As we close out what has been a challenging year full of uncertainty, I can reflect with optimism that the spirit and resilience of the California retail automotive industry is alive and well. While we’ve all had to endure significant change this year, it’s more clear than ever that the industry can withstand just about anything and come back ready and willing to support the transportation needs of millions of Californians.

There is much left to be revealed about how quickly the industry can fully recover and if the momentum is sustainable throughout the uncertain winter months ahead. However, what we do know is there are many factors involved in this recovery including consumer confidence, available inventory, slow improvement in unemployment, and the continued uncertainty around COVID-19. But with recent data on California sales for Q3, I have no doubt that we are on the right path to a full recovery and California dealers are certainly prepared to persevere and embrace what lies ahead.

I couldn’t be prouder of CNCDA’s dealer body as this year demonstrated the strength, commitment and passion of all California dealers. As dealers across the state were consumed by following and implementing new health and safety protocols to comply with the ever-changing COVID-19 landscape, dealers also stepped up significantly to protect the dealer franchise system by coming out in force against AB 326. The defeat of this bill is singlehandedly our biggest legislative accomplishment this year, and it couldn’t have been achieved without the support of all of you, the guidance of our dealer leadership, CNCDA staff, and the support of our metro associations. While we are proud of this victory, we also know that this fight is far from over and we can expect to see similar proposals in the legislature next year, which we are preparing for.

Engagement from dealers in 2020 did not start or stop with our advocacy efforts, we saw it throughout the year. CNCDA had hundreds of attendees and participants join us for our most compelling and valuable in-person and virtual events, to name a few:

• 6 CCPA Compliance Seminars
• 5 Coronavirus Laws and Your Dealership Webinars
• Franchise Law Webinar
• Member Appreciation Week
• New Laws Virtual Seminar Series

It speaks volumes that amidst one of the toughest years dealers have experienced since the Great Recession, the dedication to the industry, the association and your businesses continues to be of utmost importance. For this, I want to thank each one of you, the industry is better because of your interest and commitment.