Direction By Jonathan Morrow • ARA President C
hanging directions is not easy for some people, but not this Executive Committee and your ARA Staff.
Years ago, I urged the head pastor in my church to look at making changes. The change I was recommending were not doctrinal, but centered around the processes and pro- cedures on the institution of the church. After a good back and forth, with all parties listening and respecting each other, I was told,“Our church is like an aircraft carrier. It is slow, big and hard to turn. We will get there it will just take time. We don’t want anyone to fall off.” I left the meeting frustrated, contemplating the idea that change will happen, but it will take time. So being inter- ested in military things, I had to dive into that analogy and I am so glad that I did. What I found out is the aircraft carrier is designed to be the fastest ship in the carrier fleet, able to hit speeds of 35 miles per hour. Because these aircraft carriers are such high-value targets, they have to be able to make tight turns to avoid collisions or enemy torpedoes. In the event of an emergency, the aircraft carrier is designed to turn on a dime and outrun the enemy. Why this story, you ask?
When I joined the Executive Committee, I was told by some vendors and members that ARA is good but the wheels of change take too long. Unfortunately, they had some validity in their statements which was not directed at the Executive Committee members, but on the policies and procedures that we had in place. Since our 75th ARA Convention, the Executive Com- mittee has run headlong into change and has begun to operate like an aircraft carrier. We are moving quickly to get in front of issues and making appropriate changes to benefit our members and reaffirm to all that this indus- try’s Association is ready for tomorrow. We are the eyes, ears, and voice of all auto recyclers. During the course of the last four months, ARA has created and launched a pilot mentor-mentee program that is designed to help the participating mentor-direct mem- bers of ARA to assess the mentee’s needs, establish task or strategic priorities, and evaluate progress. The ultimate desire of this program is to see ARA member companies grow and succeed.
4 // March-April 2019
ARA has also established a debut leadership program, our first-ever Future Leaders of Automotive Recycling Edu- cational Summit (FLARES) on April 2, held during the annual ARA Hill Day. This unique training is designed to be a launch pad for next generation automotive recyclers, providing opportunity to connect, learn and collaborate. The FLARES program, free to members, will be a compre- hensive one-day program led by recyclers, for recyclers. On top of those two brand new incentives that will help grow our industry, ARA has embarked on new monthly virtual town hall meetings, created to better inform and communicate with our members about the industry. But above that, our true desire is to create an envi- ronment where members can freely ask questions or share their concerns.
Those questions and concerns will either be immediately addressed or followed up on in the near future. This is your opportunity to let your voice be heard! If you have questions or concerns you would like to see addressed in future town hall meetings, please email ARA Executive Director Sandy Blalock at
sandy@a-r-a.org. These meetings are designed to create better communica- tion channels that will continue to build mutual trust. The exciting thing is, this has all taken shape in the last four months, and we have only just begun. But remember, in times of conflict and adversity, the difference between winning and losing comes down to unity and commit- ment. One thing is for sure, if we unite and come together as a group, we can and will win the looming bigger bat- tles. If we remain fragmented, we will fail. The strength of our association comes from its members and their partici- pation, as we continue to move forward. Stay safe and let’s sell some OEM recycled parts.
Very respectfully, Jonathan Morrow 2018-2019 ARA President Automotive Recycling
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