Virginia Automotive Report E Newsletter for May 2018

have requested, and today,

they do it all. A true family

business, the longevity of key

employees has contributed to

Old Dominion’s success.

Service Manager John

Haddon has run the shop for

25 years, and his son Jake is a

technician. One of John and

Barbara’s 4 grandsons, Justin

Sullivan works full time as a general service technician,

and David Rainer has run the front sales for the retail side

for 15 years. Their daughter Katie is involved with market-

ing on a part time basis, and her husband, Jonathan

Hayden has been the General Manager of their whole-

sale division, Old Dominion Tire Direct, since 2004.

John has clearly under-

stood the importance of

our political process, and

the need for strong repre-

sentation at our General

Assembly. This led to his

involvement in the VAA,

and he was recognized

for his service in 2003 with

the association’s highest

honor, The Distinguished Member award– before he

joined the Board. He was elected to the VAA Board in

2008, and has been our Legislative Chairman since 2012.

He has also represented the Tire & Rubber Industry on the

state’s Recycle Markets Development Council, which

was a governor appointed position.

John has a strong commitment to

community, and has served on the

Chesterfield Chamber of Commerce

Board of Directors, the American

Disabled Vets, the Chesterfield

Animal Shelter, and the South

Richmond Rotary Club, where he

remains very active.

One visit to John’s office will

clearly define his passion for his

favorite hobbies, hunting and fishing, and his trips have

taken him to Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Mexi-

co, Alaska, South Dakota and Georgia. He and Barbara

enjoy traveling, and last year spent a month in New Zea-

land; an extensive trip to the western states is planned for

this summer.

Please join me in welcoming John Kline as our

new Virginia Automotive Association President– we look

forward to two great years of steady leadership with you

at the helm!

Meet Your New VAA President, John Kline By Steve Akridge

John Kline’s journey that led him

to the tire and automotive industry

in Midlothian, VA, started off in a

slightly different path, and in many

different places. Born in Barranca-

bermeja, Columbia, South America,

his Dad’s career working with com-

panies that built power plants took

their family to Freeport, Texas,

Tampa, Florida, Rodondo Beach, California, and Yorktown, Virginia.

His last job brought the family to Richmond as the comptroller for the

company that built the Dutch Gap Plant. He attended Midlothian

School when it was grades 1-12, and graduated from Manchester

High School in Chesterfield County.

He got his first taste of the tire business in 1967, when at 17

years of age he went to work for Buck Wheeler in Richmond, regroov-

ing tires and doing section repairs on ag tires. The business did not do

any service, and only sold the tires they regrooved or repaired. Next

up was his first job selling wholesale, when he joined Sonic Tire in 1970,

calling on accounts in Virginia, Maryland and Eastern North Carolina.

That was also the year he and Barbara were married, and over the

next eight years, two daughters, Katie and Jennifer, were born. Seek-

ing a position that would get him off the road, and keep him home

more, John went to work for Hicks Tire, where he learned the commer-

cial truck tire business. In 1984 he joined Colonial Ford in commercial

sales, and in 1988 he made the decision to open his own business, Old

Dominion Tire. He sold commercial truck tires out of his garage, and

Barbara kept the books. With his accounts requesting more services

from him, he moved the business

to a building in Hendricks Indus-

trial Park off Hull Street that he

rented. With two bays, he add-

ed light services, and began

selling passenger and light truck

tires, and soon expanded to six

bays to keep up with the de-

mand. In 1989 Barbara joined

him full time, and they built their

current location on Warbro

Road in Midlothian. As Old Do-

minion’s retail business contin-

ued to grow, the building was

expanded to 8,500 square feet,

and today has 9 lifts, an align-

ment rack and a separate area

for tires. In addition to the com-

mercial truck tire business, they

perform complete automotive

service for every make of vehicle

including repairs for large trucks. Through every phase of their busi-

ness, they have expanded into areas based on what their customers

John Kline

Outgoing President Scott Brown (L)

presents John Kline his new Gavel

Barbara and John Kline

L-R: John Kline, John Haddon,

Jonathan Hayden

David Rainer has run

the retail for 15 years.

