McHenry, IL -- Dec 07, 2001 -- “As an industry, we need to improve our image.”   

That was the message from Larry Pavey, president of Dana Brake and Chassis in his address to more than 1,000 aftermarket professionals who gathered at AAIA's Fourth Annual Town Meeting, Oct. 31, during AAIW 2001 in Las Vegas. 

Pavey was one of five industry leaders who served a panelist during a one-hour question-and-answer session on a variety of topics.  His colleagues included Fred Stampone, senior vice president of Pep Boys, Philadelphia, Pa.; Steve Odland, CEO of AutoZone, Memphis, Tenn.; Jim Postl, CEO of Penzoil-Quaker State, Houston, Texas and Dave O'Reilly, CEO of O'Reilly Automotive, Springfield, Mo.  The group agreed on the importance of promoting automotive service and projecting a professional image to consumers. 

“Our business is a good business, but it's not always portrayed that way,” said Pavey.  “The perception on Wall Street is that we are a low-growth or no-growth industry.  We've got to find a way to show people that this is an exciting business and there are fundamental opportunities and growth potential.” 

“We also have to focus on safety,” Pavey continued.  “The decline in new car sales and increase in average mileage of vehicles on the road makes regular inspections and effective repairs and maintenance vitally important.  

Pavey mentioned an accident last spring in Illinois in which brake failure caused the death of a family in a van.  “Our industry can contribute to the safety of the driving public.  That type of tragedy can be prevented.” 

Dana Brake and Chassis is currently developing a national advertising campaign for its Raybestos® brand brakes to increase consumer awareness of the importance of frequent automobile inspections and maintenance.  The campaign will also educate consumers about the various quality levels of aftermarket parts and help them make informed choices.  

Raybestos® brand brakes adopted D³EA (Dual Dynamometer Differential Effectiveness Analysis) testing three years ago as the best way to ensure the highest level of safety and to assure installers of the quality of the products.  D³EA is performed by an independent laboratory and uses the federal standards for new cars as the performance baseline.   

Dana Brake and Chassis, a part of the Dana Automotive Aftermarket Group, is based in McHenry, Ill. It is a leading manufacturer of automotive braking systems and components for the automotive aftermarket.  For more information, contact: Dana Brake and Chassis, 4400 Prime Parkway, McHenry, Ill. 60050.  Call (815) 363-9000.