2009 - OCADA

FALL 2009
Volume 49, Issue 3
2009 OC Auto Show!
Attendance Up!
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE ORANGE COUNTY AUTOMOBILE DEALERS ASSOCIATION
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INSIDE
This Issue
OC Dealer is a publication of Media
Communications Group and is the of ficial
publica t ion of Or ange Coun t y Au tomobile
Dealers Association. OC Dealer is published 4
times per year by Media Communications Group.
The statements and opinions expressed herein
are those of the individual authors and do not
necessarily represent the views of OC Dealer,
or its publisher Media Communications Group.
Any legal advice should be regarded as general
information. It is strongly recommended that one
contact an attorney for counsel regarding specific
circumstances. Likewise, the appearance of
advertisers does not constitute an endorsement
of the products or services featured by Media
Communications Group.
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OC AUTO SHOW, ATTENDANCE WAS UP 4.5%!
OCADA IN THE DISTRICT
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Calendar of Events
DEALER RIDES
Visit us Online!
President’s Message
An Update from Capitol Hill
By Congressman John Campbell
2009 OCADA-PAC Honor Roll
2009 OC Auto Show!
17th Annual OCADA High School Automotive
Technology Competition
Get to Know Your Legislator:
Assemblyman Jeff Miller
EPA Reconfirms SPCC Qualified Facility Rule
www.OCADA.org
OCADA in the District
Lunch with your Legislator
In Memoriam: Bob Long
In Memoriam: Frank Busalacchi
Free Labor Law Posters Provided by OCADA
OCADA Welcomes Our New Associate
Members
Dealer Rides
OC DEALER is a Publication of the
Orange County Automobile Dealers
Association
3737 Birch St., Suite 220
Newport Beach, CA 92660
www.ocada.org
Phone: 949-428-5050
Fax: 949-428-5054
FALL 2009 3
Board of
Directors
PRESIDENT
Paul Lunsford
South Coast Toyota
Calendar of Events
January
23
17th Annual OCADA High School
Automotive Technology Competition
Hyundai USA, Fountain Valley
February
13-15
NADA 2010 Convention and EXPO
Orlando, FL
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AIADA Annual Meeting and Luncheon
Orlando Florida
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CNCDA Dealer Day, Sacramento
California
VICE PRESIDENT
John Patterson
Tustin Mazda
Huntington Beach Mazda
TREASURER
Tim Mullahey
Mullahey Chevrolet & Kia
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Matt Gunderson
Audi Mission Viejo
Infiniti of Mission Viejo
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/SECRETARY
John Sackrison
Orange County Automobile Dealers
Association
DIRECTORS
Paul Conant
Norm Reeves Honda Huntington Beach
Bruce Hamlin
Guaranty Chevrolet
Tustin Chevrolet
George Heidler
Suzuki Depot/Kia Depot/Tom’s Truck
Center
Sossi Keuylian
Commonwealth VW/Audi
Mark Parkinson
Tustin Buick Pontiac GMC Hummer
Tustin Nissan
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OC Dealer WWW.OCADA.ORG
March
PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE
Happy New Year!
I
am excited to begin a new year and
leave 2009 for the history books. We
all have been challenged tremendously this past year and what was once unimaginable is now reality. We have had
to adapt and change the way we run our
dealerships, make gut-wrenching decisions and face continued uncertainty,
but as dealers and entrepreneurs we are
“genetically engineered optimists” and
ultimately we find ways to succeed.
Your Association has not been
immune to the challenges of the past
year and has also been faced with budget
cuts, staff reductions and uncertainty.
With nothing being status quo, we
have had to examine how to allocate
our resources to best serve our members.
Like our dealerships, these decisions
have been difficult, but through the
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OC Dealer WWW.OCADA.ORG
leadership of the Board we have adapted
and found ways to succeed.
While the changes have been many,
I will only focus on one to emphasize
it’s importance. As the government is
now officially in the car business—
we need to be more involved in the
government’s business. The political
pace has been fast and furious and your
Association has met each challenge
head on and continues to each day, but
government intervention into the retail
automotive market also grows each day.
To be effective each dealer needs to know
their elected officials and the politicians
must know us and our businesses. To
facilitate this goal, OCADA is hosting
luncheons with each Assemblymember,
State Senator and member of Congress.
We hope you will make every effort to
Paul Lunsford
South Coast Toyota
participate and think you will find three
free lunches a year will be one of the best
investments in your business.
