Michigan Auto Dealers Self Insured Fund (MADSIF) logo

HAZMAT certification classes from MADSIF

The MADSIF/CastleRock Risk Management Staff is offering the DOT Hazardous Materials Certification Training Seminar for dealership personnel. The US Department of Transportation (DOT) Regulation requires all businesses that package, ship, handle or store hazardous materials, have at least one employee that is DOT Hazmat Certified.

Hazardous materials referred to in these regulations include thousands of items, many of which can be found in dealerships, for example flammable liquids, air bags, seat belt pretensioners, paints and adhesives. (Note: re-certification is mandatory every three years.)

This DOT Hazmat class is specifically tailored to auto dealership employees. New topics for 2018 sessions include:

  • New requirements for Small Quantity shipping
  • New requirements for Lithium Ion Batteries
  • Updated UPS & FedEx shipping
  • Updated employee training
  • Updated training materials

For more information and program dates please see the registration form.

Michigan Christmas Tree Facts

Now that winter is officially here and many families are carefully preparing for the holidays, MADA would like to show some support for a fellow state association, the Michigan Christmas Tree Association.  Consider these facts:

  • Michigan ranks third in the nation in the number of Christmas trees harvested, supplying approximately 3 million fresh Christmas trees to the national market each year
  • Michigan produces and sells more than a dozen Christmas tree varieties on a wholesale level, which is more varieties than any other stat
  • Our state has approximately 42,000 acres in commercial Christmas tree production
  • Michigan boasts an annual farm gate value of more than $1.3 million in sales of wreaths, cut boughs, garland and other cut greens
  • For every Christmas tree harvested, Michigan Christmas tree farmers plant three new trees for future harvests

 

Interested in a few more Christmas Tree facts…

  • There are approximately 25-30 million Real Christmas Trees sold in the U.S. every year.
  • There are close to 350 million Real Christmas Trees currently growing on Christmas Tree farms in the U.S. alone, all planted by farmers.
  • North American Real Christmas Trees are grown in all 50 states and Canada. Eighty percent (80%) of artificial trees worldwide are manufactured in China, according to the U.S. Commerce Department.
  • Real Trees are a renewable, recyclable resource. Artificial trees contain non-biodegradable plastics and possible metal toxins such as lead.
  • There are more than 4,000 local Christmas Tree recycling programs throughout the United States.
  • For every Real Christmas Tree harvested, 1 to 3 seedlings are planted the following spring.
  • There are about 350,000 acres in production for growing Christmas Trees in the U.S.; much of it preserving green space.
  • There are close to 15,000 farms growing Christmas Trees in the U.S., and over 100,000 people are employed full or part-time in the industry.
  • It can take as many as 15 years to grow a tree of typical height (6 – 7 feet) or as little as 4 years, but the average growing time is 7 years.
  • The top Christmas Tree producing states are Oregon, North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Washington.
  • The most common Christmas Tree species are: balsam fir, Douglas-fir, Fraser fir, noble fir, Scotch pine, Virginia pine and white pine.

 

USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA) and your local Christmas Tree professional.

MADA membership benefits logo

Sales and use tax workshop for new car dealerships

(Jan 12, 2018: Seating is full for this program) MADA has worked with the Michigan Department of Treasury to coordinate a training session for new car dealers and staff who would like to learn the compliance requirements of sales and use tax laws with respect to vehicle sales, body shop activity, parts/service departments and the Michigan Treasury Online (MTO).

The Treasury has offered to tailor this program to those in attendance so we highly encourage you to let us know in advance what questions you have. This will allow the Treasury to come prepared to discuss the needed topics.

Workshop Schedule
Dept. of Treasury Training
Location: MADA office
1500 Kendale Blvd., East Lansing
Feb. 8, 2018 ▪ 10 am – 1 pm

Call MADA at (800) 292-1923 with questions.

Michigan History Facts

  • Three great Indian tribes once controlled Michigan: the Potawatomi in southern Michigan, the Ottawa in the upper half of the Lower Peninsula, and the Ojibwa or Chippewa in the Upper Peninsula and part of the Lower Peninsula.
  • The first explorer to come to Michigan in the early 1600s was Etienne Brule, a Frenchman.
  • Sault Ste. Marie was founded more than 100 years before the American Revolution (1668). It is the oldest city in the Midwest.
  • The City of Four Flags is Niles. It is the only city in Michigan to have been under flags of France, Great Britain, Spain, and the United States.
  • Michigan became the 26th state in 1837.
  • Michigan has 83 counties.

 

Read more >> Getting to Know Michigan

Sales and use tax seminar for vehicle dealers

MADA has heard from many dealerships lately asking for additional guidance on sales and use tax issues. We are very pleased to announce that the Michigan Department of Treasury has scheduled dealership specific outreach seminars to address many of these dealer questions. Treasury representatives will provide a short presentation, answer your general questions and listen and learn about the issues affecting your business.

