2012 AAIA Aftermarket Legislative Summit To Be Held In D.C. March 14-15

Registration is now open for the annual AAIA Aftermarket Legislative Summit, scheduled for March 14-15 in Washington, D.C. The event provides a unique opportunity for members of the automotive aftermarket from across the country to fly in for meetings with their elected officials to discuss issues of importance to their company and the industry.

The summit will kick off with a briefing session at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 14. The briefing session will feature speakers from both the public and private sectors, who will touch on everything from aftermarket-specific issues to the overall political climate in Washington. On Wednesday evening, the congressional reception will be held in Rayburn House Office Building and will provide an opportunity to network with fellow aftermarket professionals and congressional staffers. The following day, Thursday, March 15, will be entirely dedicated to appointments with the individual congressional offices.

Registration is free and the summit staff will make legislative appointments for you. You only need to take care of your own travel and hotel arrangements.

To participate in this important event, complete the following steps:

1) Fill out and submit an electronic version of the registration form found here.

2) Make your hotel reservation here.

The AAIA room block expires on Feb. 3. Only have a limited number of rooms set aside for this event so the association recommends that room reservations be made as soon as possible.

In addition, attendees must forward their registration to AAIA by Feb. 3 to ensure there is sufficient time to obtain appointments with all the appropriate elected officials.

Contact [email protected] with any questions.

When Your Shop Is Worth Much More Than You Thought

Although every sale of a shop in which I am involved has its own unique set of circumstances, which makes my job both very interesting and very challenging, Cowden Automotive stands out as particularly memorable because I was able to demonstrate to the long-time owner, Paul Cowden, that his business was worth about three times what he had initially thought.

Case Study: Owner of San Francisco-based Import Service Shop Delighted to Discover Just How Valuable His Business is to Qualified Buyers
I sometimes share case studies of the clients I have been able to assist in my role as an aftermarket business broker and provider of intermediary and advisory services. I do that when I think the story will provide a reader in similar circumstances with new insights or helpful information.
In the case of Cowden Automotive, Inc., I acted in a consulting capacity assisting the owner and his broker in valuing the business, creating a marketing plan, finding a qualified buyer, and arranging financing for the sale.
Although every sale of a shop in which I am involved has its own unique set of circumstances, which makes my job both very interesting and very challenging, Cowden Automotive stands out as particularly memorable because I was able to demonstrate to the long-time owner, Paul Cowden, that his business was worth about three times what he had initially thought.
Needless to say, delivering that kind of good news to a shop owner is a rewarding experience. Discovering that the sale of his business would result in his retirement nest-egg being substantially larger than he had ever thought was a fitting tribute to someone who had spent his entire working career as a busy automotive service shop owner.

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