ETAS Selects Aonix PERC Ultra for Automotive Diagnostics System

BMW Approves ProgRama Scan Tool

Win Tools From Wera

AAIA Introduces AAIA SmartBrief, New Electronic Newsletter for Members

AAIA Honored with Marketing Awards

AAIA Holds Successful Meetings at Spring Leadership Days in Florida

Tire Industry Association Strongly Supports Passage of Right to Repair Legislation

GAAS Approved for University of the Aftermarket AAP and MAAP Credits

More Congressional Support for Right to Repair

ETAS Selects Aonix PERC Ultra for Automotive Diagnostics System

Aonix®, the provider of the PERC product line for embedded and real-time Java developers, announced ETAS’ selection of the PERC Ultra virtual machine (VM) for a new line of automotive service diagnostic equipment. ETAS Group, a subsidiary of Bosch, provides General Motors and other major automotive OEMs with dealer service tools. Thanks to PERC Ultra, ETAS has been able to more easily support the multiple architectures and RTOSs working in their service tool chain.

For more of this story, click here:

5/8/08

BMW Approves ProgRama Scan Tool

BMW of North America has approved ProgRama Inc. as having an approved J2534 interface device. BMWNA states that it “has conducted thorough testing and recommends using only” the few devices it has approved, including ProgRama’s equipment. This allows aftermarket repair shops factory-level scan tool ability in working on 1996-2008 BMWs and 2002-2008 Minis. The complete BMW/Mini scan tool kit covers not only engine modules but ABS, climate controls, transmission, chassis, safety and steering computers.

To read more of this article, visit http://www.pten.com/web/online/News/BMW-approves-ProgRama-scan-tool/6$827.

Source: Professional Tool & Equipment News, May 7, 2008

Win Tools From Wera

To celebrate the launch of its stainless-steel tool line, Wera Tools is holding monthly drawings featuring its new products. The first monthly prize is Wera's cutting-edge Stainless Steel Bit-Check Bit Set. The second prize is Wera's Kraftform Stainless Steel Screwdriver Set. A new contest begins every month until the end of 2008.

To enter, visit www.stainlessscrewdrivers.com.

AAIA Introduces AAIA SmartBrief, New Electronic Newsletter for Members

AAIA members will begin receiving a new electronic newsletter on Thursday, April 24, called AAIA SmartBrief. The newsletter, which will replace the segment FACTS newsletters, will be sent twice weekly on Tuesday and Thursday, and will be coming from the e-mail address aaia@smartbrief.com. In addition to AAIA news, each issue will contain news on current developments impacting the industry, technology trends, business leadership, sales and marketing best practices, and government and regulatory news, as featured in Capital Report. Individual segment news will be conveniently accessed from each SmartBrief.

AAIA Honored with Marketing Awards

AAIA has been selected as a winner in three categories in the 2008 American Inhouse Design Awards. Of the more than 5,000 entries in this year’s program, the following were honored: Best Annual Report, AAIA 1 Book; Best Brochure or Collateral Material, AAIA Town Hall Agenda and Best Publication, Aftermarket Insider.

The American Inhouse Design Awards has emerged as the premier showcase for outstanding work by inhouse designers. It is a unique opportunity for inhouse design, marketing and communications departments within corporations, publishing houses, non-profits, universities and government agencies to be recognized for their creativity, for the special challenges they face and for their contributions to their businesses and institutions.

AAIA Holds Successful Meetings at Spring Leadership Days in Florida

More than 400 volunteers and industry guests attended AAIA’s Spring Leadership Days, April 9-11, at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point in Bonita Springs, Fla.

More than 25 meetings were held over the three-day event, including eight segment and 14 committee meetings, as well as a meeting with AAIA’s Board of Directors. The board officially announced Jerry O’Pry, Blue Magic, Inc., as the new AAIA chairman.

At the Volunteer Recognition Luncheon on April 10, O’Pry presented the executive summary of the new AAIA Strategic Plan, while Kathleen Schmatz delivered the annual “State of the Association” address.

AAIA’s Fall Leadership Days will be held Sept. 3-5, 2008 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Antonio, Texas.

Tire Industry Association Strongly Supports Passage of Right to Repair Legislation

The Tire Industry Association (TIA) has declared its support of the Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act (H.R. 2694) and strongly urges Congress to pass the legislation in order to ensure that car owners and their trusted repair shops have the same access to safety alerts and repair information as the franchised new car dealer network. 

