Horizon 

 First Year Reflections 

Vince Edivan • ARA Executive Director

Weeks have passed since the 82nd Annual ARA Convention & and Expo in Birmingham, Alabama. The dust has settled, bags are unpacked, surveys sent, yet the stories linger, along with the memories of laughter, exhaustion, new connections, and reunions with old friends. Also, months have passed since I became Executive Director of ARA. For me, both milestones represent significant growth, and learning, both personally and professionally.  

Since I entered this industry, I have witnessed how generous and uplifting it can be. I have watched as key stakeholders, influencers, and leaders have stepped up, time after time to underwrite, sponsor, and participate in a multitude of industry initiatives. In my roles, I have manned the ARA booth at countless trade shows, and have gotten to know and become friends with many vendors and their representatives; without them, shows like ARA’s could not happen.  

It was especially humbling to be center stage and directly receive the needed financial support for ARA’s future plans. It was amazing to watch URG Board Member Ryan Falco stand up in the Presidential Suite and raise over $15,000 for ARTI’s Scholarship Fund. I am grateful to Marty Hollingshead and JC Cahill for keeping their hands raised through several items during the fundraising auction. Those two alone helped us raise thousands of dollars that evening.  

I am grateful to all the people who donated, bid, and won items. We raised over $100,000 to fund the ARTI Scholarships that are given each year to children and employees of ARA member recycler facilities to pursue higher education. Over $1,000,000 in scholarships have been awarded over the lifetime of this great program. For those of you reading this, please consider the many ways you can give back to the industry that has provided so much for so many.  

As this tax year winds down, please consider making an end of the year donation to the Automotive Recyclers Training Institute (ARTI). As a 501©3, you can specify to  
contribute to either continued development of education for the industry (ARAU) or the Scholarship Program.  

I want to thank all the sponsors who generously supported our event. I’ll say it again, without you, it would not happen.  

We are very happy with the results of Birmingham and also know we can do better. As a team, we are excited about Atlanta and plan to apply all that we learned from producing this year’s show to create an even bigger, better, and more engaging 2026 show.  

The Annual Convention Programming Committee plans our annual event. Based on survey results and behind-the-scenes conversations with staff, the Executive Committee (EC), and the event planner, we will conclude what worked well and what needs adjustment to lay the groundwork for Atlanta. I welcome your comments and suggestions (vince@a-r-a.org). 

As we prepare for 2026, we are energized and excited. Our Industry Events Calendar on www.a-r-a.org is already filling up. We are being intentional to include more industry adjacent events on our website and encourage you to consider attending them. From collision repair, used cars, to insurance claims, these are all arenas that our voice needs to be amplified. As much as we desire to have ARA’s voice heard in every room, industry shows can be very expensive (averaging about $4,000/ea.), so we will exercise discernment on which of these we attend next year.  

With ARA’s continued advocacy efforts, led well by Emil Nusbaum, ARA is viewed as a leading subject matter expert. This has positioned us to assist in drafting 7 state bills that would govern the vehicle battery lifecycle. These bills incorporate ARA’s key policy points. We have been the lead negotiator for industry established legislation; successfully fought OEM repair procedure bills; obtained amendment language in the federal PART Act; and been invited to closed stakeholder meetings with EPA on Universal Waste rules, EPR, and Battery Collection. All these activities have promoted ARA members’ strategic interests both by protecting the rights of ARA member businesses and by developing policy changes that create new markets and opportunities. It will be exciting to continue building upon our successes over the past year. Emil and I are excited about some of the initiatives we will be pursuing next year.  

I am very proud that morale and workplace culture is very high at the ARA office, with a buzz of energy. We are all motivated to be working on your behalf for the betterment of your industry, and your Association. I remain deeply grateful for the faith and trust that the EC continues to place in me and the team I get to work with every day.