NAA Update: The challenge of 2020 – and the opportunities in 2021
Welcome to this month’s newsletter; it’s hard to believe that we are in December already and as I look back on the year, what a challenge 2020 has been for us all and also for our industry…
However, with the first COVID-19 vaccine now approved for use and the visibility of a potential trade deal with the EU, let’s all look forward to a better 2021.
With Christmas being a time for giving, we are asking all our members to support Ben – Motor Allied Traders Benevolent Fund – due to the COVID-19 pandemic they have seen fundraising events cancelled which has had a huge knock-on effect to their income, resulting in a £1m shortfall. More people than ever are relying on them at the moment – to show your support and/or pledge please click here
With EU transition in mind, The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) have created a handy document with a checklist of actions to take which you can download here.
The recent government announcement on the phase-out date for the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans being brought forward from 2040 to 2030, together with phase out of the sale of new plug-in hybrids and full hybrids from 2035, will drive an unprecedented level of change in our sector over the next decade. This will however also bring significant opportunities in the EV supply chain, which we will be looking to focus on in our forthcoming event programme early next year.
On the membership front, firstly thank you for staying with us through these challenging times and I hope that we have been there for you when you needed us to be.
I would also like to take the opportunity to welcome our latest new NAA Member – Motordrive Ltd, based in Leyland, Lancashire – manufacturer of world class FIA competition seats for motorsport.
Elsewhere in this newsletter you can read about the latest exciting news from a number of our other member companies including: Klarius; Senseye, YoYo MultiDrops and Valuechain Technology.
While the latest government restrictions still preclude face-to-face events, we have continued to host webinars – 21 to date this year. In November we held “Effective Video Content from your Phone or Tablet” from NAA Member, Bigtank Productions and “Getting the most out of Microsoft Teams” from NAA Partner, Network ROI – if you missed either of these, please read our event reviews later in the newsletter.
We also held our first new member roundtable, where Carol and I were joined by nine of our newest member companies via Teams for an hour of networking. We will be looking to repeat this very successful format with existing members in the new year.
The Niche Vehicle Network (NVN) is holding a Members Networking Forum on Tuesday 19th and Wednesday 20th January – this will be an online event, in a new novel format with themed sessions scheduled across two days. NVN members will be invited to make a company capabilities pitch, followed by speed networking, helping members make valuable new business contacts – Full details of this event, together with invite for Expressions of Interest will be available via the NVN website – https://www.nichevehiclenetwork.co.uk/events/ – w/e 13th December
Training – if you have a requirement for Core Tool training (FMEA; APQP; PPAP; MSA; SPC), please contact Zoe – these will be run online for the foreseeable future (subject to numbers).
Finally, I would like to wish you and your families a peaceful, safe and relaxing Christmas and a prosperous new year.
Paul Jones
NAA CEO
