The Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) is a not-for-profit trade association based in Bethesda, MD. AAIA's 23,000 members and affiliate companies manufacture, distribute, sell and install motor vehicle parts, accessories, tools, equipment, materials, supplies, and services. Representing suppliers, distributors, retailers, service providers, program groups, manufacturers' representatives, educators, and publishers, AAIA is the largest and most comprehensive trade association for the automotive aftermarket. The organization was established in July 1999 upon the consolidation of the Automotive Parts and Accessories Association (APAA) and the Automotive Service Industry Association (ASIA). Kathleen Schmatz leads AAIA as president and CEO.
Membership is built around 7 distinct subset groups representing different segments of the aftermarket industry. These include the Automotive Electric Association (AEA), the Auto International Association (AIA), the Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association (AWDA), the Heavy Duty Distribution Association (HDDA), Paint, Body & Equipment Specialists (PBES), and the Upholstery & Trim International, Tool & Equipment (TOOL)segments.
AAIA is a co-sponsor of the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX), the largest annual trade show for automotive aftermarket industry professionals. AAPEX show is part of the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week held during the first week of November at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas, Nev.. Nearly 115,000 professionals from around the globe participate in Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week (AAIW). AAPEX represents the do-it-yourself retail aftermarket and the "professionally installed" aftermarket. More than one million square feet of space makes AAPEX your global source for parts, accessories and service equipment. Special show sections include Machine Shop; Paint, Body & Equipment; Tool & Equipment; Medium & Heavy Duty Truck; SUV; Vehicle Technology; Mobile Electronics/ E-Commerce and Auto International. Automotive parts wholesale distributors, retailers, service chains, jobbers and service professionals attend AAPEX.
Committed to consumer education and political activism on behalf of its members, AAIA also spearheads the "Be Car Care Aware" consumer education campaign and advocates the Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to Repair Act.
The AAIA Catalog Enhanced Standards (ACES) and the Product Information Exchange Standards (PIES) facilitate electronic commerce between aftermarket suppliers and buyers. Notable market research publications include the Aftermarket Factbook & Lang Annual, the Aftermarket FastForward 2012, and the Telematics Primer.
The overall automotive aftermarket sales in 2012 totaled an estimate $307.7 Billion representing a 3.5 percent gain over 2011.
A total of 3.84 million people were employed in the automotive aftermarket in 2010.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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