Hello ARMO friends,
It's not often that I have the chance to send a letter to you as the Chair of this great Council. It's something that I enjoy and appreciate being able to lead this outstanding group who promotes and protects the restoration industry.
I wanted to update you on an event that the Council holds once a year, a strategic long-range planning session, where we decide what areas we will focus our efforts on for the next several years. The ARMO 2024 LRP (Long-Range Planning Meeting) was held February in Charleston S.C..
The select committee council members came from all over the country on behalf of SEMA, ARMO and the restoration industry as a whole to plan and discuss the future of our great lifestyle. We represent some 260 companies with a goal of providing the education and strategic resources for the collector car hobbyist.
ARMO has 11 select committee members that were elected to represent the council and to carry out the projects that ARMO champions. We are broken up into subcommittees with a lead (chair) for each one. With projects such as education, communication, events and Hot Products Showcase just to name a few, we all have to take on multiple tasks. Short sightedness is not the word of the day, it's long term! With every discussion, vote or planning session we are thinking long term.
One particular point of interest that ARMO covered was an initiative of outreach to the import markets. For years the ARMO council has been known for its undying love of the American muscle car, and now is the time to embrace the love of all restoration categories. From Chevelles to Skylines, Camaros to Volvos, there is a love of the cars that we grew up with and a place for all those people within ARMO.
With all the different projects that ARMO has going on throughout the year, the one that we get the most excited about is the ARMO banquet at SEMA Show. It is quickly becoming the must attend event at the show. At the LRP the select committee members set forth a plan to entertain and honor ARMO member companies that attend.
I hope you will join and support us through this journey of stewarding the restoration market from Chevelles to Datsuns to Porsches. If we can do anything for you and your company, please just ask. Any ARMO volunteer or our Council Director, Marcy Yanus, is here to help!
See you soon!
Randall Bates
Auto Custom Carpets