Green is not just a color anymore. Saying you would like a green shirt or green walls in a room these days takes the word back to a very elementary level. Today, “green” cannot be mentioned without someone thinking about the environment. In business, “going green” is a term now used in marketing products and brands to a well-educated consumer marketplace.
Green also can be used to describe a person new to a particular situation. As the new executive director of the Automotive Oil Change Association (AOCA), that is what I am, as green as can be. I began on Oct. 1, working the first few weeks with my predecessor Steve Christie, who was at the helm here for 16 years. Steve, the AOCA board and staff have done great work and set up a wonderful organization with many benefits.
When I interviewed for this position, one of the key things I wanted to discover was how much being active in the AOCA helped those on the interview team succeed in their businesses. To a person, each said AOCA has made a great difference in the success of their business, personal growth and in establishing great networks of colleagues and friends.
That was really all I needed to know. So, here I am, getting less green each day.
While I am new to this particular market and membership, I am far from green in terms of association experience. With more than 15 years behind me, I bring a level of expertise in association management, marketing, public relations, government affairs, publishing and education.
I have served with some very diverse associations and memberships, from state government employees to chamber of commerce professionals to security-related business owners. The latter gives me particular insight into the fast lube industry because there are many parallels between what entrepreneurs in the security market face and the challenges met by fast lube owners and managers.
My brief bio aside, I would like to talk a little more about this modern and popular interpretation of green. No matter the business or industry, owners and managers are implementing, struggling to implement, or struggling to find ways to “green” their businesses. Isn’t it ironic that “going green” — the color of money — just might be a new profit-and-loss descriptor, like “black” is for profit or “red” is for loss?
My theory is that green will become the new black, particularly in the automotive business. If you are not at least environmentally aware or going green, you might end up in the red.
This could certainly be the case for fast lube operators. Many members of the AOCA are working toward more environmentally friendly operations, not simply because it is the thing to do, but because it makes business sense. Customers not only appreciate it, they may begin to expect it.
AOCA President Chris Tolsdorf is one such operator. His operations are powered solely by wind energy. Chris is leading the AOCA in a project to help educate members about going green. We are currently defining the elements of this program and will announce details as they become available.
That being said, many of you may already be a touch green.
If you have a lube operation, are abiding by codes and regulations and have implemented a SPCC (spill prevention, control and countermeasure) plan, then you already have measures in place to help protect the environment.
Similarly, if you are a lube operator who takes waste oil from do-it-yourselfers in your area, then you are going even further to help protect the environment. Without that option, many would pour their waste oil down a drain or into the ground.
To help educate consumers, AOCA and the National Ground Water Association have teamed to promote how fast lubes enhance the safety of drinking water. The facts don’t lie. Almost half of the U.S. population relies on groundwater for drinking. As a nation, we use 83.3 billion gallons of fresh ground water per day, so protecting it is of vital importance. Four pints of waste oil can ruin 1 million gallons of water. That is a year’s supply for 50 people.
Further still, if you are a lube operator who regularly services the same customers, then you are contributing to increased gas mileage and saving fuel, which is a major issue globally. In addition, you are facilitating more-efficient and better-performing engines, which reduce emissions.
Lube operators save people money and time. They help lower the costs of owning a vehicle, and in the process of performing best practices, are at least a shade of green.
As we develop our environmental education program, we will help members become that much greener. If your company is not a member of AOCA, we would love to have you. The payback in benefits is tremendous. Membership costs less than $1 per day. That’s beyond green. As pocket change, you might say it’s silver and bronze!
David Saddler is executive director of the Automotive Oil Change Association, based in Dallas. He can be reached at 800.331.0329 or dsaddler@aoca.org.