AIADA Pres. Cody Lusk on keeping the auto industry a level playing field and free of excessive Gov. influence

More than half of all U.S. dealership jobs are created by international nameplate automobile dealers, according to the American International Automobile Dealers Association. The Association recently released their 2021 Economic Impact Report and joining today to discuss its findings, is Cody Lusk, President of AIADA. We’ll also get into what’s making headlines today and what the association has planned for the remainder of the year.

The 2021 Economic Impact Report from AIADA highlights the effects that its dealer members, dealership employees, and products have on the U.S. economy. This report is created annually in partnership with Autos Drive America and explores the growing segment of manufacturing presence in the automotive space.

Some of the key findings include:

• The AIADA dealer network is responsible for 50-60% of sales in the market
• The network also employs almost 600,000 of dealership positions
• 60% of direct jobs are in manufacturing
• International automakers have invested $98 billion into U.S. operations
• $34 billion generated in federal tax receipts and other revenues
• $253 billion contributed to the GDP

“We’re small businesses with big impact and big imprints throughout the U.S., so we want to highlight that, ” Lusk explains.

A caveat to the manufacturing bumps, that the AIADA is constantly monitoring, is federal government favoritism to certain automakers and OEMs. Former President Donald Trump made several pointed speeches and tweets that swayed consumer and manufacturer decisions regarding automobiles. Lusk says the same is happening under President Joe Biden, specifically when he visited Ford Motor Company to test drive the Ford F-150 Lightning prototype.

Additionally, Congressman Dan Kildee from Michigan’s fifth district, has introduced legislation to expand incentives for American, union-made electric vehicles, which recently passed through the House Ways and Means Committee. The AIADA is concerned that this is a show of favoritism to union workers over non-union workers. Lusk says that the first priority should be giving the consumers the best products available without the federal government picking winners and losers. 

This example speaks to the larger goals of the AIADA for the remainder of the year which are to ensure that the auto industry is a level playing field. Lusk adds that the industry needs to get back to letting the consumer decided which product they want without overt government influence.

To learn about the AIADA and what they work to accomplish, visit www.aiada.org/news.

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