Dealers Count

In our business, numbers count for a lot. The bottom line is more than a figure – it tells us how we’re performing, where we’re going, and what we can do better. The numbers have a story to tell, and if you want to succeed as a dealer in this competitive industry, you better be listening.

Numbers mean just as much on Capitol Hill. Politicians can grandstand as much as they want, but policy is driven by facts and figures. That’s why AIADA issues an economic impact report every year along with our friends at Autos Drive America. The report details the enormous positive impact our stores and brands have on the American economy and the American people.

Too often, our businesses are dismissed and derided as “foreign” in D.C. In order to score empty political points, lawmakers choose to be willfully ignorant of our contributions and the key role we play in communities in every corner of this country. We’ve seen evidence of that in recent weeks from at least one prominent president candidate. In response, we are arming AIADA’s members with all the information they need to rebut these outdated arguments and fairly represent their stores to their Members of Congress

The facts are clear cut: As of today, international auto manufacturers have built 31 manufacturing facilities in 13 states with 156,000 American employees building and designing 72 different vehicles. In every state, in nearly every Congressional district, 9,400+ international nameplate dealerships sold 7.5 million vehicles last year. Those stores are economic engines for the cities, towns, and country they serve – producing vital tax revenue and hundreds of thousands of stable, well compensated career positions.

A few additional highlights:

·      International nameplate auto dealerships represent a $50 billion national payroll and more than half of all dealership employment in the U.S.

·      In 2022, they pumped $4.3 billion in advertising dollars into the national economy and sold $68.6 billion in parts and services to American consumers.

·      In 2022, 9,416 international dealership franchises sold 7.5 million vehicles to American consumers – a 56% share of the U.S. retail vehicle market.

·      International automotive manufacturers are leading the effort to develop clean technologies, selling 1.1 million green vehicles in 2022 – 58% of the green market share.

·      Of course, trade is a pivotal part of the report. International automakers last year exported 695,000 U.S.- built vehicles worth $24 billion from U.S. seaports.

I hope you will read the full economic study at AIADA.org/report and share it far and wide, with your employees, your customers, your fellow dealers, and your elected officials. These numbers don’t come close to encompassing the full impact our businesses have on our communities – from charitable donations, to reliable service and safety checks, to indirect employment numbers – but they do give us a solid starting point to begin that conversation.

Mike DeSilva
AIADA Chairman