We talk to Del. Jay Jones, who is seeking election as Virginia Attorney General on the Democratic ticket. Get to know Jay, his leadership style, and where he stands on important dealer and business issues such as the franchise system, right to work, class actions, and more.  Our interview with Republican Candidate Jason Miyares will be released in coming days.

The groundbreaking (but unfunded) EV package. Test drives. Death penalty, marijuana, criminal justice reforms and discussions around wage, right to work, and class action lawsuits. It was a wild year in an entirely virtual General Assembly, and VADA's legislative team — Anne Gambardella and Don Hall — will bring you up to speed on all the latest from the state capitol.

In our latest episode, you'll get to know Aris Woolfolk, VADA's new General Manager, along with the man who happens to be her father: Art Hudgins, longtime owner of Holiday Chevrolet Cadillac in Williamsburg, which was sold in December to Loyalty Automotive. The duo talk about working "in the trenches" of COVID restrictions and the sales/service environment, the future of EV and innovations, and Art's long-held belief that "Service sells cars." 

Hireology's Mike McSherry talks with us about hiring in the era of COVID-19 and the evolution of recruiting the best talent and onboarding (quickly) going forward. Hireology is an endorsed VADA Program Partner and is built for dealerships to attract top applicants, hire the best ones, and onboard them quickly. Learn more: www.hireology.com

Are you leaving money on the table when it comes to reimbursement on warranty parts and labor? A Retail Warranty Reimbursement law was put in place in Virginia in 1998 and entitles dealers to full retail warranty reimbursement from manufacturers on parts and labor. (Before the law, and even today, many dealers only receive the standard 40% markup or MSRP.) Legislation in 46 states (and counting) entitles automotive dealers to be reimbursed by manufacturers for warranty work at retail, which...

Get frontline insights from Maj Saboura, a longtime industry veteran and senior director at Manheim. Majd talks inventory in the used, retail, and wholesale markets and gives listeners and viewers insights on how the company is becoming more "digital first" as the world changes. Majd also offers three best practices in these "roller coaster" times: 1. Balance your Portfolio. Look at your inventory and turn and find out what is getting bites and sales. Get your money back into the market and...

We talk with VADA's legal and legislative affairs team on Virginia's COVID-19 workplace safety requirements, the first such state-level requirements in the nation. They are formally known as the Emergency Temporary Standard, or ETS. Resources:  - VADA's ETS webpage: https://vada.com/ets/ - ETS Checklist for dealers, prepared by VADA: https://vada.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/VADA_ETS-Checklist_August-2020_4a.pdf - FAQs: https://vada.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/7.23.2020.ETS-Rev-7.29.pdf

“Dealers are the epitome of optimism. It’s one of the reasons I live working with them.” So says Buddy Dearman, a VADA friend and managing partner of DHG Dealerships. The Memphis, Tenn. accounting firm has more than 160 professionals overseeing various accounting and financial services for 3,000+ auto dealership rooftops nationwide. In this episode, Buddy gives franchised dealer leaders unique insights on the state of the PPP loan forgiveness process, PPP tax implications, and his thoughts...

Glenn Lundy has had "two seasons" in the automotive retail business, one with a slow-growth dealership that had numerous retention and operational issues, while the second half of his career was spent with a small dealer in a small town of Paris, Ky.. At that store, he helped grow from selling 120 cars a month to ultimately 1,043 cars in 27 business days. The store became the second largest used-car franchise dealership in the nation. A longtime friend of VADA, Glenn Lundy is a "husband to...

Automotive News calls Glenn Mercer “The auto industry expert dealers want to hear from,” and today, Virginia dealers and others can hear directly from the longtime friend of NADA and VADA. Glenn is the author of 2017’s “The Dealership of Tomorrow: 2025,” which provided a comprehensive view of what automotive retailing would look like to franchised dealers, consumers and manufacturers in 2025. Among other things, Mercer was one of the first to predict an "evolution not a revolution" of the...

Cory L. Mosley joins VADA's High Octane to talk culture and equity in the Workplace. Cory is a Certified Speaking Professional and an award-winning consultant to entrepreneurs, small business owners, and major corporations (including a Fortune 10). A retail "car guy" and entrepreneur, Cory is founder and chief strategist of Mosley Automotive LLC, a nationally recognized automotive training and consulting company founded and run by . Regularly referred to nationally as "Mosley Automotive,"...

2020 has been challenging for his company and dealers, says Cox Automotive CEO Sandy Schwartz. But that hasn't stopped the company from pressing forward and evolving. This moment should cause dealers to listen to consumers' expectations for how cars are bought and sold, and continue with these innovations long after the pandemic passes. Despite the challenges they have faced, "we should never take for granted the human spirit of auto dealers," Schwartz says. In addition to outlining his...

