Michigan Agriculture & Lumber Facts

Following are a few Michigan agricultural facts to think about as you go berry picking around the state or pick up locally grown produce at the farmer’s market.

  • Michigan ranks first in the nation in tart cherry production.
  • Michigan also ranks first in the production of blueberries and navy beans, cranberry beans, and black turtle beans.
  • Michigan is among the nation’s three leading producers of commercial apples.
  • Kalamazoo is the birthplace of celery. Commercial celery was grown for the first time in Kalamazoo.
  • In the United States, Michigan is among the top five states in the production of over 30 different types of crops.
  • Michigan’s forest products industry contributes over $8 billion to Michigan’s economy.
  • Michigan’s forest land acreage is the fifth largest in the continental United States.
  • Michigan’s forests are growing twice as much timber annually as what is actually being harvested.
  • Timber covers 48 percent of Michigan’s total land base.
  • The United States and state of Michigan publicly own more than a third of Michigan’s commercial forest land, or approximately 7,000,000 acres of forest. This amount of land, when combined, is larger than the state of Vermont.

 

Read more >>  Getting to Know Michigan

Michigan Auto Dealers Self Insured Fund (MADSIF) logo

MADSIF: Dealers Working for Dealers

MADSIF, or the Michigan Auto Dealers Self-Insured Fund, is a Michigan auto dealer owned and operated group self-insured workers’ compensation fund. Established in 1980, MADSIF’s primary goal is to control the costs of insurance over a long-term period, and to provide a robust suite of services to support dealers around claims, MIOSHA compliance and inspection and proactive loss control.

With aggressive claims administration, low overhead costs, proactive loss control services and a unique dividend program, MADSIF currently insures more than 350 Michigan auto dealers, covering more than 17,000 employees. Find out more about MADSIF at www.madsif.com.

You can learn more about MADA’s other endorsed providers here, or call us at (800) 292-1923.

Image of Michigan Secretary of State seal

2002 revision of RD-108 no longer accepted

The Michigan Department of State has emailed a final notification to dealerships about the transition to the 2017 revision of the RD-108. (View bulletin.) Please double check that your dealership is using the current 2017 version.
As a reminder, the Department will not accept any transactions using the 12/02 revision of the RD-108 after Wednesday, July 5, 2017. The 12/02 version of the RD-108 was replaced with a new 2017 revision made available to dealers this past January.

Trade-in sales tax credit
A dedicated line for the partial trade-in sales tax credit has been added to the new 2017 revision of the RD-108 as Line 3 in the statement of vehicle sale section. With this change the RD-108T (Supplemental Vehicle Trade-In Sales Tax Credit Form) is no longer necessary. Dealers will discontinue submitting the 2017 RD-108T form for all vehicle transactions with a trade-in.

Trade-in sales tax credit calculation worksheet 
(View worksheet.)
The Department created a 2017 Trade-In Sales Tax Credit Calculation Worksheet to help correctly calculate the trade-in sales tax credit. The website version of the 2017 worksheet calculates the correct trade-in sales tax credit but is not submitted with the RD-108 to the Secretary of State. This worksheet is available on the Department’s Website under Publications and Forms.
If you have questions about the RD-108 please contact MADA at (800) 292-1923.

Teen Driving: Safe at the Wheel

After spending years protecting your children from all sorts of dangers on the road and off, you now face the prospect of handing them the keys to the family car. It’s time for them to learn how to drive. Are you prepared? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) can help you mold your young adult into a safe and capable driver.

 

Find information on your State’s licensing requirements for teens as well as ideas and resources to help you lay the ground rules with your aspiring driver – before you hand over the car keys. NHTSA has in-depth information on some of the most common safety problems novice drivers should avoid. Arm yourself with information on alcohol use and its consequences, the benefits of seat belt usage, and the growing problem of distracted driving.

