Registration Brochure For GAAS 2014 In Chicago Is Now Available

The registration brochure for the 2014 Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS), “Connected,” is now available at the organization’s website at www.globalsymposium.org. GAAS 2014 will take place May 20-21 at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Rosemont, Ill.

"We have worked hard on this year’s agenda to assemble a lineup of speakers and panelists that appeals to many segments of the aftermarket," said GAAS chairman Dennis Welvaert. "One issue in particular, telematics, is important to everyone in the supply chain from repair shop owners to manufacturers. Telematics will be the subject of an insightful 75 minute presentation by four industry leading authorities on the subject."

The featured session, “Telematics and the Connected Car – How Does the Aftermarket Respond?,” will be facilitated by Mike Buzzard, vice president of marketing and sales strategies for Uni-Select USA. The four presenters are Fred Blumer, CEO, Vehcon, Inc.; Jim Dykstra, president, Aftermarket Telematics Technologies, LLC and CEO, Dykstra’s Auto Service; Charlie Gorman, executive manager and COO, Equipment and Tool Institute (ETI), and Malcolm Sissmore, North America sales director for telematics, diagnostic tools, service data and training and country director for Canada, Delphi Product & Service Solutions (DPSS).

Fashioned after the “TED Talks” model, the four experts in diagnostics and telematics will provide a rapid fire presentation sharing their expertise followed by a brief conversation among the presenters.

“The Connected Car changes the rules of the game and the aftermarket must ensure that consumers continue to have freedom to choose with whom their vehicle communicates,” explained Welvaert.

A copy of the current agenda, speaker bios and registration forms are all available at the GAAS website, www.globalsymposium.org. The annual two-day Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium, now in its 19th year, brings together industry leaders and experts to examine the issues and trends affecting the worldwide automotive aftermarket and influencing its future.

Each year the net proceeds of GAAS are invested in the organization’s scholarship fund to help students get their automotive aftermarket career started. Additional scholarship funding comes from industry contributions from individuals, companies and foundations. To date GAAS, has awarded scholarships to more than 1,800 students representing $1.8 million in aid. The deadline to apply for the 2014 GAAS Scholarship program is March 31, 2014. Visit www.automotivescholarships.com for more information

For more information on GAAS 2014, visit www.globalsymposium.org or phone 301-654-6664. You can also connect with GAAS through Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

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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