ASA Leaders Meet with Insurance Reform Bill Sponsor
from Automotive Service Association
ASA leaders met with Rep. Melissa Bean, D-Ill., sponsor of U.S. House Bill 1880, which establishes optional federal insurance regulation for insurers. ASA supports H.R. 1880. This legislation, for the first time, reaches beyond life insurance lines to include property and casualty insurance. More

Clunkers Plan Deflates Mechanics
from The Wall Street Journal
Who doesn't like the government's "cash for clunkers" program? Your mechanic, for one. Owners of automotive repair shops, including Betty Jo Young, AAM, co-owner of Young's Automotive, Houston, an ASA member shop, say the program to help invigorate sales of new cars is succeeding at their expense. More

Obama Administration Issues 'Down Payment' on Electric Cars, Batteries
from The New York Times
A $2.4 billion grant program has renewed hope that a U.S. industry in electric cars and the batteries to propel them won't be hopelessly stuck behind foreign competitors. The grants (pdf) were billed as the largest auto-battery investment ever. More

ASE Launches Maintenance and Inspection Program
from The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence
The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) has launched its new Maintenance and Inspection (M&I) Program. Delivered exclusively online and consisting of four, e-learning training modules and a separate quiz, the program focuses on awareness of the tasks related to maintenance and inspection. An embedded glossary and safety zone section also help to promote proper safety measures. More

Newark, N.J., Auto Mechanics Training Program Gives At-risk Individuals Skills for the Job Market
from The Star-Ledger
Anthony Mills had not been a part of a graduation ceremony since his middle school commencement some 20 years ago. So he was understandably beaming with pride last month when, with his wife and four children looking on, he received his auto mechanics certification from the Youth and Adult Automotive Training Center in Newark, N.J. More

GM to Lease Across U.S. Once Again
from the Detroit Free Press
General Motors Co., which saw its leasing dramatically curtailed last year and lost sales as a result, can again sell select cars and trucks to consumers nationwide with lease deals – a move that could boost sales. That news follows GMAC Financial Services' announcement Monday that it would begin offering new leasing programs for select GM vehicles in 45 states. More

Chassis Liner, Accudraft Come Together to Create $92,000 Stimulus Package Giveaway for One Lucky NACE Attendee
from Automotive Service Association
With each having 25+ years experience in serving the automotive service industry, NACE exhibitors Chassis Liner and Accudraft have announced plans to award one lucky NACE 2009 attendee with an extreme shop package the includes the Lift ‘N Rak Pro™(valued at $7,000) and an Accudraft TITAN (valued at $85,000) ... More

Dangers of Skimping on Car Repairs During Tough Times
from WAOW-TV
Even if you're not in the market for a new car, that doesn't mean you shouldn't maintain the one you own. But during these tough times, when we're forced to cut corners, sometimes a car repair is one of the things to go. Mike Molitor, AAM, owner of Auto Select in Schofield, Wis., an ASA member shop, says, "People are more conscious of the cost of repairs and more conscious of the money available to make the repairs." More

U.S. Automakers Need to Leave Survival Mode, Look to Future
from USA Today
U.S. automakers are now in that back seat. Emerging from financial and market chaos not seen for decades, they now have to shift from crisis mode to their real business: building and selling vehicles buyers want now, while making multibillion-dollar bets on what they'll want later. They must shift from doing business as if their hair were on fire to the sober, long-view approach of more normal times. More

N.Y. Shop Uses Humor to Keep Customers Coming Back for More
from CollisionWeek
A shop in western New York State has found a unique way to get their message of customer choice out to the residents in their small home town of Delevan, N.Y. Mark Kless, one of the three brothers who own Kless Boys Collision & Repair, created a humorous music video to tell his customers they have a choice of where to take their car, and that choice should be Kless Boys. More