December 18, 2025

Marthaler Honda Helena Owner/Dealer: Aaron MarