Car Care Council Hosting Largest-Ever Vehicle Check-Up Event

The largest-ever consumer vehicle check-up event will be hosted by the Car Care Council in conjunction with the 49th Annual Northwood University International Auto Show this October in Midland, MI.

Designed to provide vehicle maintenance awareness for consumers, the Midland event will not only be unique in its size, but also in its educational purpose, the council says. Students enrolled in Northwood’s Automotive Aftermarket Management program will have the opportunity to help plan and operate the event with the Car Care Council. Featuring free vehicle inspections to consumers by volunteer technicians, the event will provide first-hand experience to students to work with many aftermarket companies that will exhibit and provide educational demonstrations about preventative maintenance.

The car care event will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 7 in the parking lot of Dow High School at the corner of North Saginaw Road and West Main Street, adjacent the Northwood campus. During the entire Northwood Auto Show being held Oct. 5-7, the Car Care Council also will have a high-visibility booth, near the parking shuttle bus drop-off on campus. Council staff will be on-hand to discuss “Be Car Care Aware,” distribute free car care guides to consumers and provide information about the Sunday vehicle check-up event.

“This unprecedented vehicle check-up event will be a huge footprint for the aftermarket, and for the first time, add an element of vehicle service and repair to the auto show’s 500-plus new vehicle displays,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council. “We are pleased to be participating in the popular Northwood University International Auto Show to represent the automotive aftermarket, work with their students and have the opportunity to promote proper car care to their nearly 50,000 anticipated attendees.”

According to Larry Silvey, chair of Northwood’s Automotive Aftermarket Management program, the car care event fulfills his desire to reach beyond the classroom.

“We put our students in real world situations with a unique internship program and the opportunity to travel to some of the industry’s premiere automotive shows and events,” said Silvey. “The vehicle check-up event is another extraordinary way for our students to connect with the industry in which they will be working, and the bonus is that they will be helping the community while they’re helping themselves.”

The Northwood University International Auto show is the largest student-run new car outdoor auto show in North America, and features more than 500 new cars, trucks, RVs, semis, specialty and promotional vehicles. More than 600 Northwood students from all curriculums participate in the show, and it is a completely free event with no admission or parking fees.

In addition to the vehicle inspections at the Car Care Council vehicle check-up event, aftermarket companies will host education demonstrations showing worn vs. new parts like wiper blades, hoses, belts, tires, brake pads and rotors, and dirty vs. clean engine oil and fluids. Gift bags with Car Care Council literature, samples from aftermarket companies and giveaways will be given to all attendees.

Aftermarket companies interested in having a table and hosting a demonstration at the event should contact Jennifer Tio at [email protected] or call 312-768-7379.

For more information about the vehicle check-up event, contact the Car Care Council at 240-333-1088.

For more information about the Northwood University International Auto Show, visit http://www.northwood.edu/autoshow/.

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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