All-Electrical Association Forming By Traci Matt STAFF WRITER Polly Shea, editor and publisher of the Electrical Rebuilder’s Exchange, has announced the formation of a new professional association aimed exclusively at the automotive electrical aftermarket. Charter memberships for the Electrical Rebuilder’s Association (ERA) are now available. According to Shea, the new organization’s motto is “ERA…your best interests at heart.” “Our advisory board has been dis- cussing this off and on for over three years,’ said Shea. “The majority was not comfortable with the idea until now, but the industry truly needs it now more than it ever has. As with most things, relationships or business deals, timing is everything.” The decision to proceed with the plans for the association was made at the E+ Show planning meeting in Detroit last August that was attended by the bulk of the board. “The people on the advisory board are very practical and very fair-minded. We can relate to small business problems because we are small businesses. This is a small-business to small-business proposition. When you call on the phone you get me,’ said Shea. “The ERA is going to be handled the same way Ralph and I have always handled the newspaper—real grass roots style. That’s never changed.” Shea said they hope to pull together and serve not only the electrical rebuilders, but also the “R&R people, installers, suppliers” and others in the automotive electrical industry. ERA annual membership of $150 includes the following benefits: ¢ Uninterrupted Electrical Rebuilder’s Exchange subscription * Classified advertising ¢ Rebuilder admission to E+ Show ¢ Exhibitor discount at E+ Show * Access to the Electrical Rebuilder’s Exchange Network (EREN) Web site ¢ E-mail account “Tt’s about time,” said board member, Exchange columnist, and rebuilder Bob Thomas of B & H Electric in Jacksonville, FL. “I have felt for many years that electrical rebuilders, especially the small ones, needed an association of their own. Now we have one, and I believe every rebuild shop should become a member. Where do I send my check?” Thomas said he’s certain the ERA will have a positive impact on the elec- trical rebuilding industry because it was “conceived to serve our needs.” “The benefits, if you use them, out- weigh the cost, and all of the benefits provide us with the opportunity to learn more and rebuild better. No gin- gerbread, just meat and potatoes. Anyone with plans of making a living in electrical rebuilding should become a charter member.” Board member and rebuilder Ronnie Charnes of ACC Rebuilders in Memphis, TN, said he believes the ERA will help rebuilders stay on top of new technical information, as well as create new avenues of communication from business to business. He said the rebuilders’ active partici- pation in their industry as a whole is long overdue, and they haven’t had to put forth “any effort or any real expense” to gain the benefit from the Exchange and its services. “T think it’s time that rebuilders make an effort to be a part of this association in order to take advantage of it,’ said Charnes. “There are still going to be good opportunities for rebuilders in the future. There’s a market there providing you pick your market. We need to learn how to operate a business and learn how to operate it profitably. Any time you can get people to come together, it’s going to be positive for the people who are going to participate.” Bob Wagner, Wagner Alternator and Supplies, Inc., Chino, CA, said he believes an all-electrical organization can help rebuilders focus more clearly on quality and service issues by provid- ing the vehicle for building relationships with peers and customers alike. “An all-electrical association should solidify our industry as well as provide an outstanding and cost-effective serv- ice to its members.” he said. “It will be amore simplified approach in providing information to the right people. I’m excited about the new association and looking forward to its growth.” Jeff Reynolds, president of the Automotive Electrical Rebuilders Association of Canada (A.E.R.A.C.), said he’s happy to see an all-electrical association getting together in the U.S. and thinks it will open doors for more information exchange. “On the Canadian side one of the biggest benefits our members have is sharing information without fearing someone will take away their cus- tomers,” he said. “It’s the idea that you can share information freely with other members of your association that makes this possible.” Reynolds said the A-E.R.A.C., which was founded in 1984, took some time to get off the ground and that the ERA may have a “rough road for awhile” as rebuilders weigh the benefits and costs of membership. “But persevere, as the gains far outweigh the trials and tribulations ahead,’ stated Reynolds. “Watching the association and newfound friendships grow, coupled with the inner satisfaction of helping the industry as a whole, makes it all worthwhile