The Automotive Service Association (ASA) announced its support for Senate Bill 867 in Michigan. According to the organization, the bill makes it easier for independent automotive repair businesses to operate under state law.
The legislation, introduced by Senator John Cherry, would make it so that a repair business could register another facility under the original registration and registration number of the primary facility if the additional facility is located within reasonable proximity of the main facility, serves as an extension of the main facility, and does not operate independently from the main facility. It would also make repair businesses' registration good for up to four years rather than the current standard, which requires yearly renewals.
The bill would also change the reporting requirements that state that a business must report to the state a sale or transferral of 10 percent or more of the corporation's stock, increasing it to 25 percent. According to the ASA, the change is meant to help owners plan for business succession.
“It makes no sense for an auto repairer to have to pay for and go through the process of registering twice for a single business operation just because it operates out of two or more buildings," Roy Schnepper, ASA board member and owner of Butler's Collision in Roseville, Michigan, said. "Running an auto repair business is a practice in small margins. Every dollar counts.”
Simplifying the registration process would allow small businesses to avoid up to $500 in signage and registration costs for other facilities, the ASA argues, and the other provisions in the bill would make it easier for businesses to stay in compliance with regulations.