I would like to thank all of our
members for allowing me to serve as
President of OCADA this past year.
I especially appreciate the time and
effort of my fellow Board members who
have continually stepped up during
perhaps our most challenging year. I am
confident John Patterson will do a great
job in leading our Association as the new
President and once again thank you for
allowing me to serve an industry that
has given me so much.
Paul Lunsford
FALL 2009 9
AN UPDATE FROM CAPITOL HILL
BY CONGRESSMAN JOHN CAMPBELL
T
he past several weeks
have been filled with
uncertainty, especially for those of you in
the automotive industry.
You no doubt have heard
about the recent uproar
and uncertainty as to
whether or not car dealers
will be subject to the regulatory auspices of the Consumer Financial Protection Agency
(CFPA). You may have also heard that I successfully passed an
amendment through the House Financial Services Committee
that will exempt car dealers from such unnecessary regulation.
You and I know that auto dealers, on the whole, are not
financial institutions, and it simply makes no sense to regulate
them as something they are not. However, there are those on
Capitol Hill who believe that car dealers ought to be regulated
by this new bureaucratic agency, and have been actively
working to do so... but they’re wrong.
To think that the government would be collectively trying
to impose an additional regulatory burden on dealerships is
ludicrous. Taken in context, we are in the midst of a jobless
recovery—which I would argue, in reality, is no recovery at
all. In your showrooms and on your lots, you have seen it first
hand, people are still on the sidelines, and the only way we
are going to get back on our feet again is when the recovery is
led by the rebound of the automotive and housing industries.
There are, however, those of us in Congress working
against the tide on these issues to bring the truth to bear. A few
months ago, you saw that when presented with a tremendous
opportunity to improve their quality of life, people are looking
for the chance to get back into the marketplace, if the price is
right. As a result, thousands of people flooded into your car lots
in response to the “Cash for Clunkers” program. To be sure, this
program was not perfect, and I would have made a number of
changes—but the important fact to embrace is that the American
people responded, and they responded overwhelmingly.
Despite the sheer commonsense nature of my amendment
to remove car dealers from the CFPA’s authority, it was bitterly
opposed by the Obama Administration and others inside the
beltway. Make no mistake, this battle is not over, and there will
be plenty of opportunities for leaders on Capitol Hill to remove
or short-change my amendment. If they succeed, I don’t need to
tell you it will ultimately put enterprising entrepreneurs like
you at a disadvantage. Rest assured, as someone who spent 25
years in the car business, I know what kind of affect this type
of regulation would have on our business… not on my watch.
For an update on the latest happenings in Washington,
D.C., I encourage you to visit my website at http://www.
campbell.house.gov.
2009 OCADA-PAC Honor Roll
Chairman’s Club
Cliff Allen
Norris Bishton
James Barone
Ryan Busnardo
Steve Coleman
Dave Conant
Don Crevier
AJ D’Amato
Mike D’Amato
Thomas Ferruzzo
Jim Graham
Jon Gray
Matt Gunderson
Dennis Hardin
Roberta Hardin
George Heidler
Dick Hsu
Paul Lunsford
Bob Miller
John Oh
Al Parajeckas
Bill Piercey
RJ Romero
David Wilson
Tom Winterling
President’s Club
Regular Donor
David DeLillo
Rick Evans
Jim Robins
Bill Selman
Join the OCADA-PAC Honor Roll and make your contribution today!
10 OC Dealer WWW.OCADA.ORG
Can you tell which of
these applicants is a
convicted felon?
We can.
Providing:

Background Investigations
 Drug Screening
 Employee Hotline
 On-Line Applications – E-App
 E-Verify Employment Authorization
 Full Service HR Services to Auto Dealers for Over a Decade
 Red Flag Solutions
For Information, Contact:
(800) 716-7773
Stuart Barlow • Ext 105
[[email protected]]
Bryon Bowlby • Ext 107
[[email protected]]
Employee Relations, Inc.
www.erelations.com
Proud Member of the Orange County
Automobile Dealers Association
FALL 2009 11
Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle welcomes the OC Auto
Show to Anaheim
2009 OC Auto Show!
Attendance up 4.5% Thanks to Strong Promotions & Partnerships
C
onsumers were lined up at the door when the OC
Auto Show opened on October 15th and attendance
was up 4.5% over the entire event. “This year’s
auto show exceeded everyone’s expectations,” said OC
Auto Show Co-Chairman Matt Gunderson. “In a down
market, we knew we really needed to create a lot of
buzz about the auto show to boost attendance. Working closely with our manufacturers, dealers and media
partners we brought many unique features and greatly
increased our promotions, which brought in big crowds.
