Volume 105, No. 10 June 2, 2008

Votes due June 5 Nominations for 7 candidates on ballot for 6 CATA board seats Time magazine Seven candidates, includ- will tally the submissions. Re- Tom Gollinger (Woodfield award due July 7 ing one incumbent, have sults will be announced at the Chevrolet-Hummer), Dan Nominations for the an- been nominated to fill six CATA’s June 9 golf outing at Marks (Libertyville Lincoln- nual Time Magazine Quality openings on the board of Cog Hill Golf & Country Mercury), Mike McGrath Dealer Award, which honors directors of the Chicago Au- Club in Lemont. Jr. (McGrath Acura, Hon- new-car dealers for their busi- tomobile Trade Association. One incumbent is seeking da, Hyundai, Lexus), Fred ness acumen and community Each term lasts three years re-election, this to his final Vargason (Nissan of St. service, must be received by beginning this month. three-year term. Steve Fol- Charles), and Colin Wick- the CATA by July 7. Election ballots were sent ey Jr., (Steve Foley Cadillac strom (Wickstrom Ford- All nominations should May 22 to all CATA dealer and Rolls-Royce, and Bent- Lincoln-Mercury). be submitted using the nom- members whose association ley Northbrook) currently is A director can serve a inating ballot included with dues are up-to-date. Com- CATA secretary, one of the maximum of three terms. A this newsletter. Criteria for pleted ballots must be re- four board officers. committee comprised of for- eligible nominees appear on ceived by 12 p.m. June 5 by Newcomers on the ballot mer CATA board chairmen the ballot. the CATA’s auditing firm, include Ed Burke (Naper- met last month to identify The Civic and Dealer Re- Crowe Chizek & Co., which ville Jeep-Dodge-Hummer), candidates for nomination. lations Committee of the CATA board of directors DriveChicago ‘best practices’ seminar will review all nominations, and the full board will sub- Brightest futures await dealers with best Internet sites mit the name of one CATA Traditional showroom traffic at dealer- afterthoughts, and sometimes earn their po- candidate for consideration ships continues to decline. But traffic via tele- sition simply because they helped the dealer for the national award. phones and the Internet continues to grow. access his e-mail remotely. Winners will be named “How well are we addressing this except to Eddy said: “The general sales manager next January at the NADA complain that showroom traffic is down?” should say ‘I am the Internet manager, not convention in New Orleans. asked Lee Eddy. that guy tucked in the corner with a 386 The national winner are se- Eddy, who directs CATA Learning Univer- processor.’ The showroom now oversees lected by a panel of faculty sity, was one of eight speakers at an Internet 12 percent of our customer traffic; the Web members from the Univer- “best practices” seminar hosted by DriveChi- oversees 88 percent of the traffic. If I am sity of Michigan Graduate cago.com, May 28 at the CATA office. The the GSM, then I must oversee the whole pro- School of Business Admin- CATA owns and operates the DriveChicago cess.” istration. Web portal. “And if you don’t have your game cov- The CATA’s last nominee Eddy noted that dealership Internet man- ered,” said Mark Bilek, the CATA’s Internet for the award, in 2007, was agers often have shoddy cubicles erected as See DriveChicago, Page 4 Tom Shirey. 2 CATA Bulletin June 2, 2008

Star Nissan owner gives SUV, offers job to amputee car-theft victim Six months ago, Wensdae Williams lost her right leg below Chicago. the knee, when it was amputated after years of painful sur- “I can go back to living my everyday lifestyle like I did be- geries related to a freak accident. On May 9, Williams lost her fore,” said Williams. “Going to the doctors, therapy, the gro- 1995 van, when it was stolen from the handicapped parking cery store, just doing simple things. Getting back out there space in front of her Chicago residence. with my dogs.” The former steelworker had moved to the city’s Lakev- Berman said: “When I called Wendy and told her I was iew neighborhood to be closer to her doctors, but the theft going to [give her the SUV], she said ‘God is going to bless stripped Williams of mobility. Cue Michael Berman, owner you.’ And I said, ‘He already has.’ ” of The Berman Auto Group, which includes Mid-City Nis- Berman’s employees collected $1,000 to buy a gas gift card san and Mid-City Subaru-Lincoln-Mercury in Chicago; and for her. An insurance agent friend is working on providing Star Nissan in Niles. her coverage. Berman talked to Williams about hiring her af- Berman on May 21 gave Williams a 2002 Jeep Grand ter she recovers. Cherokee and a job offer to work on his dealerships’ Internet Chicago police said May 21 they had no leads on the stolen activities, according to a report televised that day by ABC 7 van. Free gun promotion fires up sales More on sales tax status of A Missouri dealer offered have guns. Guns or gas or a free handgun with every fuel, I’ll take the gun any- vehicles destined for Canada vehicle sold through May 31 time.” An article in the May 19 edition of this newsletter gener- and said sales quadrupled Moore said most of his ated several calls from dealers who questioned the allowance during the offer. customers already own guns. for Illinois dealers to issue drive-away permits for vehicles Customers of Max Mo- He said: “I get in a vehicle destined for Canada. The Illinois Revenue Department’s tors in Butler, Mo., could to bid a trade, there are guns Form ST-556, at a quick glance, does not appear to permit choose $250 in gas or a free on the seats, guns in the back that. semi-automatic handgun. windows. Everybody has a The instructions for completing the form’s Section 5, Box Employee Walter Moore, gun. There’s no backlash. A state that “If you issued a drive-away permit, write the who devised the promotion, “I don’t understand what’s drive-away permit number and the two-letter state abbrevia- said the handgun is the more the bad idea. Telling people tion of the buyer’s state of residence in the space provided. popular choice. they have the right to protect But drive-aways also can be issued for vehicles destined “Right now,” Moore said themselves.” for Canada because the Illinois Revenue Department expands in late May, “we’re running Vehicle buyers were re- the definition of a “state” to include Canada and Puerto Rico. 80 percent toward the gun. quired to pass a background See Section 1-195 of the Illinois Vehicle Code. Owner Mark Muller said ev- check before obtaining a gun. Adds the department’s Susie Lonzerotti: “We (also) have ery buyer “except one guy The local police chief said been allowing drive-away permits to Mexico on advice of our from Canada and one old he was fine with the promo- legal staff. I am trying to get that issue resolved so we can guy” chose the gun. tion as long as the weapons have that in writing.” “We’re just damn glad to weren’t handed out at the live in a free country where dealership. you can have a gun if you Illinois’s motor vehicle ad- The CATA Bulletin is published by the want to,” said Muller. vertising regulations prohibit Chicago Automobile Trade Association The logo of the GM dealers from offering free 18W200 Butterfield Rd. Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181-4810 dealership, located about 65 gifts in connection with the The CATA Bulletin is published and mailed every other Friday except miles southeast of Kansas purchase of a vehicle whose during the Chicago Auto Show, when it is not published. Listings of items for sale are subject to the approval of the CATA. City, features a cowboy hold- selling price is negotiated, Candidates for employment must submit a full resume to the Editor. ing a pistol. except if the gift is offered Review past editions dating to 1998 or search by subject at Jerry Hertzog, who was through a manufacturer’s http://cata.drivechicago.com. buying a new truck, said: program or a dealer advertis- Jerry H. Cizek III President, Publisher “Love guns, we all need to ing association. Erik K. Higgins Editor, Director of Dealer Affairs June 2, 2008 CATA Bulletin 3

More dealerships ‘going green’ McLean, Va. (May 14, 2008) -- Dealers across the “Doing something as simple as changing the country are saving money with a renewed focus on energy lighting in your showroom can have a real impact .” conservation. More than 500 dealers, for example, are Annette Sykora, NADA chairman. participating in the ENERGY STAR program. ENERGY STAR, a joint program of the U.S. Environ- mental Protection Agency and the U.S. Energy Depart- USA Today and the NADA recently celebrated the suc- ment, helps consumers save money and protect the envi- cess of one “green” dealer by awarding him with the 2007 ronment through energy efficient products and practices. Dealer Innovation Award. Jim Hand, president of Hand And program results are adding up. With the help of Motors in Manchester Center, Vt., was selected from four ENERGY STAR, Americans saved enough energy in finalists as the national winner of the annual award. 2007 to avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to Hand Motors expects to save about $30,000 a year in those from 27 million cars—all while saving $16 billion on energy costs through its “reduce, recycle and carbon-off- their utility bills. set” program. The dealership heats its new, 11,200 sq. ft. The National Automobile Dealers Association is the service shop with 100 percent waste motor and vegetable first association representing a national retail network to oil, at no cost to the dealership. In fact, the dealership partner with the ENERGY STAR program. EPA Admin- saves more than $15,000 per year by not having to buy istrator Stephen Johnson praised the NADA for its efforts standard heating oil. at the association’s annual Washington Conference. The award’s three other finalists were Jack Quirk Jr., “The NADA’s commitment to energy efficiency educa- Quirk Auto Park, Bangor, Maine, who installed a natu- tion is unprecedented in our program and serves as a ral-gas turbine generator to provide a constant supply of model for others,” Johnson said. electricity; Steve Jackson, Toyota of Rockwall, Texas, who The NADA’s Energy Stewardship Initiative challenges snagged a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environ- dealers to reduce their energy use by at least 10 percent. mental Design™) Gold certification; and Jack Fitzgerald, According to the EPA, if all dealerships reduced their Fitzgerald Auto Mall, Bethesda, Md., whose 12 stores energy consumption by just 10 percent, they would save recycled more than 4 million pounds of material last year. about $193 million in energy costs and eliminate more In May 2007, Fitzgerald Auto Malls began using 100 than one million tons of greenhouse gases each year. percent wind power at all of its Maryland dealerships, and Hundreds of dealers are meeting–and exceeding–the as a result has been named an EPA Green Power Part- association’s challenge in a variety of ways. (Dealers who ner. Fitzgerald says he’s committed to using 100 percent are interested in participating in the program can find “green” power for all of his dealerships in Maryland, out how by consulting “A Dealer Guide to Energy Star: Pennsylvania and Florida. Putting Energy into Profits.” The publication is available Several other dealerships are achieving energy savings from the NADA’s Management Education catalog, at through the use of solar power. Mercedes-Benz of Arrow- www.nada.org/mecatalog. head in Peoria, Ariz., became a LEED Silver certified deal- “Doing something as simple as changing the lighting in ership after installing solar panels on the roof to generate your showroom can have a real impact on a dealership’s power and reflect heat off the building. The dealership energy use and your bottom line,” says NADA Chairman is earning credits for power it is generating and pumping Annette Sykora. back into the electricity grid.

New guidelines available to help dealers protect customer information The Standards for Technology in Automotive Retail of dealers and manufacturers and reduce the time and effort (STAR) organization has developed new guidelines to help previously necessary to support this activity. dealers with safeguarding customer information. Collectively, STAR develops voluntary industry standards STAR is a nonprofit, dues-paying organization whose and researches emerging technologies for the benefit of deal- members include dealers, manufactures, retail system provid- ers. STAR is considered the IT standards organization for the ers, and automotive-related industry organizations. retail automotive industry. The goal of STAR is to use voluntary information tech- For more information, visit STAR’s Dealer Infrastructure nology standards to fulfill the business information needs Guidelines publication at www.starstandard.org. 4 CATA Bulletin June 2, 2008

16% of drivers unfit for roads; and-white? I don’t think so,” DriveChicago Miller said. Indiana 11th best, Illinois below par Continued from Page 1 He said “hot buttons”— Illinois drivers trail those cal regions ranked similarly to access telephone num- in 31 other states, on average, to previous years, with the director, “you don’t get 88 bers, new- and used-vehicle in their knowledge of the lowest average test scores in percent; you get 10 percent.” inventories, and financing rules of the road, according the Northeast. Bilek noted that DriveChi- information, among other to a study by a vehicle insur- Across the board, respon- cago.com traffic is up 40 things—should appear on er released May 22. Indiana dents continued to have diffi- percent since the portal’s every page of a Web site, so drivers ranked 11th best in culty on questions about yel- redesign six months ago. All the viewer is never more than the study. low lights and safe following CATA dealer members— one click away from reaching In all, the 2008 GMAC distances. Eighty-four per- and only CATA dealer mem- the information. Insurance National Drivers cent could not identify the bers—are represented on the “You should never have Test found that 16.4 per- correct action to take when portal free, as a member ben- to back-arrow to find what cent of all drivers on the approaching a steady yellow efit. you’re looking for,” Miller road—about 33 licensed traffic light, and 73 percent Bilek said when he joined said. Americans—would not pass could not properly identify the CATA in 2006, only The group debated listing a written drivers test if taken a typical safe following dis- about 10 percent of portal used-vehicle prices online. today. tance from the car in front visitors were converted to Bilek said the top complaint The fourth annual survey, of them. dealer leads. That figure now he hears about DriveChicago which polled 5,524 licensed Additional key findings is approaching 45 percent, is dealers who instead in- Americans from all 50 states from the 2008 GMAC Insur- and Bilek said his goal is a struct the consumer to “call and the District of Columbia, ance National Drivers Test conversion rate of at least 75 for price.” is designed to gauge driver include: percent. Representatives of nearly knowledge by administer- • Drivers ages 35 and old- Jim Miller of Dealerskins, 40 dealerships attended the ing 20 actual questions taken er years old were most likely which designs Internet sites, seminar. Other DriveChica- from state Department of to pass. said a dealership’s Web site go technology partners who Motor Vehicles (DMV) ex- • Women (20 percent) must be “visually captivat- spoke included Experian Au- ams. Kansas drivers ranked were more likely to fail the ing” to hold a consumer’s tomotive, BlackBook Online, first in the nation, with an test than men (13 percent) interest. Dealer Specialties, DataOne average test score of 84.0 • The Northeast had the “Would you watch “Bos- Software, and TimeHigh- percent; New Jersey drivers lowest average test scores (76 ton Legal” if it was black- ways.com. ranked last, with an average percent) and the highest fail- score of 69.9 percent. ure rates (19.8 percent) Congratulations! Indiana drivers scored an • The Midwest had the average 80.6 percent. Illinois highest average test scores Harlan Bettenhausen of Bettenhausen Motor Sales drivers ranked 32nd in the (81 percent) and the lowest in Tinley Park was named Dodge’s 2007 Dealer of the country, with a 77.5 average. failure rates (11 percent) Year in the Midwest region. The award, for acheiving the The ranking for Illinois is • New York, New Jersey, best overall Dealer Scorecard performance, names Dodge, an improvement over 2007, the District of Columbia and Chrysler-Jeep, and Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge franchises in when it was in 45th place. Massachusetts ranked within eight regions each. Overall, findings from the last five places for the the 2008 survey indicate that past three years an alarming number of li- Fortunately, nearly all re- censed Americans continue spondents (98 percent) know Marketplace to lack knowledge of ba- what to do when an emer- Controller/Office Manager 20+ years dealership sic rules of the road. While gency vehicle with flashing experience. Cross training in multi-departments, Microsoft the national average score lights approaches, what to do Word and Excel, ADP. Organized team player, dedicated, improved slightly—to 78.1 when hydroplaning and the professional, self-motivated. Debra Simo, 708-804-6814. percent from 77.1 percent in meaning of a solid yellow Résumé on file at the CATA. 2007—in general, geographi- line.