Kristen is a CPCU with over 20 years of product management and underwriting experience working for a major insurance company and general agency.

Kristen joined AAGI in 2007 and has been responsible for the creation of new products and coordinating the related distribution. Kristen’s work with AAGI’s agents, insurers and other business partners has consistently produced quality products across the board, which AAGI is proud to present to the industry.

With over 20 years of experience in the automotive industry, Andrew’s career began in retail and included time as a Salesperson, Sales Manager and F&I Manager.

Andrew has also held a number of training, sales and executive positions within the F&I consulting and vehicle service contract industry. Andrew’s career includes the recruitment, development and leadership of an OEM direct sales force responsible for the eastern US. Additionally, Andrew has been a partner in an F&I consulting firm that focused on helping dealers both drive F&I performance and optimize the returns in their reinsurance ventures.

Andrew joined the AAGI team in January 2012 and is responsible for developing and managing the eastern region of the country.

Yazaki agreed to pay $470 million, the second-largest criminal fine for a violation of the Sherman Act antitrust law, and four Japanese executives at the closely held company agreed to serve prison sentences ranging from 15 months to two years, the U.S. Justice Department said yesterday in an e-mailed statement. Denso, which is 23 percent owned by Toyota Motor Corp., agreed to pay $78 million, reported Bloomberg.

The penalties bring the total industry fines in the U.S. and Japan to more $915 million since authorities worldwide said almost two years ago that they began a global investigation. The conspiracy to rig bids and fix prices of auto parts, including instrument panels, electrical systems and heater control panels, had been going on for as long as a decade, according to court filings by the Justice Department.

“This most recent penalty and prison terms for four executives again underscores the risks for Asian companies arising from increased antitrust enforcement efforts by U.S. regulators,” Stephen Crosswell, a lawyer with Clifford Chance LLP, wrote in an e-mail. “Asian companies also need to be aware of the potential exposure they face closer to home.”

The investigation into the auto parts price-rigging scheme is “ongoing,” and the executives who agreed to plead guilty also agreed to cooperate with the probe, according to the statement.

“The antitrust division will continue to work with the FBI and our law enforcement counterparts to root out this kind of pernicious cartel conduct that results in higher prices to American consumers and businesses,” Sharis Pozen, the division’s acting chief, said in the statement.

Japan’s Fair Trade Commission this month agreed to fine Yazaki, Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd., Fujikura Ltd. and Furukawa Electric Co. a combined 12.9 billion yen ($169 million) for price-fixing.

“We’re focused on our future and happy to have this chapter closed,” said Misty Matthews, a spokeswoman for Yazaki. In a statement on its website, Yazaki said it has cooperated fully with the Justice Department investigation and would cut the salaries of its chairman and president by 50 percent for three months “as a reflection of remorse.”

Denso, Japan’s biggest supplier of auto parts, said in a statement that its chairman, president and some board members and executive directors will voluntarily return 10 percent to 30 percent of their compensation for three months beginning in February.

Since learning of the investigation in February 2010, the company has cooperated fully with the probe, Denso said. The fine won’t have a material effect on the company’s financial forecast, according to the statement.

“Toyota has consistently asked its suppliers to respect the law,” Toyota spokeswoman Shiori Hashimoto said by phone. “If the parts makers that received orders from the authorities did in fact commit violations of antitrust laws, we would understand this to be a serious issue.”

General Motors Co. spokesman Johan Willems, Mitsuru Yonekawa at Nissan and Hajime Kaneko at Honda Motor Co. declined to comment on the case. Ford Motor Co. spokesman Trevor Hale and Tata Motors Ltd. spokesman Debasis Ray didn’t immediately respond to queries.

Denso fell 2.2 percent, the most since Jan. 6, to 2,265 yen in Tokyo trading, while the benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average climbed 0.1 percent.

Pozen said during a press briefing in Washington that the investigation was the largest criminal probe in terms of the volume of the underlying commerce that the division has ever conducted. The plea agreements with Yazaki and Denso represent the second round of charges in the investigation, which has been continuing for about two years, Pozen said.

