RIA’s Advocacy and Government Affairs Committee Chairman Discusses Its Mission [Video]

PHOENIX—May 4, 2019—Ed Cross, AGA chairman, join Jeff Cross, ISSA media editorial director, for a quick discussion of the Restoration Industry Association’s (RIA) new Advocacy and Government Affairs committee (AGA), which aims to bring the restoration industry together to fight for restorer rights and solve industry problems. The two spoke during RIA’s 2019 International Restoration Convention + Industry Expo in Phoenix this month.

“The RIA has taken very special, new movement they’ve never taken before, which is to take on an advocacy association, and to that end, it has formed an Advocacy and Government Affairs Committee,” Ed Cross said of the group’s formation. “The committee consists of a lot of industry heavyweights, people with all different backgrounds.”

Ed Cross explained the reasoning behind the newly formed committee of which he serves as chairman: “What we’re going to do is pursue issues that are very important to restorers and do it on a larger level because the restoration industry is very fragmented it. It hasn’t spoken in one voice.”

“Other major industries are not fragmented; they are more unified; they are able to speak with one voice—like the medical lobby or even auto repair companies. They’re able to get things done as a whole. Whereas, the restoration industry is under siege.”

Cross says the Advocacy and Government Affairs committee will work to disseminate information restorers need to safeguard and improve the overall wellbeing of their businesses.

See the video above or read the full transcript below.

Transcript

Jeff Cross: Jeff Cross with Cleanfax here, and I’m with Ed Cross. There’s no relation. We share the same last name. We joke all the time about it. I’m here at the RIA convention, and this morning we heard some information about a new initiative by the RIA, and Ed, I believe you are chairman of that, the AGA, maybe you could tell us a little bit about that and how it’s going to impact the industry.

Ed Cross: I’d be happy to. The RIA has taken very special, new movement they’ve never taken before, which is to take on an advocacy association, and to that end, it has formed an Advocacy and Government Affairs Committee. We’re calling it the AGA. The committee consists of a lot of industry heavyweights, people with all different backgrounds.

What we’re going to do is pursue issues that are very important to restorers and do it on a larger level because the restoration industry is very fragmented it. It hasn’t spoken in one voice. Other major industries are not fragmented; they are more unified; they are able to speak with one voice—like the medical lobby or even auto repair companies. They’re able to get things done as a whole.

Whereas, the restoration industry is under siege. Their profit margins are decreasing. Their customer satisfaction is decreasing. And they’re faced with ever-growing paperwork burdens that really aren’t fair.

So, what we’re going to do is get together and come up with a common message. We’re going to put out some position papers that the restorers are able to use so they’ve got some talking points because one of the reasons restorers are really suffering, particularly the smaller ones, the mom-and-pop companies, they just don’t have the information to defend themselves.

We’re going to make sure we get them that information, that it’s widely disseminated, and that industry is singing off the same sheet music.

JC: Ed that sounds exciting. I’m sure the industry is looking forward to it, and we’re going to see some great progress soon, I’m sure.

EC: I hope so, and we appreciate the help from Cleanfax.

JC: Oh, no trouble.

EC: Please get involved, and support the AGA in any way you can. We need people, we need ideas, and we need money. And if you have ideas for a particular issue that’s interfering with your business, please send me an email to [email protected], and we will take a look at that and try to address that as best we can. Thank you.

JC: Good plan, and thank you.