Pub. 3 2014 Issue 2

4 San Diego Dealer Cha i rman ’s Le t t e r New Car Dealers Association ® San Diego County 10065 Mesa Ridge Court San Diego, CA 92121-2916 Tel: (858) 550-0080 Fax: (858) 550-9537 www.ncda.com NCDA Board of Directors Board Officers DavidWolfson CHAIRMAN Paul Dyke VICE CHAIRMAN Jennifer Brown SECRE TARY/TREASURER J.P. Paynter PAST CHAIRMAN Board Members Chris Baker John Ball Rick Blakemore Tim Brecht Tom Brecht Doug Fuller Greg Kaminsky Dave McCracken Owen Mossy Dear Dealer Members: I n just a few short weeks, the San Diego Convention Center once again becomes home to the San Diego International Auto Show—January 1-4, 2015. The New Car Dealers Association staff has been planning this show for the better part of the last 10 months and I strongly encourage every dealer to make time to come down and see how the brand(s) you sell are represented. The number one reason for the Auto Show is to stimulate auto sales at our dealerships at a time whenmost consumers have been focused on holiday shopping. One of the major ways to get consumers to purchase a new vehicle is the all-important test drive, and this year’s show has a dozen different opportunities for consumers to get behind the wheel of a new car, truck, SUV or crossover. With new vehicle sales increasing for the fifth consecutive year in 2014, this year’s Auto Show creates a strong opportunity for sales to continue to grow locally in 2015. Now that this year’s federal, state, and local elections have concluded, I want to thank all the dealers who supported the association’s efforts by donating to the NCDA PAC. Those donations enable us to have a voice with legislators who understand how critical the automotive dealer industry is to our local, state, and national econ- omies. Never before has our industry shown so brightly as an economic engine that creates a multitude of jobs that aren’t exported overseas, provides access to health benefits for employees and their families, and generates tax revenue for local and state governments. As we look forward to 2015, I believe as deal- ers we can be cautiously optimistic about our industry. America’s aging vehicle fleet combined with continued low interest rates and attractive incentive offers should create continued sales of new vehicles. That said, many challenges still remain as the local, state, and national economies continue to recover. The omnipresent threat of legislators attempting to utilize our industry as a means of taxing consumers with various fees that increase the cost of a vehicle while benefiting government coffers continue to be a challenge. One of the best ways to combat those types of risk is to be engaged with your NCDA. Your association serves as a conduit to up-to-date industry information, compliance seminars, the political landscape, and much more. NCDA President Dean Mansfield and his staff always stand ready to assist you and your dealership staff. I strongly recommend you utilize this valuable resource. On behalf of the NCDA Officers and Board of Directors, I want to wish you, your employees, and your family a safe and enjoyable holiday season and prosperous New Year. Sincerely, David Wolfson Chairman, NCDA Board of Directors