Becomes Reality for ASAPosted 3/17/1998By Robert Anderson, AAM During these years, I have had the opportunity to serve with some of the automotive industry's finest leaders. ASA Past Chairman Bob Anderson is one who has set a leadership example that will be hard to follow. I know that Bob has spent countless hours away from his business and on the phone for your association. Each of our previous chairmen have led this association forward and my intention is to try to do the same. Our association's Strategic Long-Range Plan is the road map we must follow to get to our goal. You might ask, "What is the goal of ASA?" I can tell you that the reason ASA exists is to serve its members. I am grateful for the dedicated staff in Bedford, Texas, that is there to help you, the member. With the help of ASA's board members and the ASA staff, we will move forward. We have been very fortunate to have a visionary, Bud Merwin, as president these past years. The International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE) is just one of the visions Bud has brought into the industry. Walter Trapp has been Bud's understudy these last few years as ASA's executive vice president and I believe, as the future will reveal, he is the right man to follow as president of our great association. Chuck Groves and the staff at the Automotive Management Institute (AMI) are dedicated to help every ASA member learn management skills that will help to keep us in business into the next century. As members we owe it to ourselves to take advantage of the many opportunities offered by AMI. I would like to see this year as the one that has full classes and waiting lists. Another goal is to see record attendance levels at the Congress of Automotive Repair and Service (CARS), NACE and ASA's Annual Convention. What better gives you the opportunity to know what is happening in your industry than attendance at these events? I never really got involved much with our association until I attended my first national event. Make it a goal this year to support these events and maybe you will also want to become more involved. ASA is somewhat like a finely tuned race car. Someone has to drive, but without a crew to fuel and maintain it, the car goes nowhere. We as shop owners won't always agree on every issue, but like racing a car, our team must be united on how we run our race. The crew chief - or in our case, the board of directors - has to make the final decisions. The future is just around that next bend. With only two turns to go in this century, we are still in the lead. Our crew has been united and we are moving ahead, and each of you is invited to be on our team as The Automotive Service Association (ASA) Strategic Plan outlines five long-term goals for the association to pursue, of which one states: ASA will be recognized as the credible source of automotive service industry information. I'm pleased to report that ASA has taken steps toward achieving this goal, and already, many members are benefiting from our expanded research capabilities. In 1997, ASA hired a research management specialist, Denise Caspersen. Her primary responsibility is to build an electronic information library for ASA. When this project is complete, members with electronic capabilities will be able to access the library, likely through ASA's Web site on the Internet. (ASA's last survey in July 1996 to determine members' electronic capabilities showed 49 percent have online access.) Through categories and a key word search, members will be presented with abstracts of all information archived in ASA's library on that particular subject. While ASA will own most of the information, some abstracts will represent research published by other sources. Users will be given instructions on how to get this information. Some research will be available at no cost to members; other information will be offered for a fee. Caspersen completed a similar project for a major communication trade association and is well-versed in statistical analysis and research development and management. As part of this project, ASA is enhancing its network of information resources and developing new data on behalf of the association. Caspersen also pursues research and factual information located within the World Wide Web, expanding ASA's information library beyond paper. She also authors Stat Corner, a new monthly column in AutoInc., as a means to convey relevant data to ASA members and readers on a regular basis. Although the electronic library is under construction, members who need access to specific research may contact Caspersen for assistance at (800) 272-7467, ext. 236.
On a personal note, my term as ASA chairman of the board ends in March. I have thoroughly enjoyed leading ASA during the past year and meeting so many ASA members along the way. Thank you for being a member of ASA and for your support during my term. I look forward to my ability to serve you in any capacity the association deems appropriate with the members' support.
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Copyright (c) 1996-2008. Automotive Service Association. All rights reserved.
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As the new chairman of the Automotive Service Association (ASA), I bring you greetings from the left coast. I am very honored and somewhat humbled to serve in this position. It seems like only yesterday that I first served on this association's board of directors - it was in fact in 1991 that Steve Louden, chairman at the time, appointed me to fill a vacancy as the affiliate director.
