Yudu - March 2015

President’s O

ARA Officers

Comments By Ricky Young, ARA President

Strategy to Better Our Industry

ur 2nd Strategic Planning Meeting was a huge success! It was well attended by cur- rent and emerging leaders of our association, and I was amazed at the level of par- ticipation on the topics and discussions we were working on. I made the comment before we started that some of the best ideas you hear are usually heard out in the parking lot as the meeting is over and folks are heading home. You hear these great thoughts, but for whatever reason they were not shared with the group during the regular meeting. Maybe because they feel the idea would be considered dumb or foolish, or maybe they were shy and just afraid to speak up (not the typical demeanor of an ARA member)! I don’t ever remember a planning session, or a meeting of people in general, where every participant had something to say or share. It was invigorating, fun, and very informative. I sat there thinking how lucky I was to be a part of an association with such quality mem- bership. Strategic planning is an ongoing process for ARA, and it will set the course of our association as far out as 2018. By now, most of you have heard of the class action lawsuit brought by ARA brought against related to the Takata Airbags recall situation on behalf of automotive recyclers. by ARA. I have had calls from many of you about the actions ARA is taking. Due to the legal- ities and complexities of this litigation, it would not be prudent for me to comment in too much detail; however, ARA has provided some information updates to keep recyclers informed. disclosed all information that is pertinent at this time. This is an extremely important issue for automotive recyclers, and I advise all of you to stay abreast of the devel- opments in this monumental case. ARA will continue to provide periodic updates to the membership so please take advantage when these opportunities occur. On another note, I was invited to Washington, D.C. for the swearing in ceremonies for two elected officials from my home state of North Carolina – Rep. David Rouzer, a first- time Congressman from the 7th District of North Carolina (where I live), and the newly elected U.S. Senator from North Carolina, Sen. Thom Tillis. I participated in both of these men’s campaigns and am extremely excited to see them take their seats in the 114th United States Congress. Both are hard-working, fiscally conservative, pro-small-business individuals. I am confident they will make excellent legislators, and their past history is a good indication that my involvement in their campaigns will be time and money well spent. My time on Capitol Hill for these ceremonies will always be with me. I have reflected on this experience since witnessing this vital step in our democracy. It really does make you feel proud to be an American. Thanks to all of our ARA members who contributed their time and money to the 2014 elections. I am in the process of planning my President’s Trip for this year. The trip will be to the San Francisco area – including tours to Napa Valley, Pebble Beach, Monterey, and Carmel, Calif. We are tentatively planning for September 12 – 20, 2015 so that the trip coincides with the SCADA affiliation meeting (September 17 – 19). We will notify members via email when we finalize the trip details. Please plan on attending this fun-filled week! Again, I ask all ARA members to GET INVOLVED! Your expertise and advice are great- ly needed. Make the commitment to find the time to GET INVOLVED. Our industry and your country need your help.

Thanks again for allowing me the privilege to serve you!

Sincerely, Ricky Young, ARA President 2014-2015

4 Automotive Recycling | March-April 2015

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

Sonny’s Auto Salvage Jacksonville, AR rd@sasparts.com

david@standardautowreckers.com