Join Your Colleagues in Las Vegas - Register for CAWA’s Annual Dinner Gala | |
Motorcar Parts of America, Inc. will be the exclusive sponsor of its 2026 annual dinner gala in conjunction with the AAPEX and SEMA trade shows being held in Las Vegas, Nevada. The annual event is the highlight of the year for the Association and is dedicated to recognizing CAWA’s leadership and raising funds for the Association’s scholarship programs. The gala will be held at the Venetian Resort on Sunday evening November 1, 2026. To register for the event, click here.
Come and visit with friends and colleagues at the event to kick-off Industry Week for yet another year. CAWA will look forward to seeing you there.
“I am excited to once again have MPA sponsor the CAWA scholarship dinner. It is a privilege and a necessity to bring talented professionals to our industry. Funds raised for scholarships is our commitment to the industry and signifies the DNA of MPA. Quality Built to Last,” said Selwyn Joffe, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Motorcar Parts of America.
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If You Read the Next Article You Need to Contact CAWA’s Insurance Partners - Another Member Benefit!
California and Nevada
Employee Benefits: Mat Nabity, CoreMark Insurance, phone (916) 835-1676 or mnabity@coremarkins.com
Commercial Insurance (workers comp, liability, auto, property): Glen Dailey, InterWest Insurance, phone (916) 690-6425 or glen.dailey@iwins.com
Arizona
CAWA Arizona Health Trust - DiMartino Associates: Jonathan Gatherers, 206-291-4969
CAWA Quotes: cawaquotes@dimarinc.com
You can also contact your health insurance broker.
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A Rising Cost for Employers is Expected to Grow Even More Next Year
That's the latest projection from global professional services firm Aon, which is forecasting that U.S. employer healthcare costs will rise 9.5% in 2027. That will make the average healthcare cost more than $19,000 per employee when the employer's share and employee's share of costs are combined. An additional point of concern for employers is that not only is the cost itself increasing, but the rate of increase also is rising. Between 2021 and 2022, employer costs grew 3.7%. Since then, the annual increase has become 4.5% in 2023, 6.4% in 2024, 7.2% in 2025 and 8.8% this year, according to Aon. Similarly, the employee's share has gone from a 2.9% increase between 2023 and 2024 to a 5.5% increase in 2025 and 7.9% this year. "Employers have now experienced several consecutive years of healthcare cost increases that are approaching double digits," said Mike Pasterick, North America health solutions leader for Aon. "At this level, rising healthcare costs become much more than a budgeting challenge and influence organizational decisions from benefits strategy and employee affordability to broader workforce and financial planning priorities.” See more discussion here. Source: Sacramento Business Journal
| | | AI Deemed Most Disruptive Technology in Supply Chain | Robotics and automation follow as the second most disruptive technology. Artificial intelligence is viewed as the most disruptive technology for supply chains over the next decade, with 56% of supply chain leaders increasing technology investments and 52% planning to spend over $1 million, according to the 2026 MHI Annual Industry Report. Nearly three-quarters of respondents rate AI's impact as significant or transformational, while workforce talent shortages and cybersecurity risks remain critical challenges affecting 90% and 88% of organizations respectively. See full discussion here. Source: Supply & Demand Executive | | | |
Need Office Products? Another member benefit
Quill will bring members exclusive savings and convenient purchasing solutions for everyday business needs and workplace supplies including office, janitorial, breakroom, furniture and technology products.
A few advantages you get with Quill:
Customized Pricing
They create a pricing program based on your actual purchasing habits. For the items you order most frequently, we can secure discounted, highly competitive pricing tailored specifically to your company.
