DEALER NEWS
REGULATORY
& LEGAL UPDATES
The Denver Auto Outlook is filled with valuable, objective information on the metro area's
new retail automotive market that can't be found anywhere else. This newsletter is mailed to CADA members, or you can CLICK HERE to download a copy.
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CDOT DIRECTOR
SUPPORTS MASS TRANSIT FOR MOUNTAINS
Rocky Mountain News, June 23, 2007
GLENWOOD SPRINGS -- The
new director of the Colorado Department of
Transportation
says the state can't solve the
Interstate 70 mountain problem with pavement.
Russell George, a former House speaker and
executive director of the Colorado Division
of
Wildlife, said an ongoing transportation study
to deal with ski and summer vacation traffic
must include a rail component.
CLICK HERE to read the entire article.
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DETROIT, GET ON BOARD WITH FUEL STANDARDS
Rocky Mountain News, Opinion column by Rob Reuteman, June 23, 2007
Just about
the time you start to garner
sympathy for the plight of U.S.
automakers, they
make you realize
they probably deserve whatever's
happened.
Over the
dead bodies of auto dealers and
industry execs, the U.S. Senate on
Thursday
night passed an energy bill
that contains the first
congressional rewrite of
fuel-economy standards since the oil
shocks of the mid-1970s.
CLICK HERE to read the entire article.
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TOYOTA PLANNING TO LAUNCH NEW HYBRID AUTOMOBILE IN 2009
The Detroit News, June 24, 2007
TOKYO -- Japan's
Toyota Motor Corp. plans
to begin selling a
second dedicated brand
of hybrid automobiles in
2009, following up on
its
market-dominating Prius hybrid, a
news
report said Sunday.
Japan's No. 1 auto maker plans to sell around 100,000 of the as-yet-unnamed hybrid annually around the world at the outset, Japan's business daily The Nikkei said in an unsourced story.
CLICK HERE to read the entire article.
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CHRYSLER
COMMITS TO NEW HYBRIDS, BETTER MILEAGE
Automotive News, June 21, 2007
CHELSEA, Mich. (Reuters)
-- Chrysler
group said today that it
would roll out new
hybrid vehicles,
streamline its cars and
trucks and introduce
more diesel engines in a
bid to
improve fuel
economy in the face
of
high gas prices and
tougher federal
regulations.
Chrysler, which is being
acquired by Cerberus
Capital Management in a
$7.4 billion deal,
has
trailed other major,
competing automakers in
key indicators of fuel
economy.
"Chrysler group is
focused directly on
improving fuel
efficiency across our
vehicle lineup," product
development chief Frank
Klegon said in a
statement.
"We don't think there is
one silver bullet. We
have to fight these
battles on many fronts,"
he said.
CLICK HERE to read the entire article.
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Automotive News, June 19, 2007
In its short life,
Google has become
the search
engine, a Wall Street
phenomenon and
even a
verb. And now it's
throwing its hat in the
hybrid automotive ring.
In California on Monday,
June 18,
Google and
utility giant Pacific
Gas & Electric Co.
showed
off an
experimental fleet
of
plug-in hybrids that
they say has averaged 74
mpg in tests.
In addition,
www.Google.org,
Google's philanthropic
organization, announced
it will invest
$10
million to help speed
the commercialization of
plug-ins -- fully
electric cars.
CLICK HERE to read the entire article.
|
SAVE THE DATE:
DEALER MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP SUMMIT Colorado Dealer Management and Leadership Summit Wednesday, August 15 Marriott Denver South – Park Meadows Drive
Presenters: Jim Ziegler,
Rob Cohen, Bill Walters, others yet to
be named
|
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|
CADA forwards news
articles and opinion columns of interest through Open Road |
After several
weeks of highly contested debate within the U.S. Senate, some finality was
resolved by a vote on late Thursday. So late in fact that many senators had to
be summoned back to Capitol Hill in order to cast the necessary votes to
overcome a proposed filibuster
from pro-auto senators.
In its current form, the Senate bill has three major components.
CLICK HERE
to read this
article by CAR lobbyist Jeremy Cottrell.
DEALER FULL USE PLATES - LOANER AND COURTESY VEHICLES
In last week’s issue of Open Road, the
current regulations and statutes covering Full
Use
and Demo Plates were
recapped. CLICK HERE
to review that article. As further
clarification regarding Full Use
Plates, please note that full-use dealer plates may be
used for both courtesy vehicles that dealership employees may
drive, and for loaners
that customers
may be allowed to drive
when their vehicles are being serviced; provided
of course the other requirements are met.
