The International Automotive Remarketers Alliance (IARA) has achieved a great deal in 2002. This work has been accomplished by remarketing industry executives from many different companies.
The International Automotive Remarketers Alliance (IARA) has achieved a great deal in 2002. This work has been accomplished by remarketing industry executives from many different companies. The board of directors and the Alliance’s committees have been able to make this progress due to their enthusiasm and dedication to the mission of the IARA. Our mission is to assist, educate, and share knowledge with one another and our industry partners, so that each member may be empowered to achieve the fullest efficiency and most continued improvement attainable in the commerce of selling vehicles through the marketplace. A quick visit to our comprehensive and informative Web site at www.iaraonline.org/ summarizes the high level of activity by the IARA and its members.
A summary of the accomplishments by IARA committees in 2002 are as follows:
Membership Development & Recruitment Committee
The IARA met its goal of 100 members in 2002. Members continue to join IARA each month and volunteer for various committees. Membership booths at several remarketing conferences were in place helping to spread the news about IARA. A new membership brochure is in the works.
Industry Recognition & Awards Committee
The IARA has selected Jim Moran, founder of JM Family Enterprises, as the first recipient for the annual IARA “Circle of Excellence Award.” This award was presented at the IARA’s second Roundtable Series meeting in Tampa, FL, in February 2003. The award is presented to someone who has contributed outstanding service to the remarketing industry and the community. Other industry recognition awards also will be given in 2003.
Education, Certification & Conference Management Committee
The IARA held two all-member meetings in 2002. The first was held in conjunction with CAR 2002 in Chicago and the second was held in conjunction with NAAA in New York City. Both meetings were well-attended with lively discussion by members on a variety of topics.
The first IARA Roundtable meeting was held on July 24-25, 2002 in Denver. It was the first in a continuing educational series that covered the topics of vehicle inspections, reconditioning, and the marketing of a sale. The meeting, which included an interactive panel style format with active attendee participation, was an acclaimed success by those who attended. The second Roundtable in this educational series was held in Tampa, FL, on Jan. 15-17, 2003. It covered the topics of the Internet and its role between consignor and auction; alternative remarketing outlets; and the ethics of gifts, dinners/events, and rebates.
Industry Ethics & Member Conduct Committee
The IARA adopted a code of ethics, which was developed by the ethics committee at the annual meeting held in New York City. The code of ethics can be found on the IARA Web site at www.iaraonline.org www.iaraonline.org.
Legislation & Regulatory Issues Committee
The IARA has been collecting information from its members via a Web site survey as to what legislation needs to be examined that has a negative influence on the commerce of remarketing vehicles. The IARA is building a database of items, which IARA will be proactively lobbying for a positive result on the industry.
Vehicle Remarketing Technology and Systems Committee
The IARA has begun to catalog systems that are available to the remarketing industry. The choices are becoming more sophisticated each year and we need to evaluate what is on the market and whether a particular system is effective for a given process. This will help our members sort through the myriad of choices. This is also part of our continuing education mission.
Press and Public Relations Communications Committee
The IARA has produced numerous industry articles, editorials, press releases, and newsletters throughout 2002. The IARA Web site has archived all the 2002 newsletters and press releases. The press committee has been very active in ensuring maximum exposure for the IARA with articles appearing in Automotive News, Used Car News, Auto Remarketing, and Vehicle Remarketing magazines. These included interviews with IARA President Dave Langley and myself, as the new executive director of the IARA.
IARA Appoints New Executive Director
The IARA selected me as the new executive director at the all-member meeting in New York City on Sept. 12 2002. Previously, I was president and CEO of Intermodal Transportation Services (ITS), a vehicle inspection company headquartered in Parsippany, NJ, from 1988 to 2000.
The IARA will be able to continue its growth and attention to important industry issues with the addition of permanent staff.
As executive director, I will assist in the growth of the Alliance membership, and serve as a liaison between the IARA board and membership and outside entities. I am also responsible for leading the association board meetings and maintain constant communication with members and organizations allied to the remarketing industry.
The objectives of the IARA are the cornerstone for the ability of its members to manage change within the industry.
To facilitate standardization of processes within the industry.
To serve as a central repository for industry data/vendor remarketing solutions.
To provide a medium through which joint initiatives among alliance members may be facilitated.
To provide a continuing education process directed toward achieving maximum values for remarketed vehicles in the marketplace.
To encourage and support member adherence to the IARA Code of Conduct.
To develop performance benchmarking for the membership.
To create a forum where remarketers manage their agenda of important industry topics.
To provide a mechanism for the sharing of ideas, knowledge, and best practices.
To develop educational and training programs for remarketing professionals.
To share information on legislative and regulatory issues impacting the remarketing industry.
To provide a lobbying body to address legislative issues.