Purchasing Manager Program (Free, Web-Based Tool)
The built-in approval system within the Quill website helps streamline ordering across your organization. You can set purchasing rules, approval workflows, and spending limits for your team, giving you control while making ordering simple and efficient. See more here.
| | | Why is Generative AI Fast Becoming Foundational for Vehicle Cockpits? | Generative AI (GenAI) is quickly becoming the foundation of the modern vehicle. Its influence now spans the entire vehicle value chain, from engineering and software development to vehicle design, manufacturing, in-car experiences, sales, and aftersales services. More importantly, AI is no longer viewed as a standalone feature embedded within specific functions; it is increasingly becoming a foundational capability that underpins products, processes, and customer interactions across the automotive system. Earlier automotive AI applications relied on computer vision, machine learning and rule-based algorithms. Generative AI in the in automotive industry adds the ability to understand natural language, generate responses and content, reason across large volumes of information, interact across multiple modalities and increasingly take actions on behalf of users. This shift is enabling more intelligent, adaptive, and context-aware systems across both vehicle and enterprise environments. Continue reading. Source: Mobility Global | | | Understanding the Technology Behind ADAS | Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) aren’t new to this industry. To some degree, the technology has been around for decades. Yet I feel like it’s promoted everywhere now more than ever. If you scroll through social media, listen to podcasts, or follow industry publications, you’ll see that ADAS is one of the hottest topics being discussed right now. Equipment manufacturers are talking about calibration systems and special tools. Techs are discussing resets and calibration procedures. Shop owners are weighing the investment. What makes me curious is that there are still a large number of independent repair shops that have not yet invested in ADAS equipment. Others have mixed opinions about utilizing the technology or have anxiety about whether they can achieve a reasonable ROI. So, why the hesitation? See complete article here. Source: RW Insider | | | AZ Minimum Wage to Increase to $15.65 in Jan. 2027 | Workers at the bottom of the pay scale in Arizona are going to get a bump in pay in January. New figures Friday from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that consumer prices rose 0.4% in August. That puts the annual change at 3.4%. What makes that significant is that a 2006 voter-approved law requires the state minimum wage to increase each year based on those August-over-August figures. That translates out to 51.5 cents on the current $15.15 minimum. But the law also spells out that the figure is rounded to the nearest nickel. And that will put the new minimum beginning in January at $15.65. It will be even higher than that for workers in two Arizona cities. See more discussion here. Source: KAWC NPR/BBC News | | | Service Bay Population Declines as Car and Light Truck Numbers Increase | A growing number of foreign nameplates and ICE vehicles per service bay is shaping the aftermarket in several significant ways. READ MORE. Source: aftermarket MATTERS | | | Hybrid Vehicles Gain Ground as EV Financing Share Declines | In 2026, hybrids have gained market share, reaching 16.8% of new financing, while EV financing declined slightly. READ FULL STORY. Source: EC&M | | | You Work Hard, So Should Your Digital Marketing Provider. Another Member benefit | |
Net Driven helps you drive more sales with custom, responsive websites along with digital marketing solutions designed specifically for the automotive industry. As a CAWA member you can get started with Net Driven and save up to $500 off the setup fee.
Founded by a third-generation, independent tire dealer, it has always been Net Driven’s mission to help independent businesses thrive. Their three step digital marketing solutions are focused on one thing: Driving Results.
To learn how your website can improve your overall profitability, contact Net Driven for a FREE demo:
Toll free: (877) 860-2005
Email: info@netdriven.com
Learn More about Net Driven®
| | | Looking for a Ship Captain or a House Painter or an Automotive Professional? | |
Tell your company’s HR Department (or the person in charge of hiring your associates) that CAWA has an industry specific job board. We created the job board and participate in conjunction with the Auto Care Association, MEMA, SEMA and ASA to name a few national associations. So, your job opening would be viewed by a great number of candidates given the exposure, through not only CAWA distribution, but the other industry association’s communications vehicles, as well.
See https://www.cawa.org/Jobs for details.
| | | Brush up on Facts and Stats for the 2026 Automotive Aftermarket | Get the latest industry numbers on aftermarket size, vehicle miles traveled, average age of VIO, contribution to employment, repair capacity and M&A activity. READ MORE. Source: aftermarket MATTERS | | | Copyright 2026 All Rights Reserved | | | | |
