Can something good come out of Washington, D.C.?

[Elon Block]

When my granddaughter, Jenna, was about four years old, we were headed to the park playground.
And on the way, we stopped to pick up something from one of my clients.



As soon as we walked into the showroom, she slapped her hand over her nose and loudly said,
"Ewwww... what is that smell?"

 

It took me a couple of seconds to discover she was referring to the smell of the tires.

Because at her height, her little nose was directly aimed at a tire display.

So, I took a big whiff myself and said to her, "Jenna, that's the smell of money."

She and I had a fun conversation in the car afterwards about how an auto repair "store"

makes money by taking care of Mommy's and Daddy's cars.

Which brings me to what took place in D.C. this past week. And how this relates to money.

And you.

All the industry magazines are talking about this event. Here is a link to the official report:

http://www.nxtbook.com/mercury/autocare/StateOfTheIndustry_Report/

Here are some links that summarize the report:

http://www.aftermarketnews.com/auto-care-association-unveils-first-ever-state-of-the-auto-care-industry-report-at-inaugural-industry-forum-in-washington-d-c/#

http://www.searchautoparts.com/aftermarket-business/events-coverage-news/auto-care-forum-sheds-light-industry-legislators-regulator?page=0,0

In essence, the Auto Care Association unveiled the first-ever "State Of The Auto Care

Industry Report" at an inaugural Industry Forum in Washington, D.C.

This forum of people gathered together to discuss the huge impact the auto repair

industry makes on the economy.

I usually don't follow what happens in D.C. However, this information impacts every single

auto repair business, so it obviously caught my attention.

There were a number of things that stood out for me.

1. Average vehicle is 11.5 years.
2. 12-plus-year-old vehicles will grow by 15 percent.
3. These vehicles are primarily serviced at independent repair facilities.

Never in the history of the automotive industry has there been such a high percentage of

older vehicles on the road.

And that number is climbing.

The other good news is: "vehicles in the 'new to 5-year-old' range are expected to grow by 32%."

That's a huge number of cars that will be coming off of warranty.

Anyway, you look at it... that's a lot of opportunity.

What are your thoughts about this report? And how do you see it impacting your business?