2

OUR PARTNERS

Platinum Level Partners

Gold Level Partners

Silver Level Partners

The following Supplier Members have commited to our Partnership Program,

and to support the good work of the VAA at the very highest finanacial levels.

Each Partnership also includes Sponsorship and Exhibit booths at our annual

Convention and Trade Expo. We are very grateful for this support, and will

continue to recognize them in every Newsletter issue throughout the entire

year, and on our website. We ask our Dealer members to show your thanks by

giving them your business...support those who support us.

Advance Auto Parts / Autopart International

American Tire Distributors

Carroll Tire Company

Federated Insurance

Napa Auto Parts

Justice Tire Distributors

Max Finkelstein Inc.

Mohawk Rubber Sales

Nexen Tire

Parrish Tire Company

TCI Tire Centers

Unifirst Corporation

Automotive Training Institute

Autoshop Solutions

Blue Ridge Insurance Services

Hot Rod Processing

Kukui Corporation

Myers Tire Supply

Papco Oil

Pirelli Tire

Snap Finance

3

VAA Officers & Directors

President: John Kline

Old Dominion Tire, Midlothian

Richmond Region

Secretary-Treasurer: Jerry Tatum

Leete Tire & Auto, Petersburg

Richmond Region

President Elect: Chris Barnett

Tire Tread Service, Fredericksburg

Northern Virginia Region

Past President: Scott Brown

Cardinal Plaza Shell, Springfield

Northern Virginia Region

Executive Director: Steve Akridge

VAA, Richmond

Richmond Region

Directors:

Richmond Region:

Kim Taylor, Titan Auto & Tire, S. Chesterfield

Clint Farrar, American Tire Distributors, Richmond

Scott Derouaux, Napa Auto Parts, Richmond

Mike Fortune, Cloverleaf Tire & Auto, Richmond

Andrea Ellett, Winding Brook Tire Pros, Milford

Coastal Virginia Region:

Mike Scaglione, Arrowhead Auto & Align, Virginia Beach

Bobby Cutchins, Bobby’s Tire & Auto Care, Franklin

Mark Anderton, First Landing Auto Care, Virginia Beach

Northern Virginia Region:

ST Billingsley, B & W Associates, Woodbridge

Lynchburg Region:

Brenda Carpenter, Colony Tire, Lynchburg

Southwest Virginia Region:

Bill Hoal, Carroll Tire Co., Roanoke

Shenandoah Valley Region:

Steve Crawford, Hepner Tire, Woodstock

Terry Westhafer, Central Tire, Verona

Tom Jones, Fisher Auto Parts, Staunton

Larry Williams, University Tire & Auto, Charlottesville

Next Generation Advisory Council:

Wes Tatum, Leete Tire & Auto, Petersburg

Gary Eavers, Jr., Eavers Tire Pros, Stuarts Draft

Robby Cutchins, Bobby’s Tire & Auto, Franklin

VAA Contacts:

Steve Akridge, Executive Director

Email: sakridge@vaauto.org

Web: www.vaauto.org

Phone: 804-739-1400

Accounting Office:

8814 Fargo Road, Ste. 225

Richmond, VA 23229

President’s Corner

By John Kline

Change is the one constant I have seen through-

out the 47 years I have been in this industry. At one time,

the engine had points and plugs. Fuel was regulated by

carburetors. When a car got 100,000 miles on it, it was the

best car ever bought. We only had 10 tire sizes, which

covered all passenger and light trucks on the highway.

Who still gets calls for a 165R15? We were even re-

treading them!

Fast forward to present day and we now have

cars that are all electric, port injection and over 200 differ-

ent tire sizes (which only fit 70% of the tire market). There

are electric fueling stations and sensors to tell you if your

tire is low on air.

So the one thing we can count on is change. We must be

able to adjust as the markets develop. When technology

advances, we better change or we will be left behind.