 

Learn more: https://www.safercar.gov/parents/TeenDriving/teendriving.htm

MADA logo

Annual Contribution of Michigan’s New-Car Dealers

Michigan’s new car dealers make a significant contribution to our economy through employment, taxes paid and community involvement.  Consider these numbers…

  • Michigan has  611 new car dealerships, with an average of 60 employees per dealership.
  • When indirect and induced jobs are added in, that increases to 76,322 total jobs created by Michigan dealerships!
  • $667 MILLION is paid in income taxes (includes income taxes paid for direct, indirect and induced jobs).
  • Michigan dealerships have a $1.9 BILLION payroll.
  • With $36.9 BILLION in total sales, Michigan dealerships account for nearly 30% of the state’s total retail sales.

These numbers reflect annual economic activity during 2016. For economic numbers for other states please check out the NADA website at www.nada.org/statedata.

 

MADA membership benefits logo

Let MADA help with your installment seller license renewal!

 The Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) emailed installment seller license renewals to dealerships the second week of April. (Reminder: these documents were sent to the email address on file for the dealership.) Please print the renewal application and attachments provided by DIFS then complete and sign as required.

As a complimentary benefit of MADA membership, dealers are encouraged to send their completed renewal paperwork to MADA.  We will review your documents for accuracy and personally deliver all paperwork to the state.

Did you know? In previous years, the state had a long list of dealers whose renewal paperwork was incomplete or incorrect and the state was prepared to cancel the licenses. In most instances, the dealership was not aware there was a problem. Dealers who renew through MADA can help avoid this concern; we will contact you directly to correct errors before the renewal is delivered to the state and confirm the license has been renewed.

For more information please go here.

National Foundation for Teen Safe Driving

It’s the time of year most high school seniors have been looking forward to since school began. Classes are winding down and senioritis is at epidemic levels as thoughts turn to prom night, graduation, celebrations and summertime fun.

Statistics identify this as one of the deadliest times of year for teens, with seven of the top 10 deadliest driving days occurring between Memorial Day and Labor Day. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) statistics, nationwide, 48 teenagers die and another 5,202 are injured in car crashes on a typical prom weekend. For the past several years during prom weekend, approximately 300 teens have died in alcohol-related crashes.

Safety is a shared responsibility that starts with smart choices and safe driving. Make a promise today and do your part to make this a safe, exciting and memorable time for the graduating class of 2017.

Learn more >> https://nftsd.org/outreach/awareness-campaigns/senior-promise-2017

 

NADA logo

How does your dealership compare?

Have you ever been curious how your pay plan and benefits compare to other dealers in your region? NADA and ATD invite members to participate in the 2017 Dealership Workforce Study, which gathers information to help you compare your dealership against aggregated data from your peers across the nation and region, right down to dealerships selling your brand in your state. Participants will also receive an overall analysis with data for every region of the U.S.

Compete smart.

  • Make informed decisions on pay plans, benefits and work schedules.
  • Take steps to reduce turnover and retain your best employees.
  • Know the demographic issues facing your dealership.

Learn how you can participate at www.nadaworkforcestudy.com.

Image of Michigan Secretary of State seal

Vehicle Dealer Training from the State of Michigan

The Michigan Department of State is offering full-day training in Lansing to assist all classes of licensed vehicle dealers and their staff on the basic requirements of the Michigan Vehicle Code.  There are no course registration fees, but classes fill quickly and registration is first come, first served.
This class is designed for dealership owners, managers, sales and office staff. It will cover topics such as:
  • Michigan.gov/sos and other state Web sites
  • Vehicle Trade-In Credit
  • 2017 Vehicle Registration Fees
  • TR-210/TR-209 Secured Interest Change on Title Process
  • Dealership Records
  • Dealer Plate Usage
Registration details can be found here.
Image of Michigan Secretary of State seal

Repair Facility Training from the State of Michigan

The Michigan Department of State offers half-day training sessions to help repair facilities and their employees with the basic requirements of the Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Act and to answer their questions. There are no course registration fees, but classes fill quickly and registration is first come, first served.
This class is designed for repair facility owners, managers, service advisers and technicians. It will cover topics such as:
  • The Repair Facility Manual
  • Proper written estimates and final invoices
  • Record keeping requirements
  • Repair facility and mechanic responsibilities
  • Common mistakes to avoid
  • Other basic requirements
Registration details can be found here.