10.24.22 – Collision repairers and automotive professionals from all over the Garden State packed the Gran Centurions in Clark, NJ on October 19 to honor their peers, collaboratively discuss ideas and obtain valuable resources and information during the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of New Jersey’s (AASP/NJ) Annual Meeting.

After opening remarks from AASP/NJ President Jerry McNee and Executive Director Charles Bryant, the association re-elected Tom Elder (Compact Kars), Mike Kaufmann (Mike Kaufmann Dealer Group) and Tom Greco (Thomas Greco Publishing) to its Board of Directors for the 2022-2025 term. AASP/NJ also elected Danielle Molina (Perfect Bodies Collision Center; Passaic) to her first term on the Board.a

Patrick Crome, a Mercer County Vocational School student employed by Compact Kars (Clarksburg), was named the recipient of the Russ Robson Scholarship Award. Paul Sgro (Lee’s Garage; W. Long Branch) took home the New Jersey Automotive/Stan Wilson Body Shop of the Year award, and Mike Kaufmann (Mike Kaufmann Dealer Group) became the newest inductee to the AASP/NJ Hall of Fame.

The meeting also served as a forum to make sure members were supplied with information concerning benefits such as the association’s group healthcare plan.

“It’s running like a well-oiled machine,” explained Joe Amato, Sr. of the Amato Agency (a division of World Insurance), whose team was on hand to go over plan basics with attendees. The program has been bringing substantial cost savings to shops on their healthcare, which is noted to be the “second largest cost at your shop next to payroll.”

“AASP/NJ is giving its members some control over their health care costs, helping to give them a better experience,” stated Terry Gorman from World Insurance.

Audience members also heard from Ken Racioppi and David Johnson (Alliance Payment Solutions) on options to manage credit card surcharge fees as well as Paul Hill (I-CAR), who reviewed positive changes to the training program’s curriculum.

Following the presentations, McNee and fellow Board member Ken Miller (821 Collision; North Haledon) led the audience in a “Town Hall” discussion, inviting any audience member to speak out about the things that affect them most in their day to day business. The microphone made its way around the room as repairer after repairer shared experiences, issues and solutions, bringing literal meaning to the term “shop talk.”

Stay tuned for information on upcoming AASP/NJ events by visiting aaspnj.org.