Change also happens in all other facets of your

business. The innovations made to the equipment in your

shop are astounding. The software for our service writers,

technicians and office personnel has been detailed to

meet the needs of the shop.

Embracing the advancements and innovations

within our industry does not come without concern. How-

ever, that concern will help you make the right decisions

for your shop. Letting the concern become fear is some-

thing we must not allow. Encourage the change and en-

joy the results of your hard working team.

When I go to meetings like the VAA Convention, I

enjoy talking to people in the same business. Borrowing

and sharing ideas with friends I have made, allows me to

make changes in my own business. I look back at the

many speakers we have had. One I remember motivated

me to walk into my shop the next day and increase my

labor rate by $10.00 per hour. No one said a word about

the increase! Now, wasn’t that a good change?

So, coming to the end of my first article, embrace

change. Nurture new ideas. Things will always change.

Until Next time,

John Kline, VAA President

Welcome New VAA Members

Carl’s Wash, Lube & Service, Carl Evory, Chesapeake

Referred by Steve Akridge

Support the organization that supports You, and help

VAA grow it’s membership– recommend a shop or a sup-

plier you know and sign them up online at

www.vaauto.org. Click on the Join VAA tab

4

“My Turn”

By Wes Tatum

VIO Surge to 2020

"After minimal growth on U.S. roads during 2007

through 2013, vehicles in operation are now on the

edge of a soaring growth curve that will dramati-

cally expand the light vehicle population by more

than 40 million during 2014 through 2020."

"There was an extended period of virtually no car

and light truck growth in the U.S. from 2007 to 2013,

something that had not occurred before except

during World War II, over 70 years ago. Now, all that

is behind us and the U.S. light vehicle population will

dramatically increase between 2013 and 2020."

VIO Growth Phases

Since the beginning of the new millennium, there

have been three distinct periods of light vehicle

growth in the U.S., each reflecting different expan-

sion rates of vehicles in operation (VIO).

2000 to 2007 VIO Growth

At mid-year 2000, there were nearly 220 million cars

and light trucks in the U.S. Light vehicle growth

steadily increased over the next seven years, so

that the car and light truck population in the U.S.

totaled 249 million at mid-year 2007.

This 29-million gain in the light vehicle population

represented 1.8% annual VIO growth over seven

years.

2007 to 2013 VIO Stagnation

The pace of vehicle population growth changed

dramatically over the following six years, as new car

and light truck sales in the U.S. plunged at an un-

precedented rate following the 2008 recession.

As a result, the number of cars and light trucks on

U.S. roads virtually plateaued during 2007 to 2013 for

the first time since World War II (nearly 70 years earli-

er), when new car and light truck production

stopped and the auto industry was retooled for the

war effort.

There was a modest increase in the light vehicle

population from mid-year 2007 to 2008, followed by

a reduction in cars and light trucks on U.S. roads as

the VIO shrank from 250 million light vehicles at mid-

year 2008 to just over 247 million by 2012.

Surging New Vehicle Sales

New car and light truck annual sales bottomed in

2009 at just over 10 million, down more than one-

third from 2007, and then began to rebound.

New car and light truck annual sales bottomed in

2009 at just over 10 million, down more than one-

third from 2007, and then began to rebound.

Article Continued on Page 6

FOCUS on the VALUE of MEMBERSHIP

As many state organizations like the VAA start to

dwindle in size and strength or even cease to exist, it’s

vital for the us show value in our membership. The VAA is

a lean organization and, as members, I believe we’re all

ambassadors. It’s our duty to spread the word and try to

attract other quality members. I know we’ve all heard,

“They’ll continue to lobby and work on government af-

fairs, etc. even if I’m not a member.” So how do we

modify our “elevator pitch” to combat this response?

Maybe the conversation needs to shift to how the VAA

can directly benefit their bottom line. I believe the VAA

should more openly promote the excellent vendor dis-

count programs that are already in place. Even if a new

member were to join for sheer monetary savings, the

goal would be to engage them during their first year to

show what else the organization does to impact their

business and the industry.