Join Treasury staff for an educational seminar focusing on tax issues specific to vehicle dealers. Topics include:

  • Sales and use taxes
  • Taxability concerns (i.e. sales price, vehicle trade-in credit, exemptions and core charges)
  • Rescinded deals vs. buybacks
  • Michigan Treasury Online (MTO) navigation

 

Friday, November 17, 2017 – REGISTER
Battle Creek Chamber of Commerce

Wednesday, November 29, 2017 – REGISTER
Saginaw Valley State University

Due to the interest in these programs the Treasury is now asking dealers and staff to pre-register.

 

Learn more >> Vehicle Tax Outreach flyer November 2017

 

Annual Meeting: Use Your Data to Drive Service and Sales

How can dealers increase sales and service traffic while eliminating waste? The answer is really quite simple – start with your data! If you can’t track what your marketing dollars are doing, you probably shouldn’t be spending them.  During this year’s Annual Meeting, attendees will hear from Derc Teschler with Dealer121 who can help answer the age-old question: is my marketing working?

Consider this. You find a customer in your database who is driving a leased vehicle. That lease is due in three months and you happen to have a killer pull ahead program. Rather than pounding the radio with group advertising and hoping that customer hears you, finds you and buys from you, wouldn’t it make more sense to target that customer as an individual? Couldn’t you email them directly? Possibly send them a mail piece explaining lease options? Maybe even target them directly with a mobile product?

Mr. Teschler will show you how to use the data you have, track your marketing dollars and ultimately drive more sales and service to your business.

 

MADA Annual Meeting – December 7, 2017
Suburban Collection Showplace, Novi
11am • Derc Teschler, Dealer121
Use Your Data to Drive Service and Sales

F&I Compliance Boot Camp for Dealership Employees

Zurich is sponsoring an AFIP Certification Boot Camp in December, conducted by the Association of Finance & Insurance Professionals (AFIP). This course provides the tools and education necessary to keep your dealership compliant with the rapidly-changing state and federal regulations that apply to the F&I process. The boot camp offers an accelerated preparation for the AFIP Certification Examination, followed by the proctored exam. (Two weeks of informal self-study is suggested before attending.) Full AFIP Certification is granted upon successful completion with passing scores.

Who should attend: F&I managers and directors, salespeople who execute loan and lease agreements, sales managers, and general sales managers.

AFIP Certification Boot Camp
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
MADA office in East Lansing

Additional information and costs are available here or by contacting Jessica Urias with AFIP at (817) 428-2434 #950 or jessica.urias@afip.com.

Annual Meeting: special dealer only session announced

Patrick Anderson, Anderson Economic Group
Special session for dealers and general managers only

MADA will offer a special morning session during the Annual Meeting for MADA dealers and general managers only. As we have heard from many dealers, manufacturers have recently been placing new requirements on their franchised dealers.

To discuss this, we will be joined by Patrick Anderson, principal and CEO of Anderson Economic Group (AEG). An expert consultant in the automotive industry, Mr. Anderson will provide information about the changing manufacturer expectations and how dealers can look out for their interests. Discussion topics include: sales effectiveness, metrics and market territories.

This year’s MADA Annual Meeting also offers a unique opportunity to hear from Dr. Kevin Elko, a highly regarded motivational speaker. Please add Thursday, December 7, 2017 to your calendar and make plans to attend the Annual Meeting at the Hyatt Place Novi at the Suburban Collection Showplace.

Learn more about Anderson Economic Group >> www.andersoneconomicgroup.com

Michigan Geography Facts

  • Michigan’s Lower Peninsula is 277 miles long from north to south and 195 miles from east to west.
  • The Upper Peninsula is bigger than Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Delaware combined.
  • No point in Michigan is more than 85 miles from any one of the Great Lakes.
  • Michigan has the longest shoreline of any state besides Alaska 3,200 miles, and another 900 miles if islands are included.
  • There are 11,037 inland lakes which are ten acres or more in size.
  • Detroit is farther from Houghton, Michigan, by air miles (425) than it is from Washington, D.C. (391).
  • Archaeologists have discovered skeletons of whales that once inhabited the prehistoric lakes of lower Michigan before the glacial movements.
  • Michigan is the only state that borders on four of the five Great Lakes.

 

Read more >> Getting to Know Michigan

Registration for NADA Show 2018 is now open

Registration for the Auto Industry Event of the Year is now open! NADA Show 2018 returns to Las Vegas for four days, Thursday, March 22 to Sunday, March 25. You won’t want to miss this chance to connect with more than 20,000 key players and industry leaders in the automotive field.

Successful dealers and managers attend the NADA Show, where they learn what’s new, what’s now and what’s next in the automotive industry. With a program full of innovative products, timely education topics, emerging trends and endless networking opportunities, there will be something for everyone.