We worked to create an event that not only showcased
exciting new cars for attendees to enjoy, but also offered
more added value for each auto show ticket.”
12 OC Dealer WWW.OCADA.ORG
The OC Auto Show gave automotive consumers in
Southern California their first up-close look at the new
season’s vehicles. Consumers loved the opportunity to
test drive new vehicles from Ford, Mazda and Toyota
at the show. The show also featured five new concepts
including the Cadillac Converj, Chevrolet Corvette
Stingray, Hyundai Nuvis, Lincoln C and Mini E.
Even in a down market, the show was highly attended
by auto enthusiasts and car buyers. A large part of the
success of this year’s OC Auto Show was the outstanding
support and sponsorship of the Orange County Register
and sponsors. Next year’s show will take place October
7-10, 2010 and promises to be even better!
Crowds line up for tickets to the OC Auto Show
OC Auto Show awards went to:
 Best Concept Car was presented to Hyundai Nuvis
 Best Display award was presented to the Ford Motor Company
 Crowd Favorite went to Chevrolet for displaying Bumblebee from the
hit movie TRANSFORMERS in both Autobot and Camaro form
Dealers offer almost a quarter
million free tickets to customers!
Dealers who participated in the free email marketing campaign sent
almost 250,000 complimentary auto show tickets to customers in their
databases. “The program was fantastic and was a win for everyone. It was
a great way to thank our customers while also getting them excited about
the new vehicles”, said OCADA President Paul Lunsford. It proved to be
a great way to thank customers as 49 dealerships took advantage of this
free program providing their customers with free tickets
to the OC Auto show compliments of their dealership.
te new
Additionally, dealers were able to generate
mily of
email addresses from the friends and family
uccess
their customers. Due to the overwhelming success
xpand
of this program, we will build upon and expand
the program in 2010.
A Special Thank You to the following Aut
Auto
to Centers:
Beach Boulevard of Cars Auto Center
Sunset Ford
Irvine Auto Center
Tustin Auto Center
Santa Ana Auto Center
Westminster Auto Center
They supported the OC Auto Show by generously using their sign boards to promote the Auto Show.
FALL 2009 13
17th Annual OCADA High School
Automotive Technology Competition
Congratulations! The following 2 student teams are the top automotive technology students
in OC, and have each been paired with a local Orange County dealership to train for the final
hands-on competition held January 23, 2010.
Buena Park High School - Hardin Honda
Loara High School - Toyota of Orange
Mission Viejo High School - Park Place Lexus
San Clemente High School - Allen Hyundai
Savanna High School - Guaranty Chevrolet
Sunny Hills High School - Mullahey Kia
The winning team will be sponsored by OCADA to compete in the National Automotive Technology
Competition held in conjunction with the Greater New York Auto Show in New York City in April.
Special thanks to the dealers who are sponsoring their teams!
14 OC Dealer WWW.OCADA.ORG
GET TO KNOW YOUR LEGISLATOR:
ASSEMBLYMAN JEFF MILLER
71st Assembly District:
Corona, Coto de Ca za, Home
Gardens, Las Flores, Mission Viejo,
Santa Ana, Norco, Orange, Rancho Santa
Margarita, Tustin, Anaheim
Assembly Committees:
Education; Environmental Safety
and Toxic Materials; Appropriations;
Transportation
Personal:
Married to wife Deborah, two
daughters
Favorite Quote
“We contend that for a nation to
tax itself into prosperity is like a man
standing in a bucket and trying to lift
himself up by the handle.”
—Winston Churchhill
Biography
Wit h mor e t h a n 20 ye a r s of
experience as a successful businessman,
and 8 years serving as both the Mayor
and a Councilman of Corona, Jeff Miller
was elected to the State Assembly in
2008 to represent the 71st Assembly
District, which takes in much of Western
Riverside County and the Eastern edge
of Orange County.
Assemblyman Miller’s service to his
community began in 1995 when he was
appointed as a Parks Commissioner in
Corona. By 2000, he ascended to the City
Council, where he kept his goals simple:
keep the economy growing, the budget
balanced, the community safe, and get
the roads moving. By 2004, Mayor Miller
was re-elected by a wide margin.
