AUTOINC. ONLINE - Net Worth

In the fall of 1995, the Automotive Service Association (ASA) introduced its Web site and became one of the first, if not the first, automotive aftermarket associations on the World Wide Web. The ASA Web site has grown over the years and become a premier source of information for automotive professionals and consumers alike. Now, almost all major associations have established an Internet presence. A variety of aftermarket association Web sites have been reviewed and listed below. (See below for list.)

Organizations Online
The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Web site offers information on testing and registration, the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF), Team ASE Racing and much more. NATEF's Web site (http://www.natef.org) can also be accessed directly.

The Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair (I-CAR) Web site is broken down into three sections for consumers, the industry and education. It includes information on I-CAR events, courses, products and services.

The popular International Automotive Technicians' Network (iATN) has grown to more than 10,000 members, creating a combined experience pool of over 177,000 years of automotive expertise and easily making it the largest online group of automotive technicians. The site also incorporates one of the 20 busiest electronic mailing lists in the world, which delivered over 5.7 million e-mail messages between automotive technicians during October 1997.

SEMA Online (Specialty Equipment Market Association) offers automotive professionals information about new products, updates on legislative and regulatory issues, SEMA News magazine and a long list of links to automotive companies on the Internet. A members-only password-protected area of the site includes market research data, aftermarket news and more.

The Automotive Management Institute (AMI) Web site went online last fall offering a calendar of events, online catalog of seminars and self-study programs, goals, recent activities and donor recognition. "The site has been designed to familiarize shop owners and managers with management education opportunities available through AMI in a convenient, user-friendly format," said Charles Groves, AMI president.

The ASA Web site is a great source of information for members. A search engine enables visitors to find specific information throughout the hundreds of pages at the site. Popular sections include news releases, an online edition of AutoInc., a Members Only section, mailing lists, free employment classifieds, the Find Nearest ASA Shop searchable database, events, legislation and much more!

Benefits
Most of these Web sites are updated frequently and contain news releases and online editions of publications. Visit them regularly to stay informed about the latest industry news. Also, you can easily communicate with your associations via e-mail and inform them of news in your area, concerns or comments.