The newly named 2017 NADA Chairman Mark Scarpelli told dealers the association was launching a bold and very public new initiative to boost and promote the value that dealers bring to their communities.
Scarpelli is president of Raymond Chevrolet and Raymond Kia in Antioch and co-owner of Ray Chevrolet and Ray Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge-Ram in Fox Lake, Ill.
He unveiled a new initiative that will promote the economic and social impact that the country’s dealerships bring to millions of their customers, and the 1.1 million jobs dealers create across the country.
The new initiative is called MyDealership.org, and it consists of videos, social media platforms and public service announcements to promote the value of the nation’s dealer network, according to an NADA press release. “There are five hallmarks of any local dealership in America today: We are local; We are modern; We are diverse; We save people money; And we create great jobs,” Scarpelli told dealers in an address at the NADA Convention and Expo in New Orleans.
Scarpelli said MyDealership.org wasn’t created solely from the perspective of dealers. “It comes from the perspective of our customers, who benefit through lower prices on sales, financing and service. When local dealerships compete against each other, customers win,” he said.
In another news release, the NADA outlined Scarpelli’s top priorities for 2017 which include advocating on legislative and regulatory issues in Washington, D.C., meeting auto manufacturer executives, and involving more next generation dealers in NADA and in lobbying in Washington.
“We’re advocating for clarity with the new administration and Congress, whether it’s related to auto financing, new tax proposals, vehicle recall policy or fuel economy rules,” Scarpelli said. “We’re concerned about vehicle affordability for consumers, period. We have to make sure we keep our customers top of mind when dealing with all of these issues.”