Through his work in Corona, Jeff built
a reputation as a coalition-builder and a
problem-solver, traits that served him
well as he was tapped to serve in a number
of leadership roles in regional government
boards and agencies. As a member of
the Riverside County Transportation
Commission, Jeff became one of the
region’s leading experts on transportation
issues, and eventually was tapped to
Chair the bi-county 91 Freeway Toll Road
Advisory Committee. In addition, Jeff has
served on the Western Riverside Council
of Governments since 2001, serving as
Chairman from 2005–2007.
Believing that public safety is the first
priority of government, Jeff became the
first statewide Co-Chair of the Jessica’s
Law campaign in 2005, helping protect
children from sexual predators by
ushering in the most sweeping overhaul
of the state’s penal code in a generation.
Jeff Miller served as Chairman of the
Riverside County Republican Party from
2006–2008, overseeing one of the most
successful election cycles for the Party
in recent years.
District Office Contact
Information:
Address:
20532 El Toro Rd, Suite 203
Mission Viejo, CA 92692
Phone: 949-598-7171
Fax: 949-598-7170
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.assembly.ca.gov/Miller
Visit us online!
www.ocada.org
FALL 2009 15
EPA Reconfirms
SPCC Qualified Facility Rule
Compliance Date Remains Nov. 10, 2010
T
he U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a final Spill
Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) rule on Nov. 13,
 For the three years preceding SPCC
In 2006, EPA designated most
facilities storing fewer than 10,000
gallons of oil and related fluids to be
“qualified facilities” eligible to prepare
and self-certify their own written
facility SPCC plan, thereby avoiding
the expense of hiring a professional
engineer to do so. The new option for
Tier 1 facilities is even less burdensome.
plan certification, have no single
discharge of oil to navigable waters
exceeding 1,000 gallons, or two
discharges of oil to navigable waters
each exceeding 42 gallons within any
12-month period.
NADA Regulatory Affairs intends
to publish further guidance on this
issue in early 2010. For a copy of the
self-certification SPCC plan template
go to www.nada.org/advocacy+outreach/
regulatoryaffairs.
keeping intact a 2008 amendment designed to provide regulatory relief
for small facilities, including dealerships. EPA has confirmed that “Tier 1”
qualified facilities may use a simple, self-certified SPCC plan template in
lieu of a complex written plan.
Tier 1 qualified facilities are
those that:
 Have 10,000 or fewer gallons in
aggregate aboveground oil storage
capacity and a maximum individual
oil storage container capacity of 5,000
gallons, and
16 OC Dealer WWW.OCADA.ORG
in the District
Orange County Dealers meet with Congressman John Campbell. Pictured
Left to Right: Paul Lunsford, Congressman Campbell, Fritz Hitchcock, Damon
Shelly. Top Row: Don Crevier, Woody Oklejas, Mike Lake, Gary Gray
Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez on a dealership tour of Freeway Honda.
Pictured Left to Right: Jeff Voechting, Arturo Herrera, Congresswoman
Loretta Sanchez, Sean Hodges
A
s the government’s role in our industry continues
to grow and with the stakes getting higher by the
day, we must step up and play a more active role
in government. One of the best ways to do this is building
relationships with our legislators.
In an effort to foster and strengthen these relationships
OCADA will expand our Legislative Luncheon program.
We will be scheduling luncheons with the State and Federal
Legislators in your districts. Our goal is to host these
luncheons with each Assembly, Senate and Congressional
leaders once a year to help build these relationships.
Lunch with your
Legislator
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These are not fundraisers, it is simply an opportunity to
meet with your legislator and let them know what is going
on in our industry. Plus it is an opportunity to get the latest
information on what is taking place in the Legislature.
Building these relationships is essential to our success
when we need their support in the future.
For more information on this program contact,
Cristin Collings at [email protected] or call
OCADA at (949) 428-5050.
In Memoriam
Bob Long
July 23, 1923–August 14, 2009
A
t the age of 86, Bob Long sadly passed away on August 14, 2009.
He enjoyed playing golf and cards and loved to fish, whether it
be deep sea, fly fishing or any kind of fishing at all. Bob was preceded in death by his wife of 61 years, Evelyn.
He is survived by his sons, Mike and Pat and his daughter and son-in-law, Cindy and Bruce Hamlin.