My proposal is to create a Vendor Discount Program to

inform current members and potential members what

savings opportunities are available. I’ve had multiple

vendors express interest in participating in such a pro-

gram and feel certain that others would jump aboard.

As many members know, the VAA has several long

standing relationships with its current Endorsed Programs

Vendors. We are most appreciative of these programs

and this proposal is not to disrupt any of those current

relationships. This would simply be a published list of ven-

dors that wish to offer special pricing or exclusive pro-

grams to benefit dealer members of the VAA. The reality

is that there are some vendor discount programs that

already exist of which some members are completely

unaware. There’s already “added value” to be had by

many dealers if they explore the vendor list more thor-

oughly. More importantly, our vendors see enough value

in our organization and the quality of our dealer

members to offer such programs.

I encourage you to continue to patronize all of our

supplier members that you can. Their support is vital to

our organization and in the coming months we will have

a list of vendor discounts published for all of you.

-Safe travels!

Editor’s Note: The VAA Vendor Discount Program has

been approved by the Board. More details coming very

soon.

Wes Tatum is Vice-President of Leete Tire & Auto Centers,

with locations in Petersburg and Richmond. He is a

member of the VAA's Next Generation Advisory Council.

5

Common Human Resource Manager Mistakes In SESCO’s Basic and Advanced Human Resource Management Seminars, we discuss the primary role that a

Human Resource Manager should play in an organization. Often though in conducting client assessments and

working with human resource professionals, we find the following concerns:

1. Forgetting who the HR Manager represents. Too many HR Managers feel as if they are the employee’s advo-

cate and constantly debate and push back on managers and owners. Certainly, HR Managers should be a

place where employees feel as if they can take their complaints or ask questions, but a professional HR Man-

ager will understand how to balance their roles and responsibilities with the realities of running and operating

a successful business.

2. We see HR Managers having the need to be “friends” with employees. HR Managers many times have the

need to be “liked.” This can create a significant strain on the organization’s overall employee relations cli-

mate and culture and can drive a wedge between organizational goals and the employee asset.

3. Many HR Managers are frightened of federal and state compliance requirements and attorneys. HR Managers

will many times push back against management and tell them that “we can’t do that,” “we will get in trou-

ble,” etc. Certainly, an HR Manager needs to know and understand the laws and regulations at least enough

to contact a professional consultant like SESCO but ultimately, organizations do have the right and should

make decisions that best support the organization’s overall mission and vision.

Human Resource Managers who become the organization’s “compliance police” ultimately do not sit at the

table with the executive team because these HR Managers are the naysayers and are not open in working

with management in developing solutions. This is not to say that owners and managers are looking to break

the law or create liability for the organization, but certainly risk can be managed and solutions are available

in most all situations.

4. Many Human Resource Managers do not understand the overall importance and value of the position. In es-

sence, the Human Resource Manager should sit at the table with executives. In Japanese companies, the

Human Resource Manager is the “number two” person in the pecking order. This is because Japanese run

organizations understand the value of their human resources as their most valued asset as well as the organi-

zation’s largest, single controllable cost.

In today’s environment, the HR Manager must understand that compensation and subsequent labor costs are

critical costs that must be managed. This means understanding and proactively managing scheduling, staff-

ing and performance efficiency so that the organization can do more with less (labor cost). Many HR Manag-

ers simply do not understand this and recommend to owners and managers that they need to hire more peo-

ple to get the job done or simply pay more or increase benefits to promote productivity.

5. Human Resource Managers must understand that they are “managers” first and that they need to under-

stand the organization’s goals and needs. They must become a member of the management team and bal-

ance their roles in ensuring compliance as well as employee satisfaction and certainly, this is a very difficult

line to balance. However, your good, professional HR professionals do, in fact, understand that human re-

sources is just not compliance or advocating for employees, but that they help the management team in

ultimately achieving the organization’s goals through people.