Tokyo-based Furukawa Electric Co. pleaded guilty and was sentenced to pay a $200 million fine on Nov. 14, 2011, for its role in an auto parts price-fixing and bid-rigging conspiracy, the Justice Department said.

The largest fine under the Sherman Act was $500 million against F. Hoffmann-LaRoche Ltd. in 1999, according to the Justice Department’s website.

Treatment Products Ltd. has been manufacturing quality automotive products for over 40 years. All of our high quality products are manufactured and packaged at our 65,000 sq. foot facility in Chicago, Illinois. The Treatment brand is successfully marketed and sold worldwide as a direct result of our commitment to high quality formulations and unsurpassed performance. Treatment Products Ltd. offers a full range of automotive cleaning, appearance, and protection products. We are a dedicated, experienced and reliable long term partner that has a proven history for making a difference.

Tell us about the products that you offer and how they work.

Our in house R&D department is dedicated to developing the highest quality protective coatings technology. Treatment Products Ltd. has over four decades of research and product development that has led us to providing OEM products for: vehicle manufacturers, OEM suppliers and well respected companies world-wide. The result of our technology is a line of the highest quality automotive protective coatings that include: paint, fabric, vinyl, leather, and rust and under-body sealants. Our interior protection products include warrantied protection from interior rips, tears, punctures and burns.

How does your product offering differ from other appearance protection providers?

Our exterior and interior vehicle protection products are accompanied with value packed consumer warranties backed by a nationally recognized “A” rated insurer. Our protective coatings systems will meet all of the needs of various U.S. markets that have different environmental conditions. We specialize in providing products, programs and training that generate enthusiasm and excitement for the agent, dealer and consumer.

Who are your target markets, how do you deliver your products to them and what message would you like to give them?

Our protective coatings program is designed to help new and pre-driven vehicle owners maintain and add the highest re-sale value for their vehicle. We provide comprehensive merchandising, point of sale materials, brochures, videos and showroom demonstrations so that the dealer can easily and effectively demonstrate the added value of appearance protection to the consumer.

Looking back over the past five years, how has the appearance protection industry changed and how do you see it changing in the future?

Economic market conditions have had a direct impact on the length of time a customer keeps their vehicle. With a longer time of ownership consumers are paying more attention to keeping their vehicle in like-new condition both mechanically and cosmetically. The importance of overall retained value and longer vehicle ownership has led us to enhancing our vehicle protection products with renewable for life warranty coverage.

Trident was founded in early 2007. We provide a product that outperforms our competition while keeping sight of the fact that the Agent is our customer. Trident provides leading edge product, fast and flexible solutions to solve any sales challenges our Agents face, we enable their success in positioning our products in their dealers where they have the relationships. Trident’s team has vast experience in chemical manufacturing, engineering, dealer ownership, auto reconditioning, and the finance and insurance industries. Understanding every aspect of our field has allowed us to quickly become a premier appearance protection company in the industry.

Tell us about the products that you offer and how they work.

Trident offers interior and exterior protection products with coverage available for new and used automobiles, RVs, Marine, powersport and aviation. Trident incorporates the latest advances in chemical technology to keep our products leading edge; Trident products are installer friendly and do not require reapplication.

How does your product offering differ from other appearance protection providers?

• Trident’s product formulas improve the appearance as well as offer superior protection against environmental damage.
• Industry leading coverage for both interior and exterior.
• Our product can’t be washed off.
• We do not require any reapplication.
• We offer the industry’s longest coverage terms.
• Lifetime renewable.
• Very installer friendly both in application and safety.
• Current markets are difficult and cash flow is important; we pay our agents on a weekly basis versus floating THEIR money for 30-45 days.
• Retro and Reinsurance options available.

Who are your target markets, how do you deliver your products to them and what message would you like to give them?

