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March 12, 2010
GREETINGS AND SAL-UTATIONS!
Dear NJGCA Member:
NORTHEAST 2010 IS ALMOST HERE! INSPECTIONS & GOVENOR’S BUDGET ADDRESS
In one week, the NORTHEAST 2010 Tradeshow officially begins!! The show will get underway next Friday, March the 19th and run through Sunday, March 21st at the Meadowlands Expo Center in Secaucus.
You can click HERE to visit the NJGCA Tradeshow Homepage to get directions, register to attend the show, or just review what we have planned at NORTHEAST!
Here at NJGCA Headquarters, we are especially pumped and excited for the start of the show. Building on last year’s success, this year’s show promises to be bigger and better in every aspect.
You absolutely CANNOT AFFORD to miss this event! I guarantee you that there will be something for everyone at NORTHEAST and you should be there to take advantage of what we’ve put together for you! No matter if you’ve owned a convenience store for sometime, just took over an existing gas station, or have only been turning wrenches at your repair shop for years – NORTHEAST has something for all of you!!
There are a great group of new and returning exhibitors, eager to show off their latest products and services. We have new vendors such as 7-Eleven, AutoFry, Air-Serv and Consolidated Service Distributors and others joining already established NJGCA exhibitors like Able-Tech, TC Petroleum, Environmental Alliance, PH2 Solutions and MORE!!.
If you haven’t done so already, be sure to check out one of our latest NJGCA Tradeshow Bulletin to see the list of vendors from all across the convenience store, gasoline station, and automotive services industries by clicking HERE
We have new seminars designed to better your small business and help you prosper, such as:
-The Fat Margins Workshop: Designed to HELP YOU fatten your bottom-line and remain profitable, no matter what kind of establishment you operate. Brought to you by Gill Energy T/A Creative Management, Inc.
-Food Safety 101 Workshop: Presented by industry veteran Andy Joslin, this program is designed to help convenience store owners understand risk management and expand your compliance education.
-Health Insurance Workshop: Moderated by the professionals at Association Master Trust, this seminar focuses on how to save money while providing your employees with the best health coverage possible. Presented to you by AMT.
-Family Fun Day: An extravaganza like no other. Bring your family and employees for an exciting afternoon of food, amusements, and activities!! There will be games for kids of all ages, from art projects for the tiny tikes to a dunk tank for the more mature around us! Brought to you by Meadowbrook Insurance.
To see a complete list of seminars and times, click HERE
But that’s not all!! Aside from bringing you great products, important services, and seminars designed to help you improve your establishment, NORTHEAST can help you SAVE MONEY!
What am I talking about? Many NJGCA Member Benefit Partners (MBPs) will be attending NORTHEAST 2010 with you in mind! For your convenience, you can visit MBPs like Association Master Trust (healthcare coverage), Meadowbrook Insurance (worker’s compensation insurance) and the Amato Agency (liability insurance programs), to speak with a representative and review your needs. That means, you can come to the show, bring along some paperwork, and speak face-to-face with these professionals to realize tangible savings for your small business!
And best of all, attending NORTHEAST 2010 is COMPLETELY FREE!!
In the latest installment of our On The Road publication, Team NJGCA has placed FREE VIP TICKETS on page 15 of the Tradeshow section. We’ve set aside FOUR FREE TICKETS for each of you, but remember that everyone who attends must register. Register online ahead of time to save time at the door, and if you do, you can just pick up your badge at the door on the way into the show. Showing up with your VIP tickets alone will get you in for FREE, but you will still have to wait in line to register. If you don’t register online OR bring your VIP tickets, you will have to pay $10 at the door.
Click HERE to register for FREE and get into the show with minimal hassle.
Coming to NORTHEAST 2010 is a smart decision on so many levels. You should attend to see vendors, visit with our MBPs to potentially save big money, and attend an informative seminar. But if those weren’t great reasons alone, you should also attend to meet your colleagues, make valuable industry contacts, network with other business owners to benefit your small business AND let your hair down!! We know you work hard – Coming to NORTHEAST affords you a unique opportunity to mix both business and pleasure! Take advantage of it!
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me or else I WILL SEE YOU next Friday!
Thursday morning we spoke with MVC and Parsons for our weekly conference to discuss the the inspection program. Parsons and MVC have stated that there are currently no deviations from the schedule we laid out last week. There are several PIF beta sites in operation, with a few more coming online shortly. In beta testing those sites, Parsons was able to catch some small software glitches that were corrected in short order. Luckily for us this hasn’t slowed down the process as those beta sites act as testing laboratories before the full-rollout. Assuming that no major problems occur between now and the end of the month, MVC will begin to convert all remaining PIFs during the week of March 29th at the rate of 100 per day.
