Reorganized Group Advocates for Oz New-Car Dealers

The newly reformed Australian Automotive Dealer Assn. will roll out a number of initiatives in the coming months as it fulfills its pledge to fight for new policies and improve operating environments for members in the A$72 billion ($63.2 billion) industry.

AADA Chairman Ian Field says the importance of Australia’s retail automotive industry to the national economy should not be underestimated. He says statistics from analyst IBIS World show the retail automotive industry paid A$5.6 billion ($4.9 billion) in wages and earned profits of more than A$2.6 billion ($2.2 billion) in 2013.

Field says that for the first time in history, the reformed AADA not only exclusively represents the interests of new-car dealers, but also is being led by a team with real frontline industry experience.

He says AADA’s new CEO Patrick Tessier has 35 years of experience across dealership operations, marketing and strategy.

Tessier says structural changes in the Australian automotive manufacturing sector and global forces of change, including increasing online sales and multi-brand additions, are forcing dealers to examine and evolve their business model to survive in the future.

“This association must bring together dealerships from across the country, give them one voice and address the real issues affecting the industry,” he says.

AADA’s renewed focus on protecting dealer interests will see the association working with key industry members along with government decision-makers to enact change. Issues it wants to address include changing the luxury-car tax policy and working with dealerships affected by the Australian manufacturing withdrawal of Ford and GM Holden.