"We have always supported Right to Repair, but because most new vehicles are equipped with tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) that are controlled by computers, we felt compelled to formally state our position,” said Roy Littlefield, executive vice president, TIA. “TPMS systems cannot take the place of regular maintenance on tires, but are intended to protect motorists from the dangers of operating a vehicle with underinflated tires. Keeping these systems updated and in safe working condition requires ready access to complete and accurate information from the car companies.”

The legislative intent of the Right to Repair Act is to offer protections for motor vehicle owners by making it illegal for vehicle manufacturers to withhold information necessary to diagnose, service or repair motor vehicles. Right to Repair ensures that car owners can have their vehicle serviced at the repair shop of their choice, whether it’s their neighborhood repair shop or a franchised new car dealer.

“We encourage our members and all motorists to visit www.righttorepair.org to send a letter to each of their congressional representatives, urging them to support the Right to Repair Act (H.R. 2694,” Littlefield said.

GAAS Approved for University of the Aftermarket AAP and MAAP Credits

The upcoming Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS) has been approved for continuing education credits (CEU) by Northwood University's University of the Aftermarket. The symposium is scheduled for May 20-21, at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare in Chicago, Ill.

GAAS attendees will earn 1.0 CEUs toward the Automotive Aftermarket Professional (AAP) or Master Automotive Aftermarket Professional (MAAP) certifications.

Speakers for GAAS 2008 include:

• Tony Cristello, vice president, BB&T Capital Markets 
• Neil De Koker, president and CEO, Original Equipment Suppliers Association (OESA) 
• Steve Ganster, managing director, Technomic Asia 
• Steve Handschuh, president and COO, Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA)
• Mike Hanley, partner, automotive industry leader, Ernst & Young 
• Fotios Katsardis, managing director, TEMOT International Autoparts GmbH 
• D. Bruce Merrifield Jr., president, Merrifield Consulting Group Inc. 
• Ron Pyle, president, Automotive Service Association (ASA) 
• Kathleen Schmatz, president and CEO, Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA)
• William A. Strauss, senior economist & economic advisor, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago 
• Bill Wade, managing partner, Wade & Partners

Panel discussions on important industry issues include:

• "Let's Know Them Before We Need Them" – moderated by Ray Pohlman, vice president government relations, AutoZone 
• "Decision Makers - What Drives Today's Independent Repair Shop Owner to Choose One Parts Source Over Another?" – moderated by Gary Molinaro, editor/publisher, The Greensheet/Automotive Week 
• "Family Affair" – moderated by John Washbish, president, CRM and Under Vehicle Group, Affinia Group 
• "Private Equity and the Aftermarket" – moderated by Dan Smith, president, Capstone Financial Group

The fourth annual Polk Aftermarket Inventory Efficiency Award will be presented by R. L. Polk & Co. during this year's symposium and is designed to recognize and reward outstanding aftermarket companies for process improvements relative to inventory efficiency.

For event details and GAAS registration, visit www.globalsymposium.org.

More Congressional Support for Right to Repair

Following the recent announcement of two new co-sponsors, Reps. Bob Filner, D-Calif. and Peter Welch, D-Vt., the Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act (H.R. 2694) gained three more supporters last week. Kathleen Schmatz, president and CEO, AAIA, named Reps. Richard Neal, D-Mass.; Carol Shea, D-N.H.; and Ike Skelton, D-Mo., among a growing list of the bill’s sponsors.

“We want to thank Reps. Neal, Shea and Skelton for supporting of this important piece of legislation,” Schmatz said. “The growing momentum of support for the Right to Repair Act demonstrates the commitment by many members of Congress to ensuring that their constituents, and not the large car companies, retain the choice of where to have their vehicle serviced and repaired.”

Because vehicles are becoming increasingly sophisticated with virtually every system either monitored or controlled by computers, servicing these vehicle systems to keep them in safe working condition requires ready access to complete and accurate information from the car companies. The Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act (H.R. 2694) was introduced in Congress to ensure that car owners and their trusted repair shops have the same access to safety alerts and repair information as the franchised new car dealer network. 

For a complete list of co-sponsors and a copy of the Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act (H.R. 2694), visit www.righttorepair.org.

WELCOME NEW AAIA MEMBERS

April 11-17, 2008

Nothern Factory Sales, Inc., Roseville, Minn. (HDDA)
Shelter Logic, Watertown, Conn. (Retail)
Tianjin Jimkoo International Trade Co., Ltd., Tianjin, China (AIA)