Born in Bandera Texas, Bob was very successful in the car business for over 60 years. The last 35 years as the
Owner of Guaranty Chevrolet and Tustin Chevrolet. Bob was a great friend to many members of the automotive
industry and will truly be missed.
In Memoriam
Frank Busalacchi
F
August 17, 1944–December 5, 2009
rank Anthony Busalacchi, owner of McPeek’s Dodge of Anaheim,
born August 17, 1944 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, quietly joined
our Father in Heaven on Saturday December 5, 2009. Frank
is survived by his wife of 40 years, Grethe, his two sons, Frank Jr
and Michael, daughter Christy, daughter-in-law Kristen, grandchildren Alexis and Zachary, brother Sal, sister
RoseAnne and her husband Kenny, sister Christine and her husband Phil, as well as a large extended family in
Arizona and Wisconsin. Frank was a self-made man who lived for his family and had only one goal: creating the
best life possible for his family and employees. He excelled at both. Frank was a fair, honest, down to earth man.
He supported his community and several causes, such as the Special Olympics, the Lou Gehrig and Alzheimer
association, and St Joseph Hospital Cancer research, as well as individuals who had fallen on “hard” times. He
was “giver,” not a “taker.” Frank has left a void in our lives that will never be fi lled. We love him, miss him, will
forever keep him in our hearts, and do our best to bear the pain of losing him.
FALL 2009 19
Free
Labor Law Posters
provided by OCADA
W
e know that keeping your
dealership in compliance is a
constant challenge, so the Orange County Automobile Dealers Association has committed to purchasing
and distributing all state and federal
labor law posters and updates to each
of its members free of charge!
A new set of posters will be
required. We have purchased them
for all members and will mail them
out January 2010.
If you would like to order additional
sets of labor law posters or require
posters in Spanish please contact Jaime
Sterling at 949-428-5050.
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Welcomes Our New Associate Members
Crowe Horwath LLP
As trusted advisors to the retail automotive industry, Crowe Horwath LLP has guided clients towards success
and fiscal strength with audit, tax, risk and financial advisory services. Crowe Horwath LLP is a top 10 public
accounting and consulting firm.
Contact Ron Sompels at 714-668-1234 or email at [email protected]
Innovative Dealership Solutions
Innovative Dealership Solutions provides new vehicle dealerships specific Sales and Fixed Operations assessments,
strategic process improvement, targeted training, and customer loyalty measurements/improvements through
NPS methodology, all in the goal of growing their business.
Contact Stephen Harvey at 949-244-4712 or email at [email protected]
Motor Vehicle Software Corporation
Motor Vehicle Software Corporation provides registration processing automation to dealers and registration
services across California. It’s DMVdesk Registration Management System provides tracking and processing of
registration paperwork, including electronic filing of registrations directly with the DMV.
Contact Kathryn Trimmer at 818-706-1949 or email at [email protected]
Hello World. Meet Golden Eye. The un-dms.
Launching on 01.01.10
www.goldeneyedms.com 714.890.4660
FALL 2009 21
Dealer Rides
B
ruce’s 1934 Chevrolet 4 Door Sedan came with his
dealership, Guaranty Chevrolet. The car was originally
sold in Washington State and shipped to California in
a boxcar. Forty years later in 1974 when his father-in-law
bought the dealership, the 1934 Chevrolet came with it.
This 1934 Chevy is a beauty and a classic. The engine is a
6 cylinder with 69 horsepower. The interior has the original
mohair upholstery. One of this car’s unique features is it’s Fisher
“No Draft” ventilation.
This classic 1934 Chevy is a part of the Guaranty Chevrolet
family and they have often used it to help support local charity
22 OC Dealer WWW.OCADA.ORG
Bruce Hamlin’s
1934 Chevrolet 4 Door Sedan
events. It is often used to help support local school fundraisers.
One of the most memorable was a fundraising event, “Night
at the Oscars” where the car was used as a prop out front to
recreate the nostalgic Oscar atmosphere.
In the late 1980’s, someone from Hollywood called and
wanted to buy the car. When asked why they wanted to buy
it, they said they were going to fi lm a movie and one of the
scenes had the car going over a cliff and crashing. Bruce was
glad that his father-in-law passed on the offer!
This 1934 Chevrolet 4 Door Sedan is a true classic, and parks
itself on the showroom floor at Guaranty Chevrolet.
Orange County Automobile Dealers Association
3737 Birch St., Suite 220
Newport Beach, CA 92660
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U.S. POSTAGE
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