Business is back and we're on an upward trajectory. That's the line from Kerri Wise of TrueCar, a digital marketplace for both new and used cars. Listen to Kerri's insights on the market from her perspective, with her pulse on the national marketplace for cars. TrueCar, Inc. (Nasdaq: TRUE) exists to create a world where shopping for a car is uplifting. Our digital automotive marketplace helps car shoppers consider choices from every angle—all with a clear view of what’s a great deal. We show...

Bloomberg senior automotive analyst Kevin Tynan talks economic recovery and the future of the automotive industry with VADA GM Jason Wilson. This is a MUST LISTEN/MUST WATCH episode for every dealer in Virginia. Kevin was set to speak at VADA’s Annual Convention this month, but with the event canceled, we decided to have Kevin and other panelists offer their insights and analysis via our High Octane podcast. Kevin has also committed to our 2021 event at the Omni Homestead in Hot Springs,...

Jones Loflin calls this time a "beautiful opportunity" for all business leaders about how to thrive in a time of uncomfortable uncertainty. This is a must-listen motivational interview for any business leader - not simply an auto dealer - to create a stronger team and organization in a new future. Show notes: - Learn more about Jones: www.jonesloflin.com

VADA GM Jason Wilson talks to MOC Mid-Atlantic President Jeremy Kimsey on how the company, a partner to dealers across the Atlantic seaboard, is adapting to changes in dealerships caused by COVID-19. The Powhatan-based company offers two core and complementary services: on the consulting side, MOC helps uncover opportunities that drive increased sales and revenue. On the operational side, the family owned MOC is a one-stop resource for supplies and materials needed to open and run a...

We talk to Tommy Lukish, VADA's Legislative and Legal Affairs Manager, who brings us the latest on both state and federal guidance for reopening our economy. Tommy also covers new IRS guidance for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, and insights on how VADA has adjusted and continues to press forward with government relations in the Virginia General Assembly when lawmakers meet in socially distant ways. See what Executive Order 61 means for your dealership. For more: VADA's...

In our latest episode of High Octane: - Learn Jake's keys to success in online sales/home delivery - Hear about how he manages the tricky balance of pre-owned inventory management, particularly with a glut of pre-owned cars - Hear Jake explain the one thing you can do to take care of employees Links: The dealership: www.stevennissan.com Contact Jake: [email protected]

Though we're unable to access our VADA HQ podcast recording studio, that doesn't stop us from getting creative and bringing important information to our dealers — this time, through a Zoom video call. VADA General Manager Jason Wilson hops on Zoom to talk with VADA's communications partner Jeff Kelley. Jason offers insights from his numerous discussions with dealers around Virginia in recent weeks. With the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns now in their seventh week, are dealers seeing sales...

We continue our discussion around Crossover in the General Assembly. Don, Anne, and Tommy talk vehicle emission standards, peer-to-peer vehicle sharing, general business legislation — and HB 595, a fun bill sponsored by Del. Jeff Bourne that authorizes DMV to issue speciality plates as dealer tags to Virginia's licensed dealers. Listen to Part 1 Get the latest Capitol Briefs, looking at all VADA-tracked legislation in the 2020 session

Midway through the General Assembly, legislators swap House bills to the Senate and vice versa. Tommy talks to Don and Anne on how session has gone thus far, with 1,664 pieces of legislation (out of more than 3,200) still pending. Of those bills, a handful are related to auto dealers...and many more related to general industry. Get the inside scoop from your VADA lobbyists on the wheelings and dealings around the Virginia statehouse.

Today we talk to Michael Allen, VADA's Chief Information officer and General Manager of VADA Group Self-Insurance. Many businesses don't consider cybersecurity a problem...until it becomes a huge problem — and potentially one that can cost a dealership hundreds of thousands of dollars to fix and a major disruption to operations. Michael is our in-house cybersecurity specialist and talks to Tommy about cyber cases dealers have seen around the U.S. — and the steps you can take to guard against...

In our latest episode, we were honored to have as a guest the Virginia State Police's Special Agent Peter Lazear to discuss the VSP's HEAT (Help Eliminate Auto Theft) program and how it is helping combat auto theft across the Commonwealth.

We talk to Rick Gallaer, our longtime legislative chairman, on the importance of getting involved in the Virginia General Assembly, which kicks off on Jan. 8 and runs for 60 days in Richmond. You'll learn about the issues car dealers face in this year's session, and pick up a few lessons from Rick. Rick is a longtime dealer in Virginia, and president of Pomoco Chrysler Jeep Dodge of Newport News.

Welcome to the inaugural HIGH OCTANE podcast from the Virginia Automobile Dealers Association. In this episode, you'll join Tommy Lukish, VADA’s legal and legislative affairs director, along with president and CEO Don Hall and chief in-house counsel Anne Gambardella, as they discuss the impacts of Election Day in Virginia and what dealers can expect in the 2020 General Assembly. Have show ideas? Want to be a guest? Email us! Contact Jason Wilson at [email protected].