April 27, 2023

Dealerships are, in many cases, pillars of their communities and many have been in their local area for decades. Dealers are some of the most generous contributors to their local communities and WVADA is proud to highlight some of our members’ activities.

The West Virginia Auto Show was held Feb. 3–5, 2023, at the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center. Attendees enjoyed looking at the fabulous new cars, trucks, and SUVs that were on display. This family-friendly event included train rides for the kids and fun for all ages. The Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association even brought a few furry friends looking for their forever home. Thank you to all of the exhibitors and sponsors who made this event possible. See you next year!

This year, our auto show and charity gala was hugely successful. It was held Feb. 2–5, 2023 at the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center. We had a record turnout for the gala the night before and also during the car show with the attendance from the public.

Good News Mountaineer Garage is a non-profit organization that began in 1999 when a group got together to plan a project to help West Virginians get on the road to independence.

The WVADA VIP Charity Gala Night was held on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023, at the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center. Attendees had fun networking, enjoyed great food, and raised $32,000 for the Good News Mountaineer Garage. Proceeds from this event benefited them to help them fulfill their mission of creating economic opportunity by providing affordable and reliable transportation options to people in need.

Middle-market business transitions are rarely simple, and family dealership transitions are among the most complex.

If you’re a business owner and you hire your children this summer, you can obtain tax breaks and other nontax benefits. The kids can gain on-the-job experience, save for college and learn how to manage money.

After a winter issue break, Counselor’s Corner is happy to be back to address a few pressing compliance issues. This may be a review for some, but the following issues reflect circumstances that I am finding more common. A quick refresher may alleviate some future legal claims. Obviously, the goal is to provide an excellent customer experience for those buying motor vehicles and for us to make sure we are compliant with state and federal regulations.

In this article, we discuss the Federal Trade Commission’s (“FTC”) delay of the effective date of the revised Safeguards Rule (“Rule”) and its practical impact on your dealerships. We will then explain why you should not wait to implement data protection and cybersecurity safeguards at your dealership because the FTC will still come after you under another section of the FTC Act that gives them broad authority.

JUNE 19–22, 2023The Greenbrier ResortWhite Sulphur Springs, WV   Register Today! Held alongside KADA, MADA, and VADA. We hope to see you and your family at the Greenbrier Resort. Dealers and Sponsors visit https://wvcar.com/2023-convention and click on the 2023 Registration tab. The rooms at Greenbrier are sold out. Please call Haley at 304-343-4158 for room

This year is off to a great start! WVADA had many successes on the legislative front. We passed six out of seven of our bills, and we defeated the Right to Repair bill. The one bill that we did not get across the finish line was our franchise bill, S.B. 462 — modifying certain guidelines for motor vehicle dealers, distributors, wholesalers, and manufacturers. Our franchise bill passed out of the Senate unanimously and passed out of the House Judiciary Committee with only one “no” vote. The one “no” vote was from Delegate Evan Hansen, D-Monongalia. Delegate Hansen viewed the elimination of the right of first refusal (ROFR) language as discriminatory. Obviously, discrimination is not the intent of eliminating ROFR, and we are committed to working with several members of the House to make sure that we achieve a compromise that works in the best interest of all parties. However, the bill ultimately died on the House Calendar on the second reading.