While there was some disagreement in
the past couple of years regarding prior
interpretation and
long-standing practice, the Auto Industry Division has
indicated these
are allowable uses until such time as there is
a
statutory change, or until there is formal rulemaking to address the
issue. Subject to
the restrictions noted in last week’s article,
full-use plates generally may be used “in lieu
of, in the same manner
as, and to the same
extent as number plates issued pursuant to section 42-3-113” [42-3-113
covers the
standard registration, taxation and licensing of
motor
vehicles].
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MSEC - OFFICIAL LANGUAGE FOR FEDERAL POSTER NOT YET ISSUED
Mountain States
Employers Council (MSEC) indicates the revised, federal language
to update
Federal posters to reflect the new, federal minimum wage
is still
unavailable. CADA had received calls from dealers who are being
solicited by various vendors selling “revised”
posters and indicating
they have the “new” language. The federal Department of Labor
has not
yet issued the final language, so no vendor can yet have these ready. MSEC is
taking pre-orders for the posters—they will
be printed
and mailed as quickly as possible
once the final language is released.
CADA members
interested in pre-ordering revised posters can view product information
at
http://www.msec.org/references/employment_posters.asp
MSEC's all-in-one federal employment law poster includes:
-
Fair Labor Standards Act - including minimum wage and child labor laws
-
Employee Polygraph Protection Act
-
Equal Employment Opportunity
-
Occupational Safety and Health Act
-
Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA)
-
Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA; employers with 50 or more employees*)
Place pre-orders (to obtain the member-price) by sending an email to:
Pat Windholtz at pwindholtz@msec.org and provide the following:
-
Membership# = “CADA Member/Auto Dealer” (provide this in lieu of a member#)
-
# of Federal Posters Needed: _____
-
Note if you have 50 or more employees OR less than 50 employees
-
Provide your contact information:
(*posters vary for FMLA)
- Contact name
- Dealership name
- Mailing address
- Phone/Email (in case there are
any problems or questions & for mailing
the poster)
NOTE:
As an additional reminder, the current state employment
poster should reference Minimum Wage Order #23; it was
revised effective April 1, 2007. MSEC also provides
all-in-one state
posters at the web site included above.
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If you have additional questions on any
legal or regulatory topics, please contact:
-
Tim Jackson, President, tim.jackson@cadaonline.org, 303.282.1448
-
Tammi McCoy, VP, tammi.mccoy@cadaonline.org, 303.282.1449
Or e-mail
questions to
regulatory@cadaonline.org to reach both.
|
DISCLAIMER:
CADA is not authorized
to dispense legal advice. The Information contained in this weekly email
is intended to provide important updates and reminders regarding
statutes, litigation, and regulations. CADA always advises that dealers
|
Upcoming Training Seminars
| Topic |
City |
Date/Time |
Location |
|
Title Processing Training By various county trainers/staff |
Lakewood |
Thurs., July 19
9:30 am to 2:30 pm (time is tentative) |
Sheraton Denver West Hotel 360 Union Boulevard, 80228 Phone: 303.987.2000
CLICK HERE
for seminar flyer and to fax or mail your registration.
CLICK HERE to register online. |
|
Peak Performance In Warranty Operations By Rob Campbell |
Montrose |
Wednesday, 11 am to 2 pm lunch included |
Holiday Inn
Express-Montrose |
|
Peak Performance In Warranty Operations By Rob Campbell |
Loveland |
Thursday, July
26 7:30 to 10:30 am breakfast included |
Johnson’s
Corner Restaurant
|
|
Secrets
to Creating A Super Controller
By Sandi Jerome |
Denver |
Thursday, July 26 8 to 11 am
breakfast |
William D. Barrow Building
|
|
Peak Performance In Warranty Operations By Rob Campbell |
Denver |
Thursday, July
26 12 to 3 pm lunch included |
William D. Barrow Building (CADA headquarters) 290 E. Speer Blvd, 80203 (SW Corner of Grant/Speer)
CLICK HERE
for seminar flyer and to fax or mail your registration. CLICK HERE to register online. |
|
Secrets
to Creating A Super Controller
By Sandi Jerome |
Grand Junction |
Friday, July 27 8 to 11 am
breakfast |
Doubletree Hotel
|
|
Peak Performance In Warranty Operations By Rob Campbell |
Colorado Springs |
Friday, July 27 9 am to 12 Noon lunch included |
Antlers Hilton Hotel
Colorado Springs
dealers should register through CSADA; Phone:
719.473.1465 |
|
Title Processing Training By various county trainers/staff |
Denver |
Wed., Aug. 22
9:30 am to
lunch included |
William D. Barrow
Building
CLICK HERE
for seminar flyer and to fax or mail your registration.
