May 10, 2022

A huge THANK YOU to Bill Cole and the folks at Bill Cole Auto Mall for providing this 2012 Jeep Patriot to Good News Mountaineer Garage. Thanks to their partnership, Lauren is on the road to work and building her credit through the Keys to Success Program. Congratulations on purchasing your new ride, Lauren! A

Communication within your dealership can make a world of difference for your customers, your employees, and your staff. Even if you believe your dealership is great at communicating inside and out, improvement is always possible.

Two recent Federal Trade Commission (FTC) decisions drive home prior Counselor’s Corner articles on the importance of advertising compliance. Motor vehicle dealers are approached by many vendors who promote their mailers and advertising programs as used in many states without complaints, but that does not translate into being legally compliant.

If you are like a sizable percentage of car dealers, a substantial portion of your financial wealth is your dealership investment. Are you protecting that investment?

Dear Members,

You all know that it’s that time of the year where I will be reaching out to each of our dealers, asking for support of our WVCAR PAC. This past year was a tremendous year for us during the legislative session. We have created one of the strongest franchise laws in the nation, which has other states now wanting to follow in our footsteps.

Richard Stephens is the owner of Stephens Auto Center in Danville, West Virginia. In 1975, his father bought the business and joined WVADA. Richard, a second-generation dealer for about 25 years, has been the chair of the annual WVADA Auto Show for most of that time. This year’s event, held Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022, was at the Charleston Convention Center in West Virginia.

Thank you to everyone who supported and attended our VIP Charity Gala on February 10, 2022. We had a great turnout for the gala and raised approximately $13,000 for our charity, Good News Mountaineer Garage. Good News Mountaineer Garage is a non-profit organization that provides vehicles to low-income families throughout West Virginia.

People really do need each other in order to succeed. Association membership can be one of the most important investments you can make professionally, and attending conventions and events is important.

The fire started in a Ram 2500 diesel pickup truck with two disconnected batteries. It was up on a lift because service mechanics had been working on it. They had disconnected the batteries because that was the proper procedure for their work on the truck.

The 60-day regular legislative session began with an extraordinary session to help secure the largest investment in the state’s history. The specific intent of the package of bills addressed during the special session helped clinch the announced
$2.7 billion Nucor investment in Mason County and the Northern Panhandle. The project is expected to bring about 1,000 construction jobs and 800 full-time jobs with benefits.