January 2017 SDADA Column

NADA began when a group of 30 dealers came to Washington to fight a proposed 5% luxury tax on new vehicles. Advocating for their customers, these dealers successfully argued the automobile is a necessity, not a luxury. Those dealers won that argument and NADA is still fighting for dealers, their employees and their customers 100 years later.

In a time when all trade associations are struggling to find a way to be relevant to their members, NADA still boasts a 90%-plus membership rate. NADA truly is the "Voice of the Dealer" in all it says and does.

Our association has, in Peter Welch, a President and CEO second to none. We have an exceedingly knowledgeable and ultimately professional staff that is always "looking around the next corner" to help protect and advise dealer-members of both threats and opportunities.

I have been fortunate to serve as your NADA Director since August of 2007. In the 9+ years that I have served as director, I have had occasions to fight on the front lines with many of these fine people against threats from the manufacturers, legislators, regulators and disruptors that face our business. I can report that I'd much rather have them on my team than be facing them. They are formidable foes!

The National Automobile Dealers Association is us. It is the dealers in all 50 states; large and small; multi-point dealers and single point dealers; import and domestic; in metro areas and in rural communities; publicly owned and privately held; working together to make our industry better for our businesses, our employees and our customers.

Let us all celebrate that! As we look forward to our nest century, let us remind ourselves that our success lies in our employees and our customers. When we serve them, our industry thrives!

Happy birthday, NADA!