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Who's Who
in the FDA
President
Edwin J. Mullane
1969-2000
Vice
Presidents
John B. Darling
Lawrence
T. Fette
Timothy J. Guinee
Robert
X. Robertazzi
Treasurer
Peter B. Griffin
Secretary
Charles R. Rampone
Directors:
Wallace E. Camp
Joseph E. Carley Jr.
John C. Carmody
David
R. Cartwright
Charles Chalom
Robert M. Chambers
Rudolph M. Chiorazzo
John T. Grappone
Robert B. Green
Allen J. Hall
Richard J. Homan
Lee M. Horner
James F. Kennedy
John M. Kingery
Dwight W. McGuirk
Terry
L. Morris
Frank
Nappa
E. Thomas Otis, Jr.
Mark
X. Paladino
Richard D. Wagner
Executive
Director
A.
Michell Van Vorst
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A little
history of the FDA...
In 1967, Ed Mullane, one of
the highest volume, highest profit dealers in the Newark District, was
elected to the National Dealer Council and named as Committee Chairman.
He raised the issue of increasing the warranty labor rate, which was then
pegged so low ($3.50/hour) that dealers were losing money.
Only when Ford turned him down
did he rally the Newark and New York dealers to fund a Booz Allen & Hamilton
study to prove the point. His testimony at the second round of Auto Repair
Hearings in Washington led to all the manufacturers raising labor rates.
In 1969 the Newark and New York dealers, realizing what they could accomplish
as a group, founded and incorporated the Ford Dealers Alliance.
Ford countered by selecting
one of the founding members and canceling him. As Automotive News headlines
put it: "Ford faces off with FDA, canceling Semmes Motors, Semmes sues
Ford and Ford counter sues. Semmes wins writ to halt Ford cancellation."
The case was settled in 1970. For the first time, a group of dealers had
fought Ford to a standoff.
What
the Alliance has done
- Funded a 1973 study on
warranty parts markup. Saw it raised - but still too low.
- Publicized the huge subsidies
that factories were giving to fleets. Saw Ford and GM drop front-end
subsidies in 1970.
- Spearheaded the drive against
fleet subsidies in 1982, held rallies, ran national ads through the
1980's, supporting HR 1415 in the 98th Congress.
- Fought termination case
and established the precedent of injunctive relief that protects dealers
from unfair termination.
- Spoke in forty states of
the union in favor of franchise legislation when this was an unpopular
cause.
- Forced NADA to back off
its compromise fleet subsidy bill that would have legitimized two-tier
pricing, and pre-empted state legislation.
- Funded a study of planning
volume that exposed the formula for what it is - a sales quota. Took
much of the threat out of it.
- Conducted a warranty survey
in 1990 that showed dealers were losing $19 per R.O. Ford's parts markup
and flat rate manual limit warranty pay to two-thirds retail pay for
the same work. This is against state laws.
- Retained counsel and closed
a factory diagnostic center that was competing with Ford dealer service
departments.
- Spearheaded the drive for
state legislation against the encroachment of the Ford Retail Network.
- Supported the lawsuit against Ford Motor Company challenging the Blue Oval Program.
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