Editor’s Notes By Caryn Smith ARAEditor@comcast.net

Getting the Most of Membership

rivileges of membership in the Auto- motive Recyclers Association are numerous. One only has to look at page 7 in this issue to see the long list of dis- counted and free services that your mem- bership affords. Then, a quick read of the ARA Action and Capitol Connection columns on a regular basis illustrate the important work of your ARA staff. They are on-the-go representing the interests of the industry, knocking on, and sometimes knocking down, doors to make known the implications of decisions on many regulatory, legal, and even consumer and educational fronts.

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Why a progressive professional profit- seeking automotive recycler would NOT be a member of this great organization is beyond me. I have served it for over twen- ty years as a communications specialist,

and have witnessed the ebbs and flows of the industry and the Association. While anyone in leadership would admit perfect it isn’t, at its heart, the ARA is tenacious and ever-changing, and seeking the most researched and best result for the greater good – the protection and advancement of the industry at large.

That said, there is one benefit that out- shines all others (eh-hem, with the magazine in your hands a very close second in my hum- ble opinion...). It is the annual ARA gath- ering of over 1,000 automotive recycling professionals. For 72 years, about 30 years after the U.S. “mass production” of the automobile began, and at a time when autos were selling like hotcakes, auto recy- clers formed their very first organization to share information. Fast forward to today. The ARA is a lead-

ing force in the industry across the globe. At every convention, at least seven or more countries are represented. Every state association is in attendance. The leading vendor companies are there – over a hun- dred of them. And yet, some members have still yet to attend.

My recommendation to them is, come. Attend the 72nd Annual ARA Convention & Expo. You don’t know what you don’t know, and you don’t know what you are missing (unless you read page 30 to see some of what is in store)! You’ll learn about trends to watch, ways to cut costs and increase profits, you’ll meet new vendors and see the latest advancements. You’ll meet the industries experts and leading auto recyclers who are changing with the times and benefiting. And, you get a dis- count – its a member benefit!

6 Automotive Recycling | July-August 2015