“It’s gratifying to see and feel the energy and sense of purpose at CAWA these days! I am proud to associate myself with such a group of motivated and dedicated volunteers and staff working to advance the interests of the aftermarket in The West and beyond. I hesitate to resort to the cliché of ‘Now more than ever…’ but in this case it rings true: if you do business in the aftermarket in California, Nevada, or Arizona or are concerned regarding how those states, California in particular, influence the automotive aftermarket writ large in the United States - you should be here with us at CAWA. It’s worth your time, it’s worth your money.”

“CAWA offers a great venue for industry leaders to take their hats off at the door and come together on topics and issues for the greater good of the automotive aftermarket both regionally and nationally. The support and benefits CAWA provides its members and to the industry are invaluable and will be a big part of the success for many years to come. I’m very appreciative to be part of this great organization”.

“In my long and “storied” career in the Automotive Aftermarket I have had the distinct pleasure and honor to be associated with many hundreds of Industry Professionals. One of the most rewarding affiliations I have had has been with the CAWA organization. In my 4 decades of affiliation, I have witnessed CAWA evolve from a traditional Distributor-Jobber Association in California to a Leader within the Automotive Aftermarket with membership and industry efforts that now include additional markets and organizations. Membership now includes companies and associations in Nevada, Arizona and other states around the Country in every level of manufacturing, distribution, legislation, academics, and other associated service areas of the industry.

From my “Lifetime” Auto Aftermarket experience, if you or your company has any portion of your livelihood reliant to the Auto Aftermarket, you need to review the CAWA website and membership roster. CAWA IS the affiliation you and your organization need to be a part if you want to be “in the know” of the current state of the industry! CAWA gives you the opportunity to do both while networking with, the movers and shakers of the Automotive Aftermarket Industry”.

“CAWA is one of the most effective regional organizations that serve the aftermarket. Its services are vital to all sectors of the industry and the networking opportunities are invaluable, whether you are a distributor, supplier, shop or service provider. The Board and committees are extremely proactive and deliver important knowledge and experience. Especially valuable are the three major annual events: Winter and summer conferences and the annual dinner event in Las Vegas at the start of Industry Week. When you consider savings for programs such as insurance, membership fees are an excellent investment.”

“Participation in CAWA has become an essential part of my annual business planning, at The Automotive Parts Services Group, LLC. After having been involved with Rodney and the CAWA organization for several years, I am persuaded that the abundant services CAWA provides to the industry and to each individual member are profound.

Consider some areas that keep you up at night. What are you doing about them? Cultivating young talent into our industry? CAWA has an answer with scholarships, apprenticeships, and high school automotive shop teacher support. What about the advent of e-commerce as a legitimate game changer for all? CAWA has an answer with the newly established e-commerce task force. Healthcare? CAWA offers groundbreaking programs in Nevada and Arizona with Healthcare Trusts and Association Healthcare plans. Supply Chain worries consuming too much of your mindshare? CAWA with professional input from Steve Hughes and those like him, offers timely, sage advice and actionable intel as we navigate these unknown areas.

Finally, and perhaps the biggest value to me personally, is the tour de force regarding legislative advocacy, insight, and preparation. Rodney, along with Gary Conover, Jennifer Zins, and even Mr. Aaron Lowe, work diligently to give us all a fighting chance in the legislative process.

I will be a part of CAWA’s efforts for as long as they will have me and you should be as well. Come to our next meeting, in the summer, and see for yourself why I and my colleagues are convinced that CAWA is a necessity and an industry treasure. Leaders take action. The question is not -- "Why join CAWA?" No, the question is "Why Not”?"

“CAWA is an organization where its membership can work towards industry matters while also focusing on the people within it. This Association allows suppliers to learn about needs of the membership and ultimately work collectively to achieve them”.

“It is great to be a part of an association where your involvement matters. We all share a common goal of how we can better serve our industry and its partners. It provides a platform to get engaged locally and have an impactful purpose. CAWA gives us a voice!”

“As a former Chair of the Board for CAWA, I know that my opinions on the value of this organization are very skewed. My involvement in CAWA has for all practical purposes, changed the course of my career path, and I will be forever grateful for that. Not only does CAWA advocate for our industry, but it also does so much more. The gathering and sharing of common goals/best practices, with other leaders in this great industry is invaluable. I am not only proud of the intrinsic value of CAWA, but I am also more proud of the community it creates. Through CAWA not only have I grown professionally… but I can also say that I have met and can call “family”… to so many industry peers. No matter your role, involvement, or executive level in our great industry… CAWA has a spot for you. My suggestion to anyone reading this… get involved. You won’t regret it! There’s never been a more exciting time to be involved in CAWA”!

