VACC Industry Policy Advisors John Khoury and Kathy Zdravevski attended the 2022 AAPEX and SEMA Show in Las Vegas as part of an action-packed work week.
The chamber representatives attended multiple keynotes, seminars, and panel events focussing on best practices, forward-looking strategies, and gathering the resources and insights VACC members need to advance their businesses now and in the future.
As part of the USA trip, Mr Khoury, Ms Zdravevski and VACC member, Frank Grocl, also met with local business owners and leaders to learn more about the automotive landscape.
The group toured Exoticar Paintworks, an unbelievably large and productive body and mechanical workshop managed by shop foreman, Michael Sigman. Mr Sigman shared his journey with the business, having started 22 years ago as a technician, before moving into a foreman position in 2017. The business is the only certified repair facility for Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Porsche, Aston Martin, Rivian, and Lucid in Las Vegas. It is also authorised to repair Mercedez, Maserati, Ferrari, Range Rover, Land Rover, and Tesla, among other makes/models. Employees are trained at manufacturing training facilities, traveling all over the world to gain the knowledge they need to expertly repair a huge range of vehicles.
The next stop was a meeting with Rivian Automotive’s Senior Manager, Frank Phillips, and Senior Lead Technical Collision Repair Manager Thomas Balliet at a Rivian-certified repair shop.
The visits and events allowed the VACC representatives to gain valuable insights into the best practices and policy development necessary for strategic guidance to chamber members navigating the now and the future of electric vehicle repairs and insurer behavior.