Trident targets agents that sell into automobile, RV, Marine, powersport and aviation markets. Our product performance is visible and our coverage’s are class-leading, we are a nimble company that allows us to make improvements same day, claims and customer service are world class, will allow the agent or the dealer to reinsure our products. We offer coverage on used where many companies do not.

Looking back over the past five years, how has the appearance protection industry changed and how do you see it changing in the future?

Appearance protection will inevitably begin to fall under similar regulatory scrutiny as other F&I products; staying ahead of state level regulatory and environmental compliance issues will be more important going forward.

Agents and dealers are looking hard at products that have high retained earnings and help with customer retention. Specifically they are now looking for products and services that don’t just say “we cover that” but actually produce a product that backs up the warranty and takes great care of the customer.

What technology or services do you believe will drive your future success?

Trident manufactures products that outperform the competition and provide the best warranty coverage in the industry. EPA and regulatory compliance, installer safety, environmental friendliness, and superior appearance enhancement drive everything we do. Successful companies must deliver differentiated products and service and compliance in the future to succeed.

In the late 1970’s, Bill Nisson launched the PermaPlate line of automotive appearance protection products in response to consumer and dealer demand for more reliable products in this particular arena. Now, over three decades later, the needs of our customers continue to drive our business. Through the turbulence in the automotive industry over the past 30+ years, PermaPlate has stayed true to its basic objective – providing high quality products and exceptional service to dealer partners and customers every day.

Tell us about the products that you offer and how they work.

PermaPlate offers a full line of aftermarket automotive appearance protection products that include exterior and interior chemical protection (Paintguard®, Fiberguard®, Leatherguard®), windshield protection, dent and ding protection (DentGuard®), door edge and cup guard protection, and paint and tint protective film (Clearplate® / SolarPlate™). PermaPlate also offers additional vehicle protection products such as tire and wheel protection (Axis Tire & Wheel) and a theft deterrent program (Etchguard®). All PermaPlate products come with industry-leading, “A” rated insurance backed warranties, highlighted by the newly released Ultimate Appearance Protection option. PermaPlate also offers reinsurance options to accommodate all varieties of dealers and/or dealer groups. PermaPlate ensures that all chemical products offered are compliant with all state and federal regulations.

How does your product offering differ from other appearance protection providers?

PermaPlate differs from other appearance protection providers by its proven track record for its consumer, dealer and agent satisfaction, excellent time-tested products, and corporate culture of quality and integrity over its 34-year history.

Who are your target markets? How do you deliver your products to them and what message would you like to give them?

Our target markets include all small, medium and large cap dealerships, both public and private nationwide. Through our ever-expanding agent base, dealerships receive training on all program aspects including product knowledge and sales techniques. Our goal is to provide a win-win-win situation for the agent, dealer and consumer by providing first-rate customer service and products.

Looking back over the past five years, how has the appearance protection industry changed and how do you see it changing in the future?

There has been resurgence in demand for appearance protection products that have strong insurance backing, are environmentally compliant, and provide excellent protection with professional customer service. PermaPlate’s past and future success is reliant on keeping up with industry demands and the ever-changing regulations, while maintaining the company’s core values of taking care of the customer.

What technology or services do you believe will drive your future success?

PermaPlate is continually working on providing the most advanced processes in which to electronically submit/receive payment and warranty registrations, as well as developing innovative ways to present training, sales techniques, and real-time reporting through web-based tools and continuing to expedite customer service and claims process.

Cal-Tex began as the collaboration of two friends who met while serving in the Navy. Ronald Rago operated a business that sold undercoating products to dealers in California, and Gary Osborn had a similar business in Texas. They incorporated Cal-Tex in 1983, and combined their existing companies. Ron retired from Cal-Tex in 2006. Gary still actively participates in its day-to-day operations.

Cal-Tex acquired several chemical formulas in the 1980s which became the basis for additional exterior and interior sealant/protectant products. Further growth occurred in the early and mid-1990s with the acquisition of other chemical suppliers. Through the years, Cal-Tex has grown from servicing a handful of dealers with one product to supporting thousands of dealers nationwide with over 40 products.

