Yudu - January 2015

President’s A Great Start

he 71st Annual ARA Convention in Nashville was a huge success! The ARA Convention Events Committee, the staff, and especially Kim Glasscock and her com- pany did a fantastic job. The Gaylord Opryland Hotel was a wonderful place to hold our event. The rooms, the food, and the atmosphere all came together to provide a very pos- itive environment in which to do business and have a good time. In looking back, I could- n’t have had a better time in Nashville. I hope we return there again someday. Congratulations to the many winners and recipients of the ARA awards honored at the ARA Awards Dinner and Gavel Passing Ceremony. My induction as ARA President is a moment I will always cherish. The Great Gatsby theme was well received, and everyone seemed to enjoy donning 20’s apparel to celebrate the evening.

Ed MacDonald, our past president (and a sly compadre) slipped the “Lobster Ravioli” award to me as a complete surprise. This dates back to my first outing with the ARA Executive Committee (EC) many years ago at the Capitol Grille in Washington, D.C., where they told me that I was dining on lobster ravioli. I fell in love with it so much that the next night I returned with friends and ordered the same thing. When my waiter told me they did not serve lobster ravioli, my response was that he must be new or mistaken since I had that dish the night before. It took a visit from the manager to help me realize I had been fooled by the whole EC, and I still don’t know what I actually had for dinner that night. Every time we have met since, a plastic toy lobster has appeared somewhere in my room or luggage. Alas, it was retired in Nashville (I hope) when Ed presented it to me on stage in a trophy box under glass. I will never live it down. We have all had a great time while still doing meaningful and important work for the ARA. Lifetime friendships have been estab- lished by being involved with the association – one of the many benefits of serving the ARA membership.

On my first official trip as president, I visited ARANY in Albany, NY from November 6 through November 9, 2014. It was a very rewarding trip for me personally. A southern boy could not have hoped for more hospitality anywhere else in the world than I received from the New York members and staff. They were so nice. On Thursday, they hosted “The Summit.” This is a unique concept where representatives from surrounding states and Canada came together to share and discuss their knowledge on many hot topics in our indus- try. It was an extremely informative and enjoyable meeting.

No matter where you are located, many of our concerns and problems are the same. Enforcement, or rather lack of enforcement, of the law in all locales is definitely a problem. The better businesses comply, and the non-compliers seem to run amuck under the radar. The authorities spend a lot of their time checking on the folks who consistently and dili- gently follow the rules while never (or hardly ever) pursuing the people who have never made any significant effort to comply. It just doesn’t make sense. The ARA is aware of this problem and is pursuing avenues to change this common practice. The ARANY Convention at the Desmond in Albany was well-attended and well-run. I want to thank outgoing ARANY President Vince Surace (Vincent’s U-Pull-It), incoming ARANY President Matt Fink (Benwood Auto Parts), Convention Chairperson Cindy Howard (Don’s Automotive Mall), Executive Director Brian Buff, and all the members and attendees of the ARANY Convention for a great event.

Stay informed! Get involved!

Sincerely, Ricky Young, ARA President 2014-2015

4 Automotive Recycling | January-February 2015

ARA Officers

Comments By Ricky Young, ARA President

Young’s Auto Center & Salvage/Car Crushers Benson, NC

PRESIDENT Ricky Young

ricky@youngsautocenter.com

Swift’s Trails End Auto Recycling Des Moines, IA

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT Mike Swift

mike@trailsendauto.com

SECOND VICE PRESIDENT/TREASURER RD Hopper