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Working Together to Meet the Challenges of the Coming YearPosted 5/11/2005By Denny Kahler, AAM
My career in the auto service business started in Pennsylvania in the late 1960s working as a tech. In August 1972, I married my wife, Cindy, and we left the "Keystone State" and relocated to Northern California to start our new life. Kahler's Werkstatt, an import repair specialist mechanical shop, was opened in May 1974. Like many newly opened shops, we worked long hours and had many challenges during our formative years. During those growth years we went it alone and were not involved in any industry groups or trade associations. The Web did not even exist. The business grew and expanded, and in 1988 we acquired a parcel of land and built our new shop. We met the challenges, but looking back, we may have done it the hard way - without a peer group and the benefits of association and industry groups. In the early 1990s I joined ASA and attended some AMI classes. I discovered new ways to improve our business and found that many of the challenges we had in the past were the same challenges other shops had. Finally, I had the answers to the questions: "Why Me?" and "Why Us?" We learned that the challenges to growth and success were the same ones any other shop owner goes through. Meeting and understanding these challenges by being active in industry groups, attending industry events and training, and using our association benefits makes these challenges much easier to overcome. Today our business continues to expand. Cindy is still actively involved in the business and my second son, Chris, has joined our management team in the front office. My oldest son, Ryan, opened a collision repair and paint shop across town and is doing very well growing his business. He earned his accredited automotive manager (AAM) designation at the young age of 22! He progressed from shop helper to shop owner in six short years. The management training he received from attending AMI classes greatly helped him along the way. During the coming year there will be new challenges and new issues to meet. The ASA strategic plan developed a few years ago continues to be implemented and improved. We have made great progress, but there is still work to do. ASA is fortunate to have an excellent staff at our Bedford, Texas, office and Bob Redding and staff in our Washington, D.C., office. They are always willing to do what it takes to get the job done. The input from the collision and mechanical operations committees and the government affairs committee is very important to the leadership and direction of the association. The board of directors is ever present and willing to listen and work for the best interests of your association. During the coming year, I will call on our committees, staff and board to research and tackle the industry issues that are so important to the future success of our businesses. We will continue to implement the items in the strategic plan and expand our membership. It's going to be an exciting year for ASA and our members. This industry - "Our Industry" - has been very good to me and my family. I look forward to serving our industry as your chairman in the coming year. Thank you for the opportunity.
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Copyright (c) 1996-2008. Automotive Service Association. All rights reserved.
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As your new ASA chairman, I would like to introduce myself and provide you with some insight as to my goals for the coming year.
