The auto retailing industry, as always seems to be the case, faces many challenges. It’s critical that dealers, manufacturers, and other stakeholders work together to educate our elected leaders. All parties must advocate for both our businesses and our customers to support the work NJ CAR conducts on our behalf. Vehicle affordability; regulatory and legislative uncertainty; consumer anxiety about the economy; and other factors are creating an environment that’s preventing many consumers from purchasing a new vehicle. The goals I’ve laid out for myself (and the Coalition) during my tenure as NJ CAR Chairman are focused on positioning the industry to best meet all the challenges we may face.

Promoting Greater Dealer Engagement

NJ CAR staff do an incredible job supporting the legislative and regulatory efforts that benefit our businesses and consumers. Their staff also defends us against initiatives that would harm our businesses or consumers. Our voice is made much stronger when dealers are engaged with the Coalition on all fronts, including:

• Adding all employee email addresses to our NJ CARPOOL grassroots efforts
• Attending informational events and training classes
• Purchasing products from NJ CAR Services
• Utilizing the programs offered by NJ CAR’s endorsed providers
• Supporting CAR-PAC and NADA PAC

Defending The Franchise System

Rivian, Lucid, Scout, and other direct sales advocates are lobbying to join Tesla in selling direct to consumers. It is imperative that we continue advocating for and defending the existing franchise model and distribution system. We must educate our elected officials about the value the franchise system brings to consumers and our local communities, highlighting why the direct sales model is so harmful to the car-buying public.

Working with Legislators & Regulators

NJ CAR has been hard at work since election day, developing relationships with the new Sherrill Administration, new legislators, and new leaders of the regulatory departments impacting our industry. We must focus on helping them understand the critical role we play as community leaders in hundreds of towns across New Jersey, and remind them of the tens of thousands of jobs we create and support.

Some of the specific issues I’d like to focus on in 2026 include:

• Collaborating with the Motor Vehicle Commission to make vehicle titling and registration more efficient
• Working with the Legislature and State regulatory agencies, as well as our manufacturers, to bolster consumer protection
• Ensuring OEMs abide by the provisions of the Motor Vehicle Open Recall Notice & Fair Compensation Act, which goes into effect April 1, 2026

Our Coalition is strong thanks to the 520+ new car and truck dealers and 38,000+ employees in New Jersey. We can be even stronger by having more people participate in NJ CAR’s grassroots efforts. Legislators need to hear from us when it comes to supporting or opposing legislation. We need to support the lobbying efforts of NJ CAR President Laura Perrotta; Executive Vice President & Chief of Staff Greyson P. Hannigan, Esq.; and Senior Vice President of Government & Regulatory Affairs Magdalena Padilla, Esq. In addition, every dollar spent by dealers on products and services provided by NJ CAR goes into funding the Coalition’s lobbying and communication efforts to benefit and defend the franchise dealer model. Investing in NJ CAR’s products and services is an investment in our dealer advocacy efforts in Trenton and the State policies that directly impact your business.

I look forward to helping NJ CAR achieve its goals in 2026, and I hope all dealerships and their employees will lend their support.