Car Care Council Partners With Dartmouth’s Big Green Bus

The Car Care Council has partnered with Dartmouth College for the Dartmouth Big Green Bus 2012 cross-country road trip this summer. The council's popular car care guide, which highlights the importance of preventive maintenance and provides ways to make vehicles run more environmentally friendly, will be distributed to motorists during the bus stops.

The Car Care Council has partnered with Dartmouth College for the Dartmouth Big Green Bus 2012 cross-country road trip this summer. The council’s popular car care guide, which highlights the importance of preventive maintenance and provides ways to make vehicles run more environmentally friendly, will be distributed to motorists during the bus stops.

Thirteen Dartmouth College students are touring the nation on the Big Green Bus during The 2012 Tour: A Vehicle for Inspiration, in an effort to build enthusiasm for community involvement through environmental action. This completely student-run initiative will hit the road on June 13th and travel 12,000 miles through 30 states, spending the summer engaging in dialogue, spreading innovation and inspiring community action and environmental awareness – all on a veggie-powered coach bus. With more than 40 stops planned, the Car Care Council will be tweeting the bus location via @CarCareCouncil for consumers to learn where they can pick up free car care guides all summer.

“The Car Care Council is thrilled to be participating in this program with Dartmouth this summer, to teach motorists the easy steps they can take to make their vehicles more environmentally friendly,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council. “The very purpose of the aftermarket is to provide the parts, products and services to keep America’s vehicles operating properly, efficiently, safely and cleanly. The aftermarket contributes to better gas mileage, less energy consumption and cleaner air, and we are glad to have this unique opportunity with Dartmouth to help spread the word to communities across the country.”

Through collaborative community service events with local groups, the Big Green Bus fosters dialogue to connect environmentalism with community involvement, and show that people are part of the environment too. Complete with solar panel run appliances, a recycling and compost station, and an engine converted to run on waste vegetable oil, the bus exemplifies innovative ways to live sustainably. As a fun and interactive vehicle and living space, the Big Green Bus is designed for learning about energy use and facilitating discussion about local and national environmental issues. For more information, visit www.thebiggreenbus.org.

The Car Care Council is the source of information for the “Be Car Care Aware” consumer education campaign promoting the benefits of regular vehicle care, maintenance and repair to consumers. For more information, visit www.carcare.org.

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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