Note: Through our contract retainer with Sesco, as a VAA member, you get unlimited phone consultation at no

cost as part of your membership. Contact Sesco at:

P.O. Box 1848 Bristol, Tennessee 37621 423-764-4127 (Phone) 423-764-5869 (Fax) web site:

www.sescomgt.com e-mail: sesco@sescomgt.com

6 ——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Lang I Report continued from Page 4

Nearly 294 Million VIO by 2020

From 251 million vehicles at mid-year 2013, Lang Mar-

keting estimates the light vehicle VIO in the U.S. will

reach 294 million by mid-year 2020. This VIO surge is

being fueled by high new vehicle sales and low car

and light truck annual scrappage rates.

The 2.3% average annual projected VIO gain from

2013 to 2020 will mark a dramatic turnaround from the

previous six-year period, with a VIO increase of 43 mil-

lion.

Big Aftermarket Boost

The rise in light vehicle VIO from 2013 through 2020 will

add velocity to the aftermarket product expansion

compared to the previous six years.

In addition to VIO growth, the size and composition of

the aftermarket will also be influenced by dramatic

changes in the percentage of foreign versus domestic

nameplate vehicles from 2013 through 2020 as well as

change in the age mix of light vehicles on U.S. roads.

More about these developments in VIO mix will be

covered in future Lang iReport issues.

Six Major Takeaways

• Light vehicle VIO (vehicles in operation) growth

can be divided into three time periods spanning 20

years: 2000 to 2007, 2007 to 2013, and 2013 to 2020.

• The light vehicle population increased 29 mil-

lion from 2000 to 2007, reflecting a strong 1.8% VIO an-

nual growth rate.

• There was a dramatic change over the follow-

ing six years (2007 to 2013) as new car and light truck

annual sales crashed following the 2008 recession. As

a result, the light vehicle VIO declined from 2008 to

2012 for the first time since World War II.

• Fueled by a surge in new car and light truck

sales, light vehicle VIO will soar between 2013 and

2020, recording an estimated gain of 43 million in the

car and light truck population.

• The 2.3% annual increase in the light vehicle

population on U.S. roads projected by Lang Marketing

during 2013 through 2020 will mark a dramatic turna-

round from the preceding six years (2007 to 2013) and

create a strong force for aftermarket product growth.

• Each of these three time periods reflects a dif-

ferent rate of vehicle growth (and decline) as well as

changes in the percentage of foreign versus domestic

nameplates and the age mix of cars and light trucks

on U.S. roads.

Lang Marketing, Jim Lang, Publisher, 260-399-1699

Here’s a new way to stay up to Date-

Join the VAA Texting Network

To join, text VAA to 559-205-0218

VAA 2018 Highlights From

The Homestead By Steve Akridge

By all accounts, we hit another home run with our 2018

annual convention and trade expo, held at The Omni Home-

stead the weekend of April 13-15. Attendance in every cate-

gory was up over our 2017 show in Williamsburg, and those at-

tending a VAA show for the first time was the highest in recent

years. The weather was perfect on Friday morning for our pop-

ular VAA Open Golf tournament, and 96 players took on the

challenging Old Course. Our Saturday evening Trade Expo had

76 booths, and counting vendors, we had over 450 in attend-

ance for the expo.

