The reorganization of MEMA will mean members can join fewer groups under the organization’s umbrella and get more benefit from their membership, aftermarket media editors heard Monday in a briefing.
On Friday, MEMA announced that the 118-year-old organization will now operate under one umbrella and represent automotive and commercial vehicle suppliers with two groups: MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers and MEMA Original Equipment Suppliers. Prior to the announcement, aftermarket companies have to join one of three divisions under MEMA separately: AASA, HDMA and MERA. The reorganization removes those silos, explained Paul McCarthy, president and CEO of AASA, and John Chalifoux, president & COO, MERA, during a virtual media conference.
“We think maybe the greatest impact is this gives suppliers a stronger voice,” said McCarthy. “And that allows us to speak up for and champion the interests of the aftermarket and of aftermarket suppliers, so just one example.
“This also further strengthens our advocacy behind Right to Repair. This is obviously the most important legislative effort in half a century since we led the passage of the Magnuson Moss Act,” McCarthy said. “So we bring the full support of the supplier community, which by the way is the largest manufacturing sector in the U.S., to this cause of Right to Repair and of consumer choice on where and with what parts we can keep our vehicles safe and affordable across the life cycle.”
About the simplification under MEMA, McCarthy said, “Simply put, our members will gain access to more value and thought leadership easier. Before, to access all of the aftermarket value and content across MEMA, organizations had to join three times divisions; AASA, our automotive aftermarket association; HDMA, if you were interested in heavy-duty commercial vehicle aftermarket; and MERA, for aftermarket remanufacturing and sustainable manufacturing. So our board said ‘tear down those walls, Mr. Gorbachev, if I can make a reference some of you may remember — and give our current members access to all of the valuable aftermarket insights and forums that we offer.”
“What our members are used to in terms of member value or council events — none of that is going away, which I think is great,” McCarthy said. “AASA members will get access to 80 percent more valuable association content. So 80 percent more insights, events and councils than they had before; and legacy members of MERA and HDMA because they get access to three times as much aftermarket content.”
John Chalifoux, president & COO, MERA, said the “numerator is just going to go up for all of our members. They’re going to retain everything that they had in their divisions that they were members of before and they’re going to have access to the programming, the councils, the events — just easier access.”
“Collectively, we are the largest manufacturing sector in the United States,” Chalifoux said. “We are always looking to make sure that the influence our members have matches that position in the marketplace. And at the end of the day, we want to be integral to our members’ success. So we’re continuing to carry that forward and this is just going to be a more effective, more efficient way for us to deliver that value to members.”
More information about branding efforts and details about the reorganization are expected in January.
For the latest news and information on the global automotive aftermarket industry, visit https://aftermarketintel.com. Do you have news? Contact Aftermarket Intel Editor Mark Phillips at mark@lpnewmedia.com. He’s on LinkedIn here.
