2024MarchApril-CJ - 34

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE
the introduction of the complete truck
radiator. The same trend occurred with
truck radiators that had happened to car
radiators 20 years earlier. Trucks went
to plastic and aluminum, and radiator
repairs were no longer a viable alternative
for truck service. Once again trends in
our business that are out of our control
influence the future. The survivors in
our industry looked for new markets
and niches to sustain and grow their
businesses.
During the time of decline for the radiator
shop, NARSA also felt the pinch. Our
membership decreased and steps were
taken to streamline the association. The
association was comprised of regions.
Each region had a president, vice
president, secretary, treasurer, and a Board
of Directors. There were 6 regions: the
Northeast, Southeast, Central, Southwest,
West, and Canada. All the regions reported
to a national board which also had officers
and directors. The first wave of downsizing
to accommodate a smaller budget was to
downsize the leadership of each region.
As time passed, more shops disappeared,
and membership shrank even more. The
association could no longer sustain a
standalone convention so in early 2004
the association's leaders negotiated
with AAPEX to partner with them for a
trade show and convention to be held
during Automotive Aftermarket week in
Las Vegas. Partnering with AAPEX was
a success and a move which allowed
NARSA to continue its mission. Shortly
after the partnership with AAPEX, the
regions were disbanded in favor of the
national board and its officers managing
the entire country. This was one more step
to cut costs and maintain the association's
finances in a positive manner.
In the early 2000s NARSA sold the
headquarters/offices of the association.
The leaders of NARSA felt owning real
estate and the expense of operating
an office would not serve us well in the
long run based on the trajectory of
membership and budgets. In addition to
divesting the real estate, NARSA retained
an outside management company to
handle the association's affairs. This move
lasted for only a few years, and then the
association approached and contracted
Wayne Juchno to manage the association
like he had done several years before.
Wayne managed NARSA for 10 years until
his retirement in 2019.
As a result of Wayne's retirement, MSN
Services was contracted to take over the
NARSA's management. 2019 was also
the year IDEA (The International Diesel
Emissions Association) was started. Diesel
Particulate Filter (DPF) cleaning became
another niche some of the radiator shops
got involved with to help grow their
businesses. DPF cleaning was a great
add-on and several members have had
great success with the addition of this
service.
Over the years, the radiator business
has continued to change, especially with
Today's radiator shop and the overall
radiator market is far different than what
it was 70 years ago. The great news is
that NARSA has adapted and figured out
a way to stay relevant for the people who
want to continue to grow their business.
We are definitely different today in almost
every way except for the most important
area- helping our members become
more successful and profitable.
In the Cooling Journal this year, you will
see several pictures and stories from some
of our past members and presidents. This
year is dedicated to celebrating our 70th
birthday. Hopefully, we will have many
more years as an association.
FUTURE EVENTS
FOR NARSA/IDEA
By the time this magazine is distributed,
the first of our 4 meetings this year will
be underway or just completed. NARSA/
IDEA'S Board of Directors and I want to
thank Jim and Lynda Drespling of Jim
D's DPF Cleaning Service in Glenolden,
Pennsylvania for hosting the first
stand alone DPF training session. Even
though there are many radiator service
businesses who clean DPFs, the Board
of Directors, and some of our members
thought there should be a stand alone
meeting for DPF Cleaning companies.
32 | THE COOLING JOURNAL | March/April 2024
2024MarchApril-CJ

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of 2024MarchApril-CJ
