Pub. 60 2019-2020 Issue 1

Texas Dealer Academy I n the Texas Dealer Academy’s most recent meeting, TDA Trustee Tim Crenwelge took the members straight to the franchised dealers’ bottom line with an in-depth full day analysis of dealership xed operations and how to achieve 100% service absorption. Fixed operations expert Ken Barnes, Director of Sales for DealerPro used each member’s own nancial statement to learn the four essentials to achieving 100% service absorp- tion; the simple changes for a record year in xed ops; how to attract and retain service technicians; and how to develop a recall game plan. e TDA team took copious notes and interacted with Ken Barnes in discussions of the challenges and opportunities for success in parts and service to achieve a more protable bottom line. Donnie Buckalew, TADA’s Chairman of the Board, was a guest of the Academy and was just as engaged in the six-hour session as the Academy members. e second day of the meeting featured TADA Director of Legislative Aairs Kate McGrath who discussed the very successful 2019 session of the Texas Legislature, the dealer’s role in TADA’s success, and the importance of dealers’ year- round engagement in the legislative process and political aairs. Kate was essential to the association’s success in a very critical session, and along with TADA’s CEO for Legislative Aairs Rob Braziel, formed a formidable team to collaborate with TADA Chairman Buckalew and Legislative Committee Chairman Joe Chastang in the most positive and productive TADA session in recent memory. To further emphasize the importance of relationships between TADA members and Texas policymakers, Tim Crenwelge had his friend and two-term State Representa- tive, Andrew Murr, from House District 53 address the Dealer Academy. A bright and dedicated policymaker and a true friend of franchised dealers and small business, RepresentativeMurr discussed the importance of franchised dealers throughout the state…as job creators, as a source of revenue, as community servants, and as providers of safe, essential transportation to Texans. A rancher, businessman and attorney based in Junction, Andrew Murr represents the best in leadership and service in the Texas Legislature. Tim Crenwelge and TDA Chairman of the Board W.B. Cavender presented another outstanding meeting for Texas young dealers and welcomed newmembers Dillon andHay- ley Fairbanks fromChuck Fairbanks Chevrolet in Lancaster, Robert Dunn fromB.J. Ford in Liberty, and Carter Keating from the KeatingAutoGroup throughout Texas.e TADA Texas Dealer Academy continues to grow and prosper as it approaches its ten-year anniversary in 2020. e sky is the limit for this next generation of Texas franchised dealers.  For more information on Texas Dealer Academy, contact Kathy Sims at ksims@tada.org. Gets Down to Business 33 FALL 2019