Car Care Council expands to Canada, Mexico

Canadian and Mexican aftermarket groups have both signed up with the Car Care Council to bring the “Be Car Care Aware” message to consumers across North America. 

The council signed an agreement with the Automotive Industries Association of Canada and the Asociación Nacional de Representantes, Importadores y Distribuidores de Refacciones y Accesorios para Automóviles, A.C. (ARIDRA) in Mexico to create Car Care Council North America . 

In an announcement about the agreement, the new council outlines its key goals, including: 

• Substantially increasing the number of consumers reached with information about proper vehicle care and maintenance on behalf of the three associations’ respective members and industries as a whole. 
• Structuring CCCNA to ensure a level of autonomy to accommodate country-specific cultural, language and other unique needs for each of the U.S., Canada and Mexico organizations, while centralizing the organization under the umbrella of the current U.S. Car Care Council to leverage economies of scale. 
• Creating an advisory group with representatives from each association to help guide CCCNA to ensure that the needs of their respective members, motoring public and industries are being met. 
• Launching a central easy-to-navigate web portal where consumers, industry professionals and the media can locate and download car care content in English, Spanish and French from each of the U.S., Canada and Mexico websites. 
• Increasing the number of service and repair businesses throughout North America participating in the “Be Car Care Aware” consumer education campaign by providing them access to communications materials, marketing tools and other helpful resources. 

With 20 years of being a credible source for vehicle care, maintenance and repair, the council’s executive director Rich White sees the group being able to build the positive image and reputation it has built over that time. 

From left, Bill Hanvey, president and CEO of the Auto Care Association, and J.F. Champagne, AIA president, seen here at the 2018 Women’s Leadership Conference.

With the aftermarket being so connected these days, such a partnership between the three countries makes sense, said AIA president Jean-François Champagne 

“Establishing the CCCNA as an organization that reaches across borders to provide extensive consumer education on vehicle care and maintenance in all three countries together is a clear reflection of that interconnectivity,” he said. “AIA Canada is proud to be a part of this initiative.” 

“As everyone working in the global auto care industry knows, proper vehicle maintenance is a universal issue and a challenge that has no borders. Expanding the Car Care Council initiatives in Canada and Mexico is a logical next step in educating consumers about the benefits of regular vehicle upkeep,” said Bill Hanvey, president and CEO of the U.S.-based Auto Care Association. “We are thrilled to reinforce our association’s ongoing partnerships with AIA Canada and ARIDRA.” 

For Mexico, it hopes such awareness of vehicle maintenance will help keep passengers safe in their cars and reduce collisions.  

“The creation of the expanded council seeks the unification of services in the United States, Canada and Mexico, to ensure that vehicles have preventive and not corrective maintenance. We intend to create consumer awareness to keep the vehicles in optimal condition,” said Alejandro Calderón, president of the 151-member ARIDRA, which includes manufacturers, representatives, importers and distributors of automobile parts and accessories.