When Ron Rago retired, Cal-Tex became an Employee Owned company (ESOP). In 2011 Cal-Tex was named as one of the “Best Places to Work” by the San Antonio Business Journal, one of the top 50 privately held companies in the San Antonio area, received the “ACE” award by the National ESOP association, was named for the second time winners of the “Innovations Award” by the NCEO (National Center for Employee Ownership) , as well as voted one of the top 50 small companies in the America by INC. Magazine. The advent of “employee ownership” has driven the company to new heights of cultural performance with a 44% increase in revenue over the last 2 years. Today Cal-Tex is 97% employee owned.

Tell us about the products that you offer and how they work.

Cal-Tex has several product choices with varied warranty coverages.

Our new product line, EnviroGuard NG™ family of products incorporates cutting-edge nanotechnology, leading the industry with superior product performance and unparalleled warranty benefits. www.ctpc.com

Exterior Paint Protection

All painted surfaces on your vehicle are covered for up to seven years against acid rain, oxidation, loss of gloss, bug damage, environmental fallout, paint overspray, water spots, methylene chloride, including painted bumpers, side view mirrors, original factory installed spoilers and painted body side moldings.

Expanded coverage for this product includes headlight lens dulling or fading, brake dust on chrome and aluminum alloy wheels and water spotting on chrome.

Interior Surface Protection (Fabric, Leather/Vinyl)

Our NG Fabric protection is our first ever water-based interior protection. The interior fabric, leather and vinyl surfaces are covered against permanent staining from lipstick, water or oil based products, vomit and urine. In addition, original factory floor mats and trunk carpet in the vehicle are covered from all permanent stains for up to seven years.

In addition, this product meets the most stringent VOC (volatile organic compounds) guidelines in the U.S.

Expanded coverage includes saddle leather and pigmented plastics (door panel and consoles)

Additional benefits available for this product family are: rental car reimbursement up to $50.00 per day; any vehicle under 48 months old is considered to be a new vehicle; renewable for life; no transfer fees for active U.S. Military; available 1 thru seven year terms; lease & smart buy terms.

Rust Inhibitors

Protecting against the effects of moisture, salt and humidity preventing against rust and corrosion from the inside out for use on inner-body panels. The benefits of this product extend beyond the auto manufacturer’s warranty.

Undercoating & Noise Inhibitors

This product for use on the exterior underbody effectively deadens road noise insulating against heat, cold and dust.

Windshield Protection

The ResistAll® Windshield Protection product is uniquely formulated to protect automotive windshield glass from damage due to rock chips and flying debris. The product incorporates the latest in nanotechnology creating a “Hydrophobic” effect between the foreign object and the glass. ResistAll® windshield product fills the pores and pits of the glass for ultimate protection to your costly windshield. This product comes with a fully insured warranty for up to five years, which is renewable for life, protecting the most vulnerable area of your vehicle against rock chips and cracks up to six inches.

Detail/Make Ready

Cal-Tex can provide the dealership’s Detail Department an extensive line of high quality, environmentally compliant make-ready chemicals and the necessary hardware items that (depending on the selected program), are made available with no up-front inventory charge to the Dealership.

How does your product offering differ from other appearance protection providers?

As Cal-Tex moves to excel in the automotive aftermarket industry, we continually strive to exceed our customer expectations to differentiate ourselves from our competitors. Our ownership culture ensures that every Cal-Tex employee owner works to provide a “Total Customer Experience.” Here are just a few of the benefits of partnering with Cal-Tex:

We manufacture and provide superior quality exterior and interior surface protection products (Nano Technology)

We offer effective window etch and body labeling theft deterrent products, backed by strong warranty protection

Our products are supplied with no up-front cost to the Dealership and are only paid for after the time of consumer purchase

All products are backed by top rated insurance carriers

Our in-house marketing and design departments customize specific point of sales materials.

We provide printed and video presentations to assist the F&I department with better product awareness

The Partners in Profit® program is designed to offer incentives to dealership employees for each sale of Cal-Tex products they produce.

