Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association Taps Bill Long to Lead Organization During Critical Time

Main Navigation

Advertisement
Social Connect
Resources
Our Brand Family
Counterman - Babcox Media
Counterman has been serving auto parts jobbers, retailers and distributors since 1983.
Associations

Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association Taps Bill Long to Lead Organization During Critical Time

The MEMA board of directors selected Long after a national search conducted by Egon Zehnder to replace former MEMA President and CEO Steve Handschuh, who retired in December.

Counterman Staff
By Counterman Staff
Published:

Related Articles

The Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) has named William (Bill) Long as president and CEO, effective immediately.

The MEMA board of directors selected Long after a national search conducted by Egon Zehnder to replace former MEMA President and CEO Steve Handschuh, who retired in December.

Long takes the helm of the 115-year-old trade association at a critical time. The motor-vehicle parts industry, which represents the largest sector of manufacturing jobs in the United States, is facing significant challenges and opportunities. In addition to the biggest technological advances in 100 years, the industry is adapting to threats to international free trade, wide-ranging tariffs, significant regulatory shifts and workforce-development initiatives.

MEMA has earned a seat at the table in the Trump administration and has emerged as a consistent and trusted voice in the national conversation on the issues that affect MEMA’s division members. Long will be tasked with ensuring that MEMA is able to continue to successfully represent its 1,000 company members in Washington, D.C., and around the world.

“Bill brings to bear decades of level-headed experience participating in all market sectors in this industry, and we are fortunate to have his guidance as we address unprecedented levels of change,” said Dan Sceli, chairman of the MEMA board and president and CEO of Peterson American Corp. “Bill is a staunch advocate for our members. With his leadership, we will be able to face these headwinds and advance our industry in the global marketplace. I am excited to have Bill in this key role at this important time.”

Previously, Long was president and chief operating officer of the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), MEMA’s light-vehicle aftermarket division, which exclusively serves and represents North American aftermarket product manufacturers. He also served as executive vice president government affairs for MEMA, representing the business interests of all four MEMA divisions (which, in addition to AASA, include the Original Equipment Manufacturers Association, Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association and MERA, the Association for Sustainable Manufacturing).

“Our industry and our members are both experiencing and driving transformational advances in vehicle technology while at the same time adapting to tectonic shifts in the global marketplace,” Long said in a statement. “Now more than ever, it is important that our collective voice, across all of our divisions, be clear and strong on the issues that affect us all. I am grateful to the board and the MEMA membership for the opportunity to serve them at this level.”

Prior to joining AASA in 2012, Long served as president of Long Strategies and as managing partner of BC Partners, providing strategic-planning, brand-relevance and leadership services to the automotive industry. Long is most recognized for his 25 years at Echlin/DANA, where he led the company’s Engine Management Division and during his time as executive vice president, North American Operations for Proliance International, a leading manufacturer of temperature-control and heat-exchange products.

Long also is well-known in motorsports circles, where he served as a corporate officer for NASCAR in Daytona Beach and as a top executive for the IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Long serves on the board of the National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF) and as member of the Northwood University Automotive Aftermarket advisory board and the Automotive Aftermarket Charitable Foundation board. Long also is a past chairman of the National Car Care Council.

Long received the prestigious MEMA Triangle Award and Northwood University’s Automotive Aftermarket Management Education Award, both recognizing his work in educating federal lawmakers and serving as a technical expert on issues concerning the industry’s access to vehicle on-board diagnostics and repair information. Long also was honored with the Jack Arute Sr. Excellence in Motorsports Award for his contribution and dedication to the motorsports industry.

You May Also Like

Auto Industry

Customer Service: How It’s Done

Customer service should be your number one priority, and it all starts with the greeting.

Eric Garbe
By Eric Garbe
Eric Garbe is a graduate of Columbus State Community College with a degree in Automotive Maintenance Technology. He has extensive independent and dealership field experience as a technician and shop owner and is an ASE Certified Master Technician and former Adjunct Automotive Professor. He has been professionally writing automotive technical articles and documents for many years and in his free time enjoys restoring old cars and creating custom interiors and upholstery.
Published:

This is always an important topic to discuss, because I consider excellent customer service one of the most important tools you can have to earn trust, respect and repeat business from the customers that come through your door. Whether that customer is do-it-yourselfer from across town or the professional repair shop across the street, your business depends on a solid relationship.It’s a subject that I am passionate about, and it’s one that many people are losing touch with. Whether you are communicating to someone in person, on the phone or using some type of social media, good customer service and bad can both exist. You can’t afford the latter, so this is the first in a series of topics which can and should be shared from the front of the shop to the back. No matter which role you hold, you represent the shop and yourself. Customer service should be your number one priority.First on the list is the greeting. From the second a customer walks in the door, they need to know you appreciate them coming in and how important they are to your business. First impressions are everything and here’s the correct way to do it each and every time: look them directly in the eye, smile and say hello!Of course, you can say “Good morning” or “Welcome to Joe’s Autocare,” but it should be a formal greeting and the most important thing is that you have smiled, looked them in the eye and recognized that they have walked through the door.You should always retain a formal greeting until you are on a first-name basis with a customer. Only once you have established that level of relationship is it OK to use the less formal greeting of “Hi,” followed by the person’s name.This greeting does more than just indicate respect and appreciation for someone walking through the door. Most likely there are customers both new and old who are in earshot of your conversation. For newer customers, this continues to build rapport and reinforce their positive view of your shop; they see that you demonstrate respect and treat everyone in the same manner. For repeat customers, even ones that have been coming for years, the greeting is important because the way you treat them is the reason they continue to come.And when a long-time customer comes in and you greet them with “Hi [First Name],” this indicates your appreciation for them and that you’re glad to see them as a person, more than just a customer. New customers that witness this will see that your repeat customers are comfortable enough to be on a first-name basis, another indication of the trust they have in you.

Read Full Article

More Associations Posts
Jacki Lutz Named Content Director at Auto Care Association

Lutz will be tasked with leading a cross-functional and multimedia content strategy, development and execution across all platforms.

By Josh Cable
Jacki Lutz Auto Care
Auto Care Association Certified as a Great Place to Work

“This prestigious award is a testament to the association’s commitment to creating an inclusive, supportive and dynamic work environment for its employees,” Auto Care said.

By Josh Cable
MEMA’s Ann Wilson, Longtime Aftermarket Lobbyist, to Retire 

MEMA has chosen Ana Meuwissen to lead MEMA’s government-affairs initiatives and team upon Wilson’s retirement.

By Counterman Staff
Ann Wilson MEMA
MEMA, Gemini Shippers Association Sign Strategic Partnership

The partnership aims to offer top-tier international transportation procurement services to automotive OEM and aftermarket suppliers.

By Counterman Staff
MEMA Gemini Shippers

Other Posts

MEMA Launches At-Home REPAIR Campaign

The next step in the campaign to get the REPAIR Act passed is to get aftermarket suppliers involved.

By Emma Henderson
Shaw Assumes Leadership of MEMA Original Equipment Suppliers

Collin Shaw succeeds Julie Fream who served 10 years in the position.

By Emma Henderson
AACF Launches 65th Anniversary Fundraising Initiative

The campaign aims to raise $65,000 through 1,000 donations of $65 each.

By Counterman Staff
Schaeffler Publishes 2023 Sustainability Report 

Schaeffler was awarded an “A” score in the climate change category for 2023 by the global non-profit environmental organization CDP for corporate transparency and performance.

By Emma Henderson
Schaeffler Sustainability Report