You Don’t Need to Be On Your Own Island

by Joe Ocello, AASP/NJ Mechanical Executive Director

Spring has sprung, how about you?!

Did you make it to the NORTHEAST® Automotive Service Show in March? Let me tell you, it was an amazing weekend full of vendors, training and inspiration for both mechanical and collision participants – not to mention loads of giveaways!

Not to worry, if you did miss it this year, we are already working on next year, which will be the 50th anniversary of NORTHEAST. Stay tuned and please follow aaspnjnortheast.com and social media pages. We plan to make next year’s show even bigger and better than ever! For those of you who did attend NORTHEAST, I would love to hear from you. Drop me an email and let me know your thoughts and suggestions. We are always looking to improve. We are here to help you, and the best way to do that is to let AASP/NJ know what YOU want and need from your association.

Speaking of bigger and better, what are your business plans? Are they bigger and better, or both? Not everyone wants to expand, but everyone always wants to be better. Better means bigger profits and hopefully less headaches. Standing still and expecting change is insanity.

There were so many opportunities to be had at the trade show that introduced innovative technologies, equipment and training programs to make your facility number one.  As my daughter and grandkids like to tell me, “Second place is the first-place loser” LOL! I taught them that – bad pop-pop! Here at AASP/NJ, we can help you bridge most gaps by putting the right people in front of you. Need a social media person? We got that. Need insurance help? We have that. How about financing? We know a guy. Training, equipment, business management – we have you covered. We have people, products and knowledge just waiting for your call. Do not hesitate to contact AASP/NJ. Either myself or our staff members will be more than willing to point you in the right direction.

Now is the time to move forward. The average age of a vehicle today is 13 years. That means more customers, more work coming through the door and more profit in your pocket and your business. But in order to accommodate your customers, you need education and the correct tools. ADAS is becoming a large part of our business. The more you touch a vehicle, the more the need for calibration comes into play. Alignments, broken mirrors, damaged sensors in the bumper, cameras, etc…you get the picture. People rely on these systems more and more.

Remember one especially important thing: when you touch the consumer’s vehicle you become one of the responsible people should there be a future problem. As we all know, there are plenty of people out there just looking to target someone. You and your shop do not want to go down that path. Don’t be a statistic. If you are not a member of AASP/NJ, now is the time to join. You don’t need to be on an island alone. There is no reason for it. We have hot line numbers for both the mechanical and collision divisions so we can provide you with our years of experience and knowledge. If you are already a member, use your association to help with most situations. If we don’t have the answer, we will look under every rock and in every corner to get you the information and resources you need, to take some of the pressure off of YOU so you can run your business.

We are here to help. With so many member benefit partners – some new, some long standing – the association is here to help you transition into, or become, a leader in our industry. Remember, joining others who have the same ambitions and goals will only propel you faster and further on your journey to success.

Well for now, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Stay blessed, balanced and enjoy every moment. Life is short.  Keep rolling. As my old friend Nick T. would tell me, “Keep moving, or that steam roller will get you.” Until next time.

Contact me at joeocello@aaspnj.org or (386) 314-6359.

Want more? Check out the June 2026 issue of New Jersey Automotive!