Our Board of Directors

ED HENDRICKS, CHAIR
Ed Hendricks is a partner with NDi Solutions Inc., based in White Rock, and a member of the Licensed Motor Dealers Division. Ed has been associated with the ARA since 1993 and served on the ICBC President's Advisory Council, Odometer Fraud Task Force, the ICBC Customer Service Sub Committee and the Motor Dealers Customer Compensation Fund Board. Ed also served as Managing Coordinator for the Quality Assured Collision Group for eight years. He also developed the Motor Dealers Legislation Course for the ARA and taught it for over two years. With some minor changes, it is the same course now taught by the VSA for salesperson licensing. Ed is also a Director of the National CAC (Consumers Association of Canada).

Ed has a broad knowledge of all Divisions of the ARA, having served as President of the Association for three years and Chair of the LMD (Formerly the Independent Auto Dealers) Division for a total of 8 years.

During Ed's tenure as President, working alongside Bob Clarke, the ARA grew from 4 Divisions to 7, and membership reached close to 1500 members.

MARTIN VON HOLST, FIRST VICE-CHAIR
Martin von Holst is the General Manager of Fix Auto Collision British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, and he is the chair of the ARA Collision Repair Division. He has been involved in the Collision Repair Industry for over 25 years and spent 5 years of that time with ICBC as an estimator.

Martin is actively involved with Program Advisory Councils at School District 22 (Vernon) and 83 (Salmon Arm - Shuswap) and at Okanagan College and Vancouver Community College. He is also involved with Rotary and is past president of the Vernon Silver Star Rotary Club. He has been married to Carol for 27 years and they have a daughter, 19, and a son, 16.

Martin enjoys cars and is currently working with his son on their Model T project.

CLINT WILSON, SECOND VICE-CHAIR
Clint Wilson started his business, Ideal Auto Wrecking Ltd., in Chilliwack when he was just 27 years young. Now, nearly a decade-and-a-half later, the company is still going strong with Wilson at the helm.

Clint has been a BCAR Director for more than ten years, previously served as its chairman (at which time he also sat on the ARA Board of Directors) and currently holds the position of Vice-chair. An active association member, Clint prides himself on being a problem solver, and it is in this capacity that his excellent diplomacy skills shine through.

Clint's vision of the future is one of successful automotive businesses from all divisions of the ARA working together in a marketplace of peace and prosperity.

DAVID CANT, SECRETARY-TREASURER
David Cant is the Executive Vice President and CFO for the Craftsman Group of Companies and has served as the Secretary-Treasurer of the ARA for 15 years. David graduated BCIT in Hotel Management and continued his education in accounting and finance at UBC and with Arthur Anderson. David says Craftsman has been a great opportunity for him to use his past experiences to help grow the organization both in real estate development and collision services. The joke around the office is that he had come in on a "temporary basis" to help Bill Hatswell (owner of Craftsman) and he's still there - "temporarily". Prior to joining Craftsman, David worked in the hospitality industry and held senior corporate positions with Hyatt International Hotels and Gulf & Western. The time he spent in the hotel industry allowed him to live and work in many places around the globe. Beside the international business experience, he learned Spanish and developed an appreciation for other people and their cultures. David, an accomplished skier and musician, is still trying to become a hockey player.

DIRECTORS:

PETER FOREMAN
Peter Foreman, from Foreman Auto Service in Langley, is the Chair of the Mechanical Repair Division (MRD). Foreman Auto Service was started by Peter's father, Dave, in 1979. Peter has virtually grown up in the industry (his parents literally had a playpen in the shop when he was a baby!). Peter is following in the family footsteps at the ARA. Dave Foreman has been an active member of the ARA since 1984, including terms as a director in the MRD as well as MRD chair and ARA board member. Peter believes in the ARA and feels it is a strong voice for the industry and is looking forward to being a part of it. With the CASIS agreement all but wrapped up, Peter is looking forward to the more localized challenges the MRD and its members face in the future.

NEIL JAMES
Neil James is President of Ralph's Recycled Auto Parts, with six locations in BC and Chair of the ARA BC Auto Recyclers Division (BCAR). Neil was instrumental in the progressive environmental initiatives of BCAR that began in early 1990s and culminated in the establishment of the Vehicle Dismantling & Recycling Industry Environmental Planning Regulation in 2006. Neil is a current Director and past President of the Automotive Recyclers of Canada (ARC).

TIM OWENS
Tim Owens, from Apple Auto Glass, is the Chair of the Auto Glass Division.

BOB FEDDERLY
The Towing & Recovery Division executive has appointed Bob Fedderly as the Division's representative to the main ARA board. Bob purchased Generic Towing and Auto Parts Ltd. 7 years ago from a neighbour. He purchased the business to compliment his crane and heavy hauling enterprises that have been in operation since 1980. Bob has served on Towing & Recovery Division Committee for about 5 years. He has also served on BC’s Oil and Gas Commission Advisory Committee as Chair and currently sits on the BC Association for Crane Safety board. In his spare time Bob enjoys bush flying, snowmobiling, drag racing and traveling.

SIMON GADBAN
Simon Gadban owns Siyam Motor car Ltd. in Vancouver and is the Chair of the Licensed Motor Dealers Division.

KELLY GINGLES
Kelly Gingles was born and raised in the car rental lifestyle. His father purchased Skeena Rent-A-Car Ltd. back when it was known as TILDEN Rent a Car. Today, they operate as National Car Rental. Kelly is currently the Vice President soon to be President of the family-run business, which currently has offices in 10 cities throughout the province.

As the new Chair of the Auto Rental Division, Kelly wishes to help breathe new life into this industry sector and ARA Division. He believes that through the ARA and the ARD, many industry issues can be overcome.

Kelly can usually be found in his company's head office in Terrace, unless he is travelling to or from Vancouver on business.

MARQ SMITH
The first Member to sign up for the new PowerSport Dealers Division of the ARA in late 2010 was Marq Smith, of Western PowerSports in Langley. Western PowerSports first opened in 1983 and Marq bought the business about ten years later. Over the years he gradually expanded the floor space from about 2,000 square feet to over 16,000 square feet. They are a Yamaha and Triumph dealer and sell motorcycles, ATV’s, scooters and other power sports vehicles, both new and used. They have a service department; a parts department and they carry a full line of accessories.

When asked for his views on why it made sense to start up a PowerSports Division of the ARA, Marq said, "We needed somebody to speak up for us, particularly now, with the changes to motorcycle licensing and safety regulations. They couldn't find anyone to consult with. There was no officially registered organization that directly represented the views of the dealer."

Marq is the first to be elected Chairman of the PowerSport Dealers Division.