“Being a part of CAWA has been very important to me personally. This industry has been very good to my family and I and my involvement provides an opportunity to give back. It’s such a pleasure having so many friendships within the CAWA organization who share the same passion for the aftermarket.”

“With recent events, current environment, known and unknown future challenges to the Automotive Parts Industry, business is not getting easier. To successfully navigate today’s terrain, we need assistance and information, which are two words that define CAWA. Whether it’s acting in our industries behalf to stop harmful governmental regulations or advocating beneficial ones, funding industry scholarships for the next Automotive Parts generation, offering insight into supply chain and global conditions, guidance with legal issues, or educational assistance, CAWA covers it and more. Do yourself and your company a favor, spend 10 minutes reviewing www.cawa.org to see how a CAWA membership can help you”.

"One might ask “why would a small company in the Northeast be an active member of CAWA?” Fair question. The short answer is in the tag line “CAWA, Representing the Automotive Parts Industry”. It TRULY is what they do. Now for the longer answer. It is widely known that fashion trends start on the west coast and then make their way eastward. Unfortunately, it is often missed that legislative trends, both good and bad start in the west and can gravitate eastward, and make it up to the Federal level. CAWA is the industry’s first line of defense when it comes to legislation coming out of the west coast. They have a very active legislative team that monitors all action in the legislature of the western states and works to promote the good and mitigate or derail those that can have negative impact for our industry. That in itself is a very compelling reason to join and be active in CAWA, but there is more. CAWA members encompass all levels of the automotive aftermarket; WD’s, Retailers, Program Distribution Groups, Importer Distributors, Rep Agencies, Manufacturers, Automotive Educators, E-tailers… This is NOT a stagnant organization. As the dynamics of our industry evolve, so does CAWA. The commonality is that we earn our living in the Automotive Parts Industry, and we want to continue to survive and thrive into the future. And theme of survive and thrive, CAWA works to support and bring young talent into our industry, providing annual scholarships to those pursuing education in our industry as well as educators in the field. Recognizing the importance of youth in our industry, CAWA events are always open and actively attended by members YANG, (Young Auto Care Network Group). Sorry… not done yet. Education… bi-annual education forums with presentations from experts in various facets of the industry to share trends, and help navigate the headwinds we often face. The MAC, (Manufactures Advisory Council). It doesn’t matter if you are a small company or part of a billion-dollar entity, some aspect of the challenges we face are the same. When the MAC gets together it is an open sharing forum. We are in this together. There are always great takeaways. Yes, there’s more, but now it’s up to you. Take a few minutes to navigate www.cawa.org to dive deeper into how a CAWA membership can help you and your company."

“CAWA is on the frontline of everything that happens in auto care. When you realize how proactively CAWA supports and fights for all segments of our industry, it is hard not to participate.”

“CAWA offers a voice across the automotive channels; whether you’re a WD distributor, Retailer, E-Commerce, or Program Group, CAWA provides the training and information we need in this industry, including Legislative and Regulatory Advocacy; the organization offers many benefits and information that affect the entire industry across North America, I’m ecstatic to be a part of this excellent Organization for today, tomorrow and into the future.”

“To borrow an old tagline, ‘Membership Has Its Privileges’ - and that is definitely the case with CAWA. From holding two educational forums a year that include presentations on the most challenging issues facing our industry to being on the forefront of legislation that is being considered at both the State (it all starts out West) and Federal levels, CAWA is the place to be. Having evolved from an association comprised of California wholesalers to now including Arizona & Nevada as well as members from all facets of the industry (Manufacturers, Retailers, Program Groups, E-tailers, Rep Agencies, and even Educators), CAWA gives you the opportunity to interact with leaders from every segment of the Aftermarket. My personal favorite ‘Privilege” is being a member of the MAC’s (Manufacturers’ Advisory Council) Automotive Scholarship Review Committee. It is very rewarding being able to help individuals with a desire to join our industry pursue their dream as well as assist educators in need of resources. If not a member, attending one of CAWA’s previously mentioned educational forums is highly recommended. Try it – I think you’ll like it!”

“In California, Arizona, and Nevada, LKQ operates 76 facilities and employs over 2,000 people. We are proud to be represented by CAWA, particularly with complex and evolving state legislative and regulatory topics. CAWA provides the local expertise to effectively represent the aftermarket to policy makers while being highly responsive to its members. We encourage all aftermarket companies to join us at CAWA”.

“The automotive aftermarket is facing amplified threats on many fronts from vehicle technology, access to data, to supply chain issues and the need for a common voice to represent our $400B+ industry has never been more apparent. CAWA and the Auto Care Association have always had a collaborative relationship to address those issues and we view our partnership as essential for the success of the industry. CAWA provides a critical voice to its members at the state level where many of our national initiatives originate and it is a pleasure to work with Rodney and his team to ensure the success of our respective members”.