Who are your target markets, how do you deliver your products to them and what message would you like to give them?

Cal-Tex makes available products and programs that fit any and all automotive dealerships throughout the United States. We have more than 90 employee owners nationwide, each one dedicated to the success of the dealership, sales representatives, and consumers.

Looking back over the past five years, how has the appearance protection industry changed and how do you see it changing in the future?

Products such as appearance protection programs have re-emerged in the past few years to be a key product in a dealership, generating significant financial income. Cal-Tex introduced a new product line, EnviroGuard NG™ (The Next Generation) in 2010. This new product line was specifically designed to meet new requirements for water-based automotive protectants as well as setting a new standard for effectiveness and friendly application. This line has been accepted enthusiastically by the marketplace, and along with the ResistAll®, ShadowMark®, and ATP® product lines, it positions Cal-Tex for continued success as the premier provider of automotive protection products in the automotive aftermarket industry.

What technology or services do you believe will drive your future success?

Cal-Tex and its employee owners pride themselves in providing our customers with superior products and exceptional service. Our Cal-Tex Sales Team is dedicated to support our customers from coast to coast. We have incorporated new technology into the selling process through providing QR Bar Codes on our point of sale materials which take the customer directly to our customer video on “You Tube”. Cal-Tex has developed and delivered sales presentations on the iPad that eliminate the need for paper presentations and ease of access to Cal-Tex sales material. Our warranty service representatives are here to service all consumer claims. Through processing the claim, our goal is to create a “Total Customer Service Experience” that exceeds the industry standard. Embracing new technology within our manufacturing, warranty services, and marketing helps leverage our services and programs provided to our customers to exceed industry standards.

The new “advanced clean cars” regulations, adopted in a unanimous vote by the state Air Resources Board, requires cars and light trucks sold in 2025 to emit 75 percent fewer smog-forming pollutants and reduce carbon dioxide by about a third, reported The Wall Street Journal.

The program envisions that 1.4 million, or one in seven, new cars sold in California in 2025 will run on electricity or hydrogen and produce no emissions, or run on electricity and gasoline to produce much lower emissions than conventional gasoline-fueled cars.

The rules would apply to cars and light trucks for model years 2017 and later.

Auto makers said they are already making electric and hydrogen-fueled vehicles and support the rules. But they worried about whether enough electric and hydrogen fueling stations would be widely available throughout California, which they said is a requirement for widespread consumer adoption of zero- and low-emission vehicles.

“Auto makers have invested massive sums of money to bring these vehicles to market, so we have a huge stake in trying to sell them,” said Gloria Bergquist, a spokeswoman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a trade group. “The success depends on the fueling infrastructure being available so consumers will buy them.”

The alliance represents General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and other manufacturers, all of whom deferred to the trade group for comment.

Auto makers believe that since the state has mandated that their industry build and sell zero- and low-emission vehicles, it’s only fair for the state to require fuel retailers to make electricity and hydrogen widely available so that consumers will buy and drive the cars, Ms. Bergquist said.

But refiners and service station owners don’t see it that way.

Oil refiners and fuel importers oppose a rule that requires them to put hydrogen-fueling equipment at service stations, most of which are independently owned by other companies, said Cathy Reheis-Boyd, president of the Western States Petroleum Association.

“We refine gasoline and diesel and we do not believe it’s appropriate for refiners and importers to be obligated to put hydrogen infrastructure at retail gas stations that we don’t own,” Ms. Reheis-Boyd said.

Service station owners also don’t want to be required to install hydrogen-fueling equipment, over concerns that they could lose money on the investment.

Instead, both industries have proposed that the government provide subsidies to install hydrogen-fueling equipment, at least in the early years of the clean cars program.

State officials said the clean car rules would be similar to a federal proposal to boost fuel efficiency standards for most cars and trucks. The Obama administration has discussed the proposed rules, but has not formally proposed a set of regulations.

