Omaha, Neb. -- Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA) Executive Vice President George Eliades urged those attending the Greater Midwest Automotive Recyclers Expo to step up and work with the association on a state and national level.
At the annual recycling industry exposition on March 29-31 at the Crowne Plaza, Eliades, of Fairfax, Va.,
reviewed national issues such as tracking the VINs of totaled vehicles, nondeployed airbags, and recycling of mercury switches. He urged members to write letters to make their concerns known to their representatives and senators on issues before Congress.
reviewed national issues such as tracking the VINs of totaled vehicles, nondeployed airbags, and recycling of mercury switches. He urged members to write letters to make their concerns known to their representatives and senators on issues before Congress.The expo opened with a Planning Committee meeting from 6-7 p.m. Thursday, March 29, then a reception in the lobby lounge from 8-11 p.m.
Attendees on Friday were offered a tour of United Auto Recyclers, then went on to Kosiski Auto Parts for another tour and a luncheon. That afternoon, exhibitor demonstrations were offered at the hotel.
Meetings by the various state associations took place from 3:30-5 p.m., and, at 5 p.m., there was a reception with entertainment by Paul Fell, noted editorial cartoonist at the Lincoln Journal Star.
Saturday started out with a continental breakfast with the exhibitors. After Eliades' talk, Shannon Nordstrom, vice president and general manager of Nordstrom's Automotive Inc. in Garretson, S.D., held an open forum on extended warranties. He discussed how Nordstrom's warranties work, and the attendees took part in exchanging ideas and suggestions to help others in the association with their warranties.
From 2-3:30 p.m., there was an open discussion on the "Cost of Doing Business," led by Sandy Blalock of Truck and Auto Parts Inc., Albuquerque, N.M.; John Vander Haag of Vander Haag's Inc., Spencer, Iowa; and Nordstrom. Blalock talked about the worldwide market and how a business should present its inventory, noting that recyclers need to represent their inventory in an honest and consistent manner.
Nordstrom spoke about education, inventories, and how his business has changed from generation to generation. He focused on analyzing a business financially.
Vander Haag went over salary, commissions, advertising, memberships, and associations. The audience asked questions and supplied some solutions to the questions that came up during the meeting. After the session ended, the attendees broke up into smaller groups and discussed particular problems until 5:30 p.m.
That evening, there was a social hour and banquet dinner followed by an auction.
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