Bill Hanvey outlines his vision, goals for Auto Care Association

June 8, 2016
Bill Hanvey assumed responsibilities as president and chief executive officer of the Auto Care Association on Dec. 1, 2015. He sat down with Aftermarket Business World to answer questions about legislative priorities, his vision for the association, the impact of technology on the aftermarket, and his short- and long-term objectives.

Bill Hanvey assumed responsibilities as president and chief executive officer of the Auto Care Association on Dec. 1, 2015. He sat down with Aftermarket Business World to answer questions about legislative priorities, his vision for the association, the impact of technology on the aftermarket, and his short- and long-term objectives.

Hanvey most recently was senior vice president of programs and member services at the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association. Before joining AASA in 2012, he was vice president of sales and marketing for The Schaeffler Group. He also has held executive and sales and marketing positions with Dorman Products, FleetPride and Tenneco Automotive.

Q: What do you want to see the association accomplish through legislation on Capitol Hill?

A: The association’s major goal is to obtain either an agreement with the vehicle manufacturers or a legislative requirement that provides the ability for consumers to control the data transmitted by their vehicle’s embedded telematics systems. Currently, all of the data is controlled by the vehicle manufacturer, providing them with a competitive advantage in competing for the repair dollars of consumers. We believe the future of our industry depends on our industry’s ability to access the data transmitted from telematics systems with the permission and control of the motoring public.

The association is further concerned that vehicle components are coming with embedded software that is taking the place of mechanical features. Vehicle manufacturers are using this software and U.S. copyright laws, not intended to protect access to non-copyrightable features, to restrict competition in the auto care industry. The association is working to obtain clarification of copyright laws such that auto care companies can copy and access software for the purposes of building compatible replacement parts and for the repair of late model vehicles.

Finally, we plan to continue to push for improved education of motorists about their rights, under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, to have a vehicle serviced by independent auto care facilities using non-original equipment parts without fear of voiding the new car warranty. The association has worked in Connecticut to enact a law that requires that individuals purchasing a new car be provided with information regarding their rights under Magnuson-Moss; and we continue to push similar bills in several states.

Q: What is your vision of what the association can do for members on a global scale?

A: A key pillar of our strategic plan is identifying global growth opportunities for our members and helping eliminate barriers. We can’t make the deals for our members, but we can make the road less daunting. For example, to identify new business opportunities, we’ve organized a series of trade missions to target markets in Latin America that our members identified as priority markets. We hosted the first mission to Peru last month and it was very successful.

We’ve announced plans to take our ACES and PIES product-based data standards to global markets, helping eliminate a key barrier to trade. We also plan to host more events in international markets and continue to establish strategic relationships with association partners worldwide so we are better positioned to help members make connections wherever they find themselves. Advocacy is also key to ensuring our members stay competitive globally, and our staff is active on critical trade policy issues like free trade agreement negotiations and global intellectual property enforcement.

Q: How is technology transforming the aftermarket and impacting your members? What is the Auto Care Association doing to help its members understand and take advantage of this challenge?

A: Every day, the changes and advancements in technology are impacting our members’ business models, strategic planning, sales and marketing -- everything. Technology is changing the way our employees work and how they live their lives. And look at how technology has changed how our members’ customers research and purchase products. Learning how to ride the technology wave is critical to any business, small or large, and the rapid advances of technology are not going to slow any time soon.

How we interact with the world around us and engage with technology continues to evolve at a staggering pace. From our connected vehicle, home and life, to our workplaces, technology touches every aspect of our lives.

From a consumer perspective, we now expect to be able to make informed decisions based on data in the marketplace (e.g., customer reviews, posts, blogs, etc.). Businesses are, and have been, doing this to uncover hidden patterns, unknown correlations, market trends, customer preferences and other useful business information. Data-based decision making in any business is critical to its success. As data, big or small, becomes more and more accessible, mining that data and turning it into informed decisions is becoming a critical part of every organization. A major commitment for our association is to help our members compete and succeed in this space.

Q: What are your short-term (three to nine months) and long-term (beyond nine months) objectives in your new position?

A: Short-term:

  • Develop a three-year strategic plan.
  • Build a relationship with the Auto Care team.
  • See as many members as possible to learn their needs.
  • Evaluate our benefits and activities to ensure they bring value.
  • Set up metrics to measure what we do.
  • Focus on bringing more value to AAPEX.

Long-term:

  • Build a technological infrastructure that can support our initiatives.
  • Expand our membership and benefits to the HD community.
  • Turn our association into a data-focused organization.
  • Continually look for opportunities around the globe.
  • Expand AAPEX show and the brand.

Q: What is the No. 1 industry concern that keeps you up at night?

A: Telematics is my number one concern and it is the top priority for the association. We need to protect the consumer’s right to own and direct all data generated by their vehicles and to ensure equal access to that data by the independent aftermarket. We intend to ensure the viability of the auto care industry by educating car owners, the industry and policymakers on all emerging technologies that threaten open and equal access to vehicle diagnostic and repair data.

The association has hired the Powell Tate public relations agency to create a strategic plan to raise the awareness of the implications of access to vehicle diagnostic data to vehicle owners, the auto care industry and legislators and regulators. The process includes extensive research, message development, creative, audience targeting, advocacy strategies and measurement metrics. The education phase is the first phase of the overall vision that will lay the foundation for advocacy efforts and the adoption of a technology solution.

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