Our educational sessions began Saturday morning, and

we elected new Officers and Board members during the Annu-

al meeting; you can see them on page 3. Tire Business maga-

zine VP Dave Zielasko was our opening keynote speaker, and

his discussion on the trends and many changes in our industry

were eye opening. Richard Flint met with our Owners and Key

Managers for a session, “Hiring the Right People”. Richard works

with shop owners across the country, and has such a great per-

spective for our industry. We received numerous comments on

how much this session was of value to our owners. Our sales

and service personnel had 2 sessions– Selling Maintenance by

Joe Ferguson and Days of Digital by Bryan Stasch. Both had a

lot of very useful information, and were rated high by at-

tendees. We kept our always popular Peer to Peer Roundtable

format, but again broke into 2 groups. The Owner’s Roundtable

was moderated by Dave Zielasko, and the Sales/Service

Roundtable was co-moderated by Dave Crawford and Bryan

Stasch. This unscripted format always produces a lively discus-

sion and some great ideas. Both groups’ moderators recently

emailed the attendees notes from the session to use as a follow

up to the discussions. Richard Flint was our closing keynote

speaker on Sunday morning, and his “Making your life Simply

Simple” message hit home with everyone in attendance, who

also took home a copy of Richard’s book by the same title. We

received 145 surveys returned, and we had numerous favorable

comments. For the speakers, they rated a cumlative total of

4.84 out of 5 points, which is outstanding. Clearly our attendees

found value in our education. The Trade show also rated high,

and there were a few comments requesting a larger show with

longer hours. And the last question, “Will you attend the 2019

show at the Hilton Norfolk Main, which will feature a full pipe

and drape Trade Show, with product displays and equipment

demos”, we received 136 yes, 1 no and 8 not sure. So mark you

calendar for April 12-14, 2019 when VAA will host the largest

Trade Show in the Virginia, and the largest we have put on in 7

years. And check out the Hilton Norfolk Main hotel– this is one

really cool property!

We hope you enjoy all the pictures on the following

pages and will join us in thanking our Sponsors and Exhibitors

listed on Page 7. Also, a big thank you to our 2018 Convention

Committee:

Steve “Fish” Crawford, Chairman

Clint Farrar

Kim Taylor

Tom Jones

Bobby Cutchins

Chuck Shifflett

Scott Brown

Eric Hughes

Travis Leath

More info on VAA 2019 coming this fall– see you next year!

7 ——————————————————————————————————————————————————

2018 Trade Expo Exhibitors

Advance Auto Parts

Autopart Intl

Andreoli & Associates

AP Exhaust

Ashcraft Associates Insurance

American Tire Distributors

Atlantic Tire Distributors

Automotive Training Institute

Autoshop Solutions

Bendix Brakes

Blackburn OEM Wheel Solutions

Blue Ridge Insurance Services

Cardone Industries

Car-Part.com

Carroll Tire Co.

Chesapeake Automotive Equipment

Chevron Lubricants

Continental Tire

Cooper Tire

Crovato BG Products & Services

Dayco Products LLC

Dorman Products

East Penn Mfg.

Emanuel Tire Co.

Federated Insurance

Federal-Mogul Motorparts

Fisher Auto Parts

Freedomsoft

Go Powertrain

Hankook Tire America

Hot Rod Processing

Hunter Engineering

Justice Tire

Keen Insurance Agency

KYB Shocks

Max Finkelstein Inc.

Michelin North America

Mitchell 1

Mohawk Rubber

Morris Distributing, Inc.

Myers Tire Supply

Napa Auto Parts

Nexen Tire

Northeast Lubricants

Olson Insurance Agency

Optimize Social Media

Papco Oil

Parrish Tire Co.

Pirelli Tire

Protractor Automotive Management Solutions

Smith Garage Equipment

Snap Finance

Standard Motor Products

Tax & Business Services of Virginia

Tire Industry Association

TCS, an ARI Company

Tiremetrix LLC

TRW Chassis

Unifirst Corporation

Valvoline

Victor Reinz Gaskets

Vogue Tyre

2018 Convention Sponsors

Platinum Sponsors

Advance Auto Parts

Autopart International

American Tire Distributors

Carroll Tire Co.

Federated Insurance

Napa Auto Parts

Gold Sponsors

Justice Tire

Max Finkelstein Inc.

Mohawk Rubber

Nexen Tire

Parrish Tire Co.

TCI Tire Centers Inc.

Unifirst Corporation

Silver Sponsors

Atlantic Tire Distributors

Automotive Training Institute

Autoshop Solutions

Blue Ridge Insurance Services

Bridgestone Firestone

Continental Tire

Cooper Tire

Emanuel Tire Co.

Falken Tire

Fisher Auto Parts & Vendors

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.

Hankook Tire America

Holtzman Oil Corp.

Hot Rod Processing

Kukui Corporation

Michelin North America

Myers Tire Supply

Nitto Tire

Olympus Imported Auto Parts

Papco Oil

Pirelli Tire

Pugh Lubricants

Snap Finance

Yokohama Tire Corporation

Winner of the 2018 VAA Open:

L-R: Mark Willis, Ross Tomberlin, Dennis

Williams, Matt Anderson

8 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Scenes From the 2018 VAA Open at The Homestead Old Course

Runner up: L-R: Bob Myers, Craig Ray,

Chuck Hansen, Todd Whaley

3rd Place: L-R: Butch Taylor, Fish

Crawford, Donn Grant, Bill Jackson

Last Place Team: L-R: Mike Bowles,

Frank Ward. Not Pictured: Larry

Harding

Longest Drive

Winner: Mark Pe-

ters

Closest to the Pin

Winner #16:

Mike Holmes

Closest to the Pin

Winner #9:

Don Justice

Scenes From VAA 2018 Convention & Trade Expo at The Homestead

Scenes From the Trade Expo at The Homestead

…..and the Trade show Winners Are:

$100-Bobby Cutchins

Bobby’s Tire, Franklin

$200-Matthew Davis

Little Tire, Fredericksburg

$300-Pam Tures

Lee Hill Auto, Fredericksburg

$400-Carl Dillenger

Whitmer Tire, Harrisonburg

$500– Melinda Haddon

Old Dominion Tire, Midlothian

The Convention Speakers, Seminars and Roundtables

VAA President

Scott Brown

Opening Keynote

Dave Zielasko Selling Maintenance

By Joe Ferguson

Days of Digital

By Bryan Stasch

Closing Keynote

Richard Flint Moderators (L) Dave

Crawford, Bryan Scott Brown and

Dave Zielasko

VAA Recognizes Scott Brown, Myron Boncarosky, Eric Hughes & Travis Leath

Next Generation After Hours Reception

The Convention weekend is the time we formally recognize our volunteer leaders whose Board terms are up. At our

banquet on Saturday evening, we recognized and thanked the following outgoing Board members: Myron

Boncarosky, of Virginia Tire & Auto in Fairfax, who served on our Board for 11 years. Travis Leath, of Twin County Tire in

Galax, who served on our Board for 5 years. Eric Hughes, of Harris Tire Company in Lynchburg, who served on our

Board for 12 years. We extend our sincere appreciation to these gentlemen for their strong commitment to VAA, and

for sacrificing their time to serve on our Board.

On Sunday morning at the closing Breakfast, we recognized outgoing President Scott Brown, of Cardinal Plaza Shell, in

Springfield, for his two years of service as our top leader. Scott, it’s been a great two years with you at the helm, and

we thank you for your wealth of ideas and steadfast leadership. Scott will remain on our Board as immediate Past

President.

Outgoing President Scott Brown

enjoys his new Chair. He was

joined by new VAA President John

Kline (L) and Executive Director

Steve Akridge

Julie Boncarosky-Holmes ac-

cepts a plaque of appreciation

on behalf of her Dad, Myron

Boncarosky from Executive

Director Steve Akridge

Eric Hughes (L) accepts his

plaque of appreciation from

Executive Director Steve

Akridge

Following the success of last year’s inaugural event in Williamsburg, the VAA again hosted an After Hours Net-

working Reception this year at The Homestead for the Next Generation Automotive Professionals (NGAP). This

group is comprised of anyone in our industry under the age of 40, and both dealers and supplier vendors. Just

over 60 attended the reception, which lasted from 10:00 pm to 12:30 am, and included an open bar. Besides

the chance to connect and network, attendees enjoyed spirited competition at corn hole and pool tables.

Watch your emails for more NGAP events throughout the year. And mark your calendar for next year, the

weekend of April 12-14 at Hilton Norfolk The Main. You are going to love this hotel!