Quality Parts Coalition Welcomes Support of Ohio Valley Automotive Aftermarket Association

OVAAA and QPC Recognize Strength in Numbers to Preserve Consumer Choice

WASHINGTON — Quality Parts Coalition (QPC) today announced the Ohio Valley Automotive Aftermarket Association (OVAAA) has joined the ever-growing effort to secure permanent legislation preserving competition and preventing automakers from gaining a monopoly in the automotive collision parts industry.

A monopoly on automotive replacement collision parts will drive up costs to consumers and threaten the future vitality of the entire industry, impacting thousands of American jobs. Currently, competition in the alternative collision parts industry saves consumers up to $1.5 billion per year, with quality replacement collision parts costing anywhere from 26 percent to 50 percent less than manufacturer-issued parts. Without competition, auto manufacturers will be able to increase prices and consumers will have no other choice than to pay higher costs when repairing a damaged vehicle.

“Today there are nearly 2,000,000 Ford F-150 drivers on America’s roads who don’t have a choice when it comes to replacing seven collision parts on their 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 F-150s,” said Eileen Sottile, executive director of the QPC. “OVAAA’s contributions to QPC’s efforts will help to ensure that countless other drivers aren’t subjected to the same type of monopoly.”

A leader in the automotive aftermarket in the Ohio Valley, OVAAA promotes a cooperative relationship between the various wholesalers, repair facilities and manufacturers; and encourages members to adopt and practice high ethical business standards.

“The Ohio Valley Automotive Aftermarket Association has provided a unified force to protect the automotive aftermarket in Ohio and West Virginia,” said Gary Murdock, president of OVAAA. “Working with the QPC will strengthen our efforts across the nation as we work to ensure permanent legislation that will protect our industry and our customers.”

For more information, visit www.ovaaa.org and www.qualitypartscoalition.com.

The Ohio Valley Automotive Aftermarket Association (OVAAA) is a non-profit trade association representing aftermarket businesses in Ohio and West Virginia. Members include automotive parts stores, warehouses, paint and body shop suppliers, manufacturers, manufacturers agents, repair service facilities, body shops, full-service stations, tire dealers, used parts suppliers, glass shops, and other related industries. The Ohio Valley Automotive Aftermarket Association was originally known as the Ohio Automotive Wholesalers Association (OAWA), which was founded in Ohio in 1957.

The Quality Parts Coalition represents the interests of the independent parts industry, the repair industry, the insurance industry and consumers. It is the goal of the Quality Parts Coalition to develop and secure a permanent legislative change to U.S. design patent law to preserve competition and to protect the consumer’s right to benefit from quality, lower-cost alternative replacement parts.