What’s in a name?

As we walked the halls of the General Assembly Building during our annual Dealer Day, it dawned on me that the name of our association — and all state “dealer” associations — is somewhat misleading.

We are not an organization that merely supports dealership owners and leadership, or exclusively the sales side as the word “dealer” implies. Our work supports everyone inside the four walls of a dealership — and many people, especially consumers, outside of them.

Look no further than the unanimous, bipartisan support behind VADA’s warranty and recall legislation in the Virginia General Assembly to provide greater protections to dealerships and fair pay to auto technicians for warranty and recall work. Indeed, among the 100+ dealership leaders at our Dealer Day on January 29 were many boots-on-the-ground automotive technicians, parts and service directors and others whose livelihoods depend on legislation like this one.

While the work isn’t done until both the House and Senate pass the bill and the Governor signs it, we’re encouraged that all legislators recognize the importance of fair compensation for dealerships performing manufacturer-mandated repairs.