ARB Chair Mary Nichols said California’s clean-car rules would be essentially the same as the expected federal rules, with possible slight differences.

“We’re not seeing any fundamental differences with the federal government in fundamental philosophies,” Ms. Nichols told reporters on Friday. “I don’t think the delay will have a negative impact on the auto industry at all.”

The rules are the latest version of regulations originally adopted in 1990 to improve air quality in California, which has some of the nation’s dirtiest air.

This time, the clean car rules include limits on greenhouse-gas emissions, in line with the state’s 2006 plan to combat climate change.

Consumer groups, environmental groups and local government agencies that oversee air quality lauded the new rules.

“ARB’s decision is a victory for California residents, where 90 percent of the public still live in areas of unhealthy air,” Simon Mui, a scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council, wrote in a blog post. “With all major auto makers already launching or planning to offer in total 30 to 40 plug-in electric vehicle models, these standards will help scale-up and pull forward technologies already available today.”

The regulations include a provision under which the ARB would take another look at how the rules were working and whether changes might be needed to reach the goals of the program.

The Air Resources Board has estimated that the rules will add an average of $1,900 to vehicle prices, which the agency said would be offset by savings on fuel purchases that would average about $6,000 over the life of the car.

Auto dealers have countered that the rules could boost the car prices nearly double what the ARB estimates, and hurt growth in the market.

The partnership includes processing credit application and contract data within the dealer management system (DMS) as part of VCI’s FinanceSource™ dealer program. The FinanceSource program allows VCI and various dealer service providers (DSPs)—like ADP Dealer Services, Inc. and The Reynolds and Reynolds Company—to streamline the F&I process within the DMS to expedite application processing and ensure accurate and validated contracts.

“This integrated solution will help our dealers improve profitability and the overall sales experience by creating a more efficient and smooth funding process,” said David Wicks, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for VCI.

Successful pilot programs with Audi and Volkswagen dealers using ADP and Reynolds and Reynolds systems in California and Massachusetts have showed promising results. Full dealer rollouts will continue on a state-by-state basis over the next 24 months.

“Open Dealer Exchange is proud to partner with an industry leader like VCI to provide technology solutions that allow the dealer and lender to interact seamlessly within the DMS. There’s no need for their dealers to ever leave the DMS in the first place,” said Steve Luyckx, General Manager for Open Dealer Exchange.

“And, with our solutions, a dealer doesn’t have to worry about the integration costs associated with third-party portals that go outside their normal workflow.”

Open Dealer Exchange, founded in 2009 as a joint venture between ADP Dealer Services and Reynolds and Reynolds, integrates a finance source or F&I product provider directly within an auto dealership’s DMS.

By eliminating the need for dealers to log into multiple systems or re-key data into various applications during a vehicle sale, this innovative process results in increased operational efficiencies, reduced contract errors and a more streamlined process with a lender or provider’s franchised dealerships.

Known in the automobile dealer industry as a provider of vehicle service contracts, CNA National was established as Western National Warranty Corporation in January 1982 as a family-owned business operated by Paul and Judy Askos.

“Every day we feel entrusted to continue the dream that Paul and Judy started three decades ago,” says Joe Becker, president and chief executive officer of CNA National.

“We have gone through many transitions and trends in the industry, but our commitment to providing the highest quality product and customer service has never changed. We enjoy the financial stability provided to us by CNA, while valuing the family-owned roots that built the foundation for our enduring success.”

On August 31, 1995, Western National Warranty Corporation was sold to CNA Financial Corporation and eventually renamed CNA National Warranty Corporation. The company has seen exponential growth over the years, with nearly 2 million contracts in force today.

“Our goal was never to be the biggest, but to be the best,” says Alan Miller, senior vice president of sales for CNA National. “We are proud to have achieved this goal and have implemented a strategy to continue our success as we expand in the future.”

The 30th anniversary is being celebrated with employees, sales agents and strategic partners to provide CNAN stakeholders unique opportunities to interact with each other. This year, CNAN will also introduce new advertising, marketing and media outreach campaigns.