When Associations Work Together, the Industry Wins

Last week I joined CAWA, the California Automotive Wholesalers' Association, for their annual Legislative Day in Sacramento. My reason for being there was simple: to support the Right to Repair and ensure California lawmakers understand what's at stake for the automotive aftermarket.

After an advocacy briefing, our group headed to the Capitol Annex for back-to-back meetings with California Assembly staff. Walking those halls with dozens of industry members from across the state is a reminder of what organized advocacy looks like in practice. Independent repair shops, parts distributors, and manufacturers all in the same room, telling the same story.

And the story is a compelling one.

The auto care industry generates $1.20 for every $100 of California's economic output. At $48.7 billion, California's auto care footprint is larger than the entire economies of most U.S. states. There are more than 6,200 automotive parts and tire retail locations here, the most of any state, serving communities in every legislative district. Car repair costs have been outpacing general inflation for years. When consumers lose access to competitive, independent repair options, they pay more. That's the core of the Right to Repair argument, and it lands.

The Auto Care Association is a proud supporter of CAWA's government affairs program. When associations align and show up together, the industry carries more weight in those conversations than any one organization could alone.

California is the largest auto care market in the country. What happens here matters everywhere. That's why I was in Sacramento.

Donovan Ringo is Director of State Affairs and Grassroots Programs at the Auto Care Association