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| P.O. Box 431 6 Mulberry Lane Mt. Arlington, N.J. 07856 973-398-2774 Telephone 973-398-2731 Facsimile |
September 8, 2006 |
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| Letter from IARA's Executive Director IARA Stages '06 Summer Roundtable |
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Letter from IARA's Executive Director
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| Matthew Marks IARA Executive Director |
Greetings:
Greetings from the Executive Director of the Alliance. I am pleased to report that the Alliance has been very active on several issues. The dedication of the IARA Board members and Committee Chairs continues to be the strength of the Alliance. The activities of the IARA are all focused on the primary mission of improving the vehicle remarketing process through education.
URGENT-IMPORTANT-CAR2007 SURVEY RESPONSE REQUIRED BY SEPTEMBER 18th
In preparation for our next series of Roundtables at CAR2007, Feb 28th, the IARA is requesting a list of your top three items in remarketing that:
- cause you restless moments;
- find yourself asking "why can't I do it this way?"; and
- saying, “too bad the ‘system’ worked against me again.”
Please send an email with your responses by September 18th, 2006, to the Executive Director at matthew@iaraonline.org. Thanks in advance for your valuable and important input.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
The IARA is seeking volunteers for a Summer Roundtable Event Planning Committee that would select hotels, venue, and activities for the annual Summer Roundtable Meeting. Please respond directly to Matt Marks at matthew@iaraonline.org or call 973-398-2774.
Best regards,
Matthew Marks
Executive Director
International Automotive Remarketers Alliance
IARA Stages ’06 Summer Roundtable
Vehicle reconditioning, transportation, and arbitration issues were key topics at the remarketing organization’s mid-year conference held in San Diego.
By Cindy Brauer
Remarketing professionals from across the country explored key remarketing industry issues, including reconditioning, transportation, and vehicle arbitration, at the recent International Automotive Remarketers Association (IARA) Summer Roundtable. Held July 26-28 in San Diego, the conference featured roundtable discussions, panel presentations, and Six Sigma Yellow Belt training.
Bill Vermilyea, SSEG Consulting, provided Yellow Belt Six Sigma training for Roundtable attendees.
An event highlight was presentation of the IARA Remarketing Industry Recognition Award to Layne Weber, VP remarketing for Donlen, a Chicago-area-based fleet management company. Weber was honored for his contributions to IARA and his community volunteer efforts. Among his charitable activities, Weber has been instrumental in building the auto auction industry’s contributions to “One Step at a Time” program, a summer camp experiences for children undergoing cancer treatment.
Dave Alfonso, (right) IARA awards committee chair, congratulates Layne Weber, VP of remarketing for Donlen, who received the IARA Remarketing Industry Recognition Award for his contributions to the organization and his community volunteer efforts.
Moderated by Don Fowler, Data Scan Services, and Dwight Grovum, Akinvest, the Transportation Roundtable focused on improving available data on used-vehicle transport companies, instituting inspection exceptions, and building auction-transport company relationships. According to Matt Marks, IARA executive director, the organization will develop the subjects for its remarketing education program.
In the Reconditioning Roundtable, moderators Chuck Nix, Grand Rapids Auto Auction, and Jim Chapman, VRS, presented a wholesale reconditioning guide based on industry experts’ “best estimates.” Roundtable participants suggested IARA develop a tool to determine the specific value of reconditioning efforts.
Other conference events included a panel session on the National Auto Auction Association’s newly adopted standards on vehicle arbitration. Jane Morgan, from ADESA, moderated the session, accepting feedback from attendees. A dealer-centric panel presented the perspectives of several San Diego auto dealers and wholesalers on “Why I Buy (or don’t) Your Vehicles.”
Luncheon keynote speaker Richard Fenton urged the audience to “Go for No!” as a strategy for business success. Roundtable attendees also received Yellow Belt Six Sigma training. Bill Vermilyea, a Six Sigma black belt and SSEG Consulting principal, provided the introduction to the process management technique.
Keynote luncheon speaker Richard Fenton urged guests to “Go for the No” in their business strategies.
The IARA annual meeting and election of officers kicked off the conference. The elected 2006 slate of officers include Layne Weber, president; Jim Chapman, VRS, vice-president; Mike Antich, Bobit Business Media, secretary; and Jean Rosati, Dent Wizard, treasurer.
Source: Automotive Fleet Magazine, September 2006. Reprinted with permission.