CLICK HERE to register online. |
|
Title Processing Training By various county trainers/staff |
Denver |
Tues., Sept. 11 lunch included |
Marriott Denver Tech
Center Hotel
CLICK HERE
for seminar flyer and to fax or mail your registration.
CLICK HERE to register online. |
|
Event Description |
Date/Time |
Location |
|
TIME Magazine
Quality Dealer Award Nominations |
DUE: Thursday, July 26 | Nominations are now being accepted for Colorado's TIME Magazine Quality Dealer Award (TMQDA) for 2008. Official nomination forms were mailed to members in May. For more information please contact CADA at 303.831.1722. |
| CADA Management & Leadership Summit |
Wednesday, Aug. 15 (time to be announced) |
Registration form and more details to be available soon. |
|
CADA Annual Golf Event |
Monday, Aug.27
-Noon shotgun start |
Valley Country Club 14601 Country Club Dr. Aurora, 80016
CLICK HERE
for more details on Valley Country Club. |
|
CADA Regional Member Briefings
|
Ten meetings
CLICK HERE
for
a |
Attendees can
register through |
|
MDADA Annual
|
Tuesday, Nov. 27
11 a.m.
to 2 p.m. |
Cherry Hills Country Club |
VIDMAR HONORED FOR 30TH ANNIVERSARY AS
HONDA DEALERSHIP
Vidmar Motor Co. celebrated 30 years as a Honda dealer
on Friday, June 22, with
a
ceremony
and presentation of a plaque by American Honda executives
to management
of the Pueblo dealership.
Founded in August 1945, Vidmar Motor Co. was one of the first auto
dealerships in Colorado to represent Honda. Last year the company strengthened its Honda
presence by moving the Honda dealership
to
a larger building at 600
N. Albany Ave., next to its Volkswagen store
and across the street
from its Chrysler/Jeep dealership.
Vidmar has invested more than $1.2 million in remodeling the sales
and service facility,
and it now dovetails with the Honda corporation’s most recent
building retail image. A
grand opening will be celebrated in
October, in conjunction with the launch of the all-new,
2008
Honda Accord.
The 30-year anniversary marks another significant step in the
evolution of Vidmar Motor Co.
After opening the dealership to sell Oldsmobiles, the late Jake Vidmar added Jeep in 1963,
and then Honda. Jake’s son William began working at the dealership
after graduating from Colorado State University. In 1986, Bill and
his wife Barbara directed construction of a new Honda facility
across the street from Jake Vidmar’s original building, and Barb
took the reins
as the Honda store’s general manager.
Their son Derek began working at the dealership in 1999, and was
named general manager
in 2004 after graduating from the National Automobile Dealers
Association (NADA) dealer candidate school and shortly after Bill
and Barb retired.
Daughter Shawn headed the
information technology program when she started with the dealership
in 1999, and then
became fixed operations director after also graduating from the NADA
dealer candidate school. She continues to help with
fixed operations
while serving as a teacher at Colorado State University-Pueblo and
Pueblo Community College.
Members of the Vidmar family have long served their industry in a
number of key regional and national posts with automobile dealership
organizations.
Jake was a member of the board of directors for the Colorado
Automobile Dealers Association (CADA), and a member of Oldsmobile’s
Dealer Advisory Board.
Bill also served on the CADA board, and was director for Colorado
for NADA. He was also a member of the dealer advisory boards for
Chrysler and Oldsmobile.
Barb was a board member of the American International Automobile
Dealers Association (AIADA), and served as its chairwoman in 2000.
She has served on the board of the NADA Charitable Foundation for
almost 20 years, and is a district director on CADA’s board. In
2000, Automotive News named her one of the top 100 women in the
North American auto industry.
Having stepped away from day-to-day management at Vidmar Motor Co.,
Barbara ran for and was elected to the Pueblo city council in 2006,
and is now its vice president.
For more information on Vidmar Honda products and services, call
719.544.5844, or toll-free
at 800.453.8688. The dealership’s email address is
sales@vidmarmotor.com.
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LET US KNOW ABOUT YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS!
Have you or anyone else at your
dealership won an award recently? Has your
dealership provided any
outstanding community service? We want to recognize
such accomplishments.
Please send us a brief write-up of the award or event along
with any other
information to
openroad@cadaonline.org. Also include your contact information
for further follow-up.