Next Tuesday the Governor will present his budget. By law, he must give his budget address before a joint session of the Legislature, with every Assemblyman, Assemblywoman, and Senator in attendance. The Governor, as chief executive of the state, must do this at the beginning of the budget cycle and then allow the Legislature to deliberate in various committees on what the final state budget will look like.
As you know, we are collectively in a heap of trouble and New Jersey. The address won’t be pretty and we’re going to be in a world of pain for the foreseeable future. However, NJGCA has made a number of proposals to the Christie Administration to save the state money. It will most definitely affect you. I’m not going to know if the Governor will include and of our ideas until his speech, but I hope to be admitted into the chamber when he gives his address. By then, I’ll know if the Governor plans to present our proposal to change the inspection system, which will not only save you money but allow you an additional opportunity to serve the motoring public.
I’ll update you next week, but until then, I hope you’ve already registered online for the NORTHEAST 2010 Tradeshow and I’m looking forward to seeing you there!
Also be sure to check out the additional classes we've added. Please see below for more details!
Thanks for reading. See you next week!
Regards,
Sal Risalvato
Executive Director
SAVE THE DATE AND ATTEND NORTHEAST 2010!
THE NORTHEAST 2010 TRADESHOW IS ALMOST HERE!!
MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND JOIN US ON MARCH 19TH - 21ST
AT THE MEADOWLANDS EXPOSITION CENTER!
To Register for the Tradeshow FREE OF CHARGE click HERE
to visit the NORTHEAST 2010 Registration Page!
For more details & information, visit the NJGCA Tradeshow Homepage by clicking HERE
REGISTER TODAY & CALL US WITH ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS!
IN THIS WEEK’S NJGCA ROAD WARRIOR
UPDATE: NEW PIF CLASSES ADDED!!
•See our new class schedule below!!
POLITICAL PARTICIPATON: THE NJGCA PAC
•Participate in the NJGCA PAC today and help us keep our Agenda rolling in Trenton!
MBP BUSINESS SEMINARS BY AFFINITY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
•Sign up for classes aimed at improving your small business today!
NEWS AROUND THE STATE
•Jobless claims drop slightly for the first time last week
•Christie creates commission to privatize some state jobs
•Public entities in NJ spend over $2 million to lobby state officials
•Senior citizens group urges passage of Right to Repair
ON THE NJGCA HOMEPAGE
MEMBER SAVINGS PAGE
Check out all of our MBPs and Programs designed to SAVE YOU MONEY!
HELPFUL LINKS
Looking for something? Take a look at our list of useful links!
NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
Find all our communications and search for old e-newsletters. Take a look!
NEWS AROUND THE STATE ARCHIVE
Need to catch up on events? Want to see what's going on? Find out here!
KNOW YOUR TERRITORY MANAGER!
Henry Darden: Territory Manager for Middlesex, Union, Part of Essex (Southern Half)
Cell: 973-477-0057
Email: henry@njgca.org
Jack Leli: Territory Manager for Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean, Salem
Cell: 732-995-1637
Email: jack@njgca.org
Bob Quirk: Territory Manager for Bergen, Hudson, Part of Essex (Northern Half)
Cell: 201-214-8836
E-mail: bob@njgca.org
Frank Stewart: Territory Manager for Morris, Sussex, Warren, Hunterdon, Passaic
Cell: 973-234-7403
Email: frank@njgca.org
Don Stohrer: Territory Manager for Monmouth, Mercer, Somerset
Cell: 732-539-2955
Email: don@njgca.org
UPDATE: NEW PIF CLASSES ADDED!!
NJGCA has added additional classes in March and April!
ETEP TRAINING
Emission Repair Technician Re-Certification Class
NJGCA is offering the ETEP course that your ERT’s need in order to re-certify their license.
Our Course includes:
•New Jersey State Specific Information Course
•ETEP Section 6 “OBDII Monitoring Failures”
•Section 7 “Light-Duty Diesel Vehicle Technologies and Testing”.
Everything your technician needs to Re-Certify his ERT license!!!
Class Cost (Including Manuals):
•NJGCA Member rates: $489.00
•NON-Member rates: $629.00
March Class - Clayton/Gloucester County
DAY CLASSES
Two Tuesdays: March 16th and March 23rd
8:30am to 4:30pm
April Class - Springfield/Union County
EVENING CLASSES
Tuesday and Thursdays: April 6th, 8th, 13th, 15th, and 20th
7:00pm to 10:00pm
FULL ETEP TRAINING CLASS
NJGCA is offering a full ETEP course for those wishing to be cetified as a Emission Repair Technician.
Class Cost (Including Manuals):
•NJGCA Member rates: $1,495.00
•NON-Member rates: $1,695.00
March-May Class - Springfield/Union County
All classes are on Thursdays, once a week starting on March 18th through May 20th
8am to 4pm
PLEASE NOTE: We are currently in the process of putting together additional class for April, May and June. If you are interested in taking classes in this time period, please call NJGCA and let us know so we can add you to the list.
Call Debbie Hill to enroll in the classes at debbie@njgca.org or call 973-376-0066.
POLITICAL PARTICIPATON: THE NJGCA PAC
Ensuring our friends in the legislature are re-elected and advocating for our agenda in Trenton are of utmost importance to the agenda of NJGCA.
It is for this reason that your Association has established the NJGCA PAC.
For too long, the weight of funding our Political Action Committee, the arm of the Association responsible for political donations, has rested upon the shoulders of a few. This is not fair to them, and it is not fair to many of you who are relying on the benefits of good legislation being passed in Trenton.
To truly understand the importance of fundraising for our allies, let’s look back upon the overwhelming successes of the last year:
NJGCA successfully lobbied against BELOW COST SELLING. If approved, BELOW COST SELLING would have cost each of you thousands of dollars and put many of you out of businesses. NJGCA leaned on some of our friends in the Assembly and literally had the bill pulled off the floor on the day it was scheduled to be voted on. Our friends in the Legislature helped us get this accomplished.
NJGCA made history and led the charge to pass the most comprehensive protection of franchisees in decades with FIRST RIGHT OF REFUSAL legislation. FIRST RIGHT OF REFUSAL passed only because NJGCA and dealers throughout the state were able to lean on several friends in the Assembly and the Senate.
NJGCA has been rallying support for RIGHT TO REPAIR over the last two years among key legislators. This would end the practice of car manufacturers denying you the codes necessary to complete the repairs you make on your customers cars. Every state has tried to pass RIGHT TO REPAIR and no state has even been able to get the legislation out of committee. Because of our friends in the Legislature, NJGCA has been successful in getting this bill passed by the Assembly and now awaits a vote in the Senate.
I am asking some of you as individuals to make a contribution and attend a fundraising event sponsored by one of our friends in the Assembly.
However, we will not be able to host events for all of our friends, so the NJGCA PAC will have to make contributions. You will be receiving letters soon from the NJGCA PAC asking you to make contributions.
If every member contributes just $100.00 we will be able to provide the help necessary to ensure victory for our allies.
PLEASE SEND YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO:
NJGCA PAC
66 Morris Avenue
Springfield, NJ 07081
Please make your donation payable to NJGCA PAC
I understand that times are tough for all NJGCA members, but this is just as important as any battle we have fought in the past.
We have made great progress in Trenton. I hope that you will answer the call.
MBP BUSINESS SEMINARS BY AFFINITY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
Affinity Federal Credit Union, an NJGCA Member Benefit Partner, is offering a number of classes designed specifically to help small business owners.
Some of these classes include:
•Managing Money Wisely
•Career Navigation in a Pink Slip Economy.
•Kean University Small Business Counseling Sessions
•Entrepreneur Certificate Program (ECP)
•Accounting and QuickBooks Certificate
•Small Business Seminars
•And much more!
Take advantage of this opportunity! Click HERE to visit the Calendar of Events on the Affinity homepage and sign up for a class!
Pleas contact Phil Apruzzi with any questions or comments at 973-376-0066.
NEWS AROUND THE STATE
3/11/2010:
Jobless claims drop slightly for the first time last week
According to officials in Washington, for the first time in months, the number of newly laid-off workers seeking unemployment benefits slipped slightly last week. The overall unemployment rate still holds at 9.7% since January.
3/10/2010:
Christie creates commission to privatize some state jobs
On Thursday, the Governor took steps to create a commission designed to privatize as many as 2,000 state jobs beginning next January. With the Christie Administration facing an $11 billion deficit, the Governor is looking to cut costs anyway possible. Officials in Trenton state that the Governor may also invoke the Disaster Control Act to suspend civil service rules and make it easier to layoff workers.
3/10/2010:
Public entities in NJ spend over $2 million to lobby state officials
A new report released this week says that governmental entities, such as independent authorities and school boards, spent $2.1 million to lobby the state in 2009. According to the NJ Election Law Enforcement Commission, a record $56.4 million was also spent to sway lawmakers and administration officials.
3/8/2010:
Senior citizens group urges passage of Right to Repair
RetireSafe, a grassroots senior advocacy organization, has urged Congress to pass the Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to Repair Act on behalf of their nearly 400,000 senior citizen supporters nationwide. The organization states that Right to Repair is not only important for seniors living on a fixed income, but as local dealerships are going out of business, seniors will come to depend more and more on independent repair shops for needed repairs.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ARTICLES IN OUR “NEWS AROUND THE STATE” ARCHIVE
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