One thing is certain, the Automotive Service Association is interested in the opinions of its members. With thousands of member shops throughout the nation, surveys are an effective way for ASA to determine members' opinions on important issues. If you are a national member, chances are you've received one or more surveys this year.

Through a variety of surveys, ASA has solicited members' opinions on shop licensing, shop insurance needs, and AutoInc. magazine.

You may have also received this year's version of the “How's Your Business?” survey. This was the ninth consecutive year ASA sent this survey, which covers a variety of both industrywide and shop-specific information. As the largest national association representing independent aftermarket automotive service professionals, ASA is an important repository for industry information.

By completing and returning the “How's Your Business?&3148; and other ASA surveys, you make it possible for your association to build a historical timeline and evaluate where the industry is today versus where it came from. This also makes it possible for us to intelligently chart where we're headed. It calls our attention to areas of concern that may need correcting, and also highlights the strengths of our industry. Obviously, it's important to know where we're vulnerable as an industry so we can take corrective action. It's just as important to know our strengths because we can build upon them and use them as leverage when promoting automotive service.

Apprenticeship Survey

There's another opportunity for you to give ASA your opinions in this issue of AutoInc. Included in the magazine is a survey on apprenticeship programs. Earlier this year, in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Skilled Workforce Enhancement Act was introduced. If enacted, this bill would make it possible for shops to take a tax deduction for providing on-the-job training to apprentices.

ASA needs your advice to know what the association's role should be in supporting this important legislation. The survey is very short - just one page. Please take just a couple of minutes to complete and return it to ASA.

Meet the Candidates

Finally, the candidates for the 2002 ASA board of directors election are profiled in this issue. This will be an important election. In the coming years, your board will face difficult decisions on issues impacting our profession and our shops. Please read the candidate biographies. I encourage you to call them if you have questions or want to know their opinions about specific issues. This is your association, and you need to decide who is best qualified to serve in the various leadership roles.

It's not yet time to vote on these candidates (voting begins Jan. 14, 2002). However, we want you to have ample time to meet the candidates through the pages of AutoInc. so you can make an informed decision when casting your ballot.

The opinions and votes of every ASA member count.

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