August 11, 2022

In early July, a 50% scaled replica of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was on display at Dutch Miller of Ripley. This was West Virginia’s first time hosting the tribute. Dutch Miller Kia recently participated in “Bowl for Kids’ Sake” by Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Tri-State was so much fun! Thank you

ProGuard Warranty believes that to be successful you must be honest, committed and deliver on your promises. We do so with quality products, unparalleled service and the guarantee that we will handle each and every customer as if they were a member of our family.

Vehicles powered by electricity aren’t a new thing. Some experts have said the first ones were developed as early as 1828-1832. A British inventor named Robert Anderson displayed another prototype in 1835 at an industry conference. In the late 1880s, a chemist named William Morrison fitted a carriage with a battery. The carriage could carry 12 people and travel about 20 mph.

Catalytic converter thefts present a growing problem for dealers and their customers. In 2021, the National Crime Bureau estimated that more than 52,000 catalytic converters were reported as stolen, compared with 1,300 in 2018. That’s 40 times as many converters, and it doesn’t include the number of catalytic converters thefts that went unreported. If the

Lately, Carvana has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. Its share price is down over 90% since its pandemic peak and currently sits below the low levels of March 2020.

It was wonderful to see everyone at the recent Annual Convention at the Nemacolin Resort in Nemacolin, Pennsylvania. Many positive things are occurring within the motor vehicle dealership industry. Our new franchise law came into effect on June 10 this year, and we achieved a significant legislative accomplishment with B&O tax relief on new cars. We also have seen the implementation of electronic titling at the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles, that continues to engage in a significant modernization to better serve the public and assist motor vehicle dealers. The Division of Motor Vehicles deserves praise for its efforts and willingness to work with our industry.

Currently, if you own a dealership, while it is possible to be marginally profitable or losing money, it is highly unlikely. Because of the recent profits, a growing number of dealers have decided to cash out of their dealerships while a like number of cash-flush investors are looking at dealerships as investments that provide the potential for excellent returns.

The WVADA 88th Annual Dealer Family Convention took place from June 12 through the 15 at the Nemacolin Woodland Resort thanks to our title sponsor, Capital Automotive. As we are almost back to normal, we had another great turnout for our convention.

WVADA recently sat down with Incoming Chair Charles Rashid to get to know him a little bit better.

Charles Rashid currently has two dealerships, Charleston Mitsubishi and Clarksburg Mitsubishi. He is the dealer principal at Charleston, and his preferred job title is “entrepreneur.”