My Dear Clients,
My Friend Greg Buckley sent this to me, and I wanted to share it with you!
By now all of us are awe struck and saddened by the horrible earthquake and tsunami that the people of Japan have recently suffered. There are no words to describe what a tragedy like this can mean to the lives of the thousands living in the heart of the stricken area or the families that are watching, waiting and praying from afar. The American Red Cross is actively taking donations online to support the rescue mission. You can click here for more information. http://www.redcross.org/
The Aftershocks For The Auto Industry And You
As much as we should focus on the human element of such a catastrophe, it’s also responsible on our part to alert you of the very real possibility of delays in acquiring parts and supplies to repair and maintain your vehicle in a timely manner. We want to make you aware of how the automotive trade could be impacted for a foreseeable future.
The prefecture where the devastation had occurred, Fukushima, is a major hub for Toyota/Lexus, Nissan/Infiniti, Honda/Acura and Subaru manufacturing and distribution. This includes the making of vehicles, body panels, engines, service parts and electronics. As an example, Toyota sources over 50% of its global production from that area, while Honda and Nissan source 25%. That’s a very big percentage for any distribution network to overcome without some sort of downstream pressure. To complicate matters, all shipping ports to these sites have been seriously compromised.
Although the automotive aftermarket is one of the most resourceful worldwide networks and operated with experienced individuals throughout, we anticipate that many of us will be affected either through delays in acquiring parts or through price spikes due to scarcity of inventory. Our desire will be for the gaps in the inventory to be quickly filled by shifting production to other parts of the world that are capable of producing quality replacement parts. Like all of us, we too will have to wait for the outcome. Our alliance with the recognized leader for quality parts, strong warranties and major purchasing power here in the U.S and abroad, make us confident that delays will be minimized if they should materialize at all.
Auto Craftsmen is committed to quality when servicing all makes and models with parts from both the original equipment manufacturer and aftermarket manufacturers that meet the highest standards and are recognized as leaders by our industry trade standards.
We will keep you updated as to how the situation progresses. It’s important to have all of our clients understand just what market interruptions can do. The more we all know and understand, the better we can manage your time and your vehicle’s maintenance or repairs. Please look for updates on all of our social streams including Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/autocraftsmen and our website blog: http://www.AutoCraftsmen.com
Thank you,
Amy Mattinat
Auto Craftsmen
(802) 223-2253
Please feel free to share this with others. It’s very important to have everyone understand regardless of where they have their vehicle serviced.