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LOCAL NEWS
Member Recruiter of the Year Award
The Alliance is pleased to announce the 2020 Member Recruiter of the Year contest ended in a tie. The award honors members who recruit or provide leads for prospective members to the Alliance. Mike Cox (Ed’s Collision Center, Maple Grove) and Carl Thomas (Lancer Service, St. Paul) will both be recognized as 2020’s Member Recruiter of the Year for their efforts. Each recruited a new Associate member and year-long sponsor.
“Current members know the value of membership firsthand, and their personal endorsement is by far the most effective recruiting tool that we have,” said Judell Anderson, AASP-MN Executive Director.
The Member Recruiter of the Year award is based on a point system: five points are earned for new member recruits and two points are earned for referrals. The member who accumulates the most points throughout the year receives the award.
Thank you to the following members who earned points in the 2020 Member Recruiter of the Year contest:
• Tom Archambault (BLVD Auto Works, St. Anthony) • Bob Auman (Finishmaster,Fridley) • Randy Miller (Collision Specialists, Austin) • Dan Sjolseth (Superior Service Centers, Eagan & Apple Valley)
To learn more about the Member Recruiter of the Year program, contact the AASP-MN office at (612) 623-1110 or (800) 852-9071.
AASP-MN’s Automotive Scholarships Up for Grabs
The Alliance will be awarding scholarships to select students enrolled in post-secondary automotive (auto service or collision repair) programs. Scholarship awards will be $1,000 per student and can be applied towards tuition or tool purchases.
Applicants must be enrolled in a Minnesota-based ASE-accredited automotive program in the fall of 2021. Applications will be reviewed by a committee of industry representatives, with consideration given to scholastic achievement, education and career goals, financial need and written recommendations. Applications must be submitted electronically or postmarked no later than March 31, 2021.
Applications can be downloaded from the Alliance’s website, aaspmn.org/scholarships or submitted online at automotivescholarships.com/scholarships/alliance. Online submissions give students the opportunity to compete for several different awards, including those offered by the University of the Aftermarket Foundation Scholarship Committee and over 40 other automotive aftermarket organizations and companies. Specific requirements for each organization’s awards can be found at automotivescholarships.com.
The Automotive Education Fund was established in 2002 to provide financial resources to support automotive students, enhance automotive programs and raise awareness of career opportunities in the independent automotive service industry. Since that time, nearly $270,000 has been invested in student scholarships, SkillsUSA and automotive education programs throughout the state. In 2016, AASPMN’s efforts to attract a future workforce expanded significantly with the creation of Minnesota Careers in Automotive Repair and Service (MNCARS), a statewide marketing and outreach initiative to encourage high school students to pursue an education and career in the automotive service and collision repair industry. Visit carcareers.org to learn more.
Sponsorships Available for AASP-MN Annual Meeting & Leadership Conference
Vendor sponsorships are now available for the AASP-MN Annual Meeting & Leadership Conference May 20, 2021 at Nicollet Island Pavilion, Minneapolis. The event will feature management education and social activities that provide opportunities to learn, meet and get to know AASP-MN members and other industry professionals.
Vendor sponsors are rewarded by increased visibility and recognition within the AASP-MN membership and industry at-large. It’s a great way to stand out, expand marketing dollars and connect with the best shops in the industry.
If you are interested in becoming a Vendor sponsor at this year’s event, please contact the AASP-MN office or visit the AASP-MN’s website, aaspmn.org, for more information.
Enrollment for the 2021 Get to Know Your Neighborhood Auto Repair Pro™ campaign is now underway. This year marks a transition to a precision-targeted digital campaign with the ability for participating shops to customize their landing pages, banner ads and geographic area.
Messaging will still center around the benefits of doing business with independently-owned auto repair shops, but the digital format will allow for ads to be delivered only to the right people, in the right place, that can lead to business for the shop. Participating shops will now also have the benefit of knowing exactly how many ads were served and how users engaged with the campaign (click-to-calls, store visits, click for directions, etc.)
If you are interested in learning more about the 2021 Get to Know Your Neighborhood Auto Repair Pro™ campaign, contact the AASP-MN office at (612) 623-1110 or visit the Alliance’s website, aaspmn.org.
MNCARS is a non-profit organization established in 2016 by AASP-MN. Its sole purpose is to promote careers in the automotive industry, recruit young people into the state's college-level automotive service and collision repair programs and, ultimately, into industry workplaces. To further those efforts, MNCARS recently participated in the following events:
•Virginia High School virtual presentation to automotive students. Thanks to Motormouths John Meglen, J.M. Auto Service, Eveleth and Wes Maki, Chestnut Collision & Restoration, Virginia, for participating in this event.
Take advantage of the resources in the MotorMouth toolbox at https://carcareers.org/motor-mouth/. Get out and get active in your local community promoting industry careers!
Display OSHA Forms Feb 1 to April 30
State and Federal OSHA regulations require that employers with 11 or more employees at any time in 2020 must post the OSHA 300A, Annual Summary of Injuries and Illnesses, from February 1, 2021 to April 30, 2021. This form lists summary data for all job-related injuries and illnesses that occurred during calendar year 2020. Businesses with no injuries or illnesses for the year must still post the form.
Businesses subject to these regulations should review their OSHA Form 300 to verify that all recordable injuries and illnesses are listed, that all entries are complete and accurate, and correct any deficiencies. Record workrelated injuries or illnesses that result in death, loss of consciousness, days away from work, restricted work activity or job transfer, or medical treatment beyond first aid. (Other incidents that are significant, as defined by OSHA, must also be recorded.)
Positive COVID-19 cases must be recorded if there is a reasonable belief that the employee contracted it at work. COVID-19 cases are recorded as respiratory illnesses.
Use Form 300A, to report a summary of these injuries and illnesses, have an officer of the company sign the form, and then post it from February 1 to April 30 in a location that employees will see it.
Minnesota companies with 20 or more employees must also submit the data from the OSHA 300A to federal OSHA by March 1.
For more information and copies of the forms, go to osha.gov/recordkeeping.
Minnesota Minimum Wage Changes
The state’s minimum wage rate was adjusted for inflation effective January 1, 2021 to $10.08 for large employers (annual gross revenues of $500,000 or more) and to $8.21 for other state minimum wages (small employers, training rate, youth rate). Information on the state minimum wage can be found here: dli.mn.gov/
business/employment-practices/minimum-wageminnesota.
St. Paul and Minneapolis have higher minimum wage requirements than the state and those higher requirements remain in effect in those cities.
For Minneapolis, the minimum wage changes that went into effect in July of 2020 remain unchanged at $11.75 for employers with less than 100 employees and $13.25 for employers with more than 100 employees.
St. Paul’s minimum wage for macro businesses (10,001+ employees) goes into effect on January 1, but new minimum wage requirements on other businesses do not go into effect until July 1, 2021. The current minimum wage requirements for St. Paul are $11.50 for large businesses (101-10,000 employees), $10 for small businesses (six to 100 employees) and $9.25 for micro businesses (five or less employees).
Are You in Compliance?
Since February 3, 2020 all automotive repair facilities in Minnesota have been required to have A Workplace Accident and Injury Reduction (AWAIR) program. Minnesota OSHA has been out since last July enforcing and citing violations of the AWAIR standard.
If you don’t yet have your program in place, AASPMN’s “Creating an AWAIR Program for Your Shop” webinar is now available on-demand. Presented by Carol & Janet Keyes, Complete Health, Environmental & Safety Services (CHESS), the webinar covers the purpose and requirements of the AWAIR standard and walks you through the process to begin developing a customized program for your shop. Registration includes a 20-minute phone consultation with CHESS to review your draft program.
Cost for this webinar is $100 per member/$150 nonmember shop.
To view the webinar, click “On Demand” at elearning. autoserviceproviders.com.
2021 Membership Dues Are Due!
If you have not paid your 2021 membership dues, PLEASE do so today. Your timely payment will save AASPMN the additional cost and time incurred with re-billing and other collection efforts. We’d much rather be working on programs and initiatives to improve the automotive service industry – and your business. Thank you!
Year-Long Sponsorships Support AASP-MN’s Educational Programs & Other Activities in 2021
Recently, AASP-MN asked for year-long program sponsorships from its Associate members and other industry vendors to help support educational programs and other activities in 2021. Sponsorships help AASP-MN deliver the quality programs members expect and keep registration fees affordable
To date, the following companies have made sponsorship commitments:
Platinum Sponsors Fix Auto LKQ Minnesota Lube Tech & Partners
Gold Sponsors AASP National Auto Value Parts Stores/APH Axalta Coating Systems CBIZ FinishMaster Podium PPG Automotive Finishes United Fire Group
Silver Sponsors aaa Auto Parts AmeriPride Services Colonial Life Enterprise Rent-a-Car O’Reilly Auto Parts Single Source Sherwin Williams Suburban Chevrolet
Bronze Sponsors C.H.E.S.S. Twin Cities Auto Glass
Leadership Conference Vendor Sponsors 1 Collision Network 3M Automotive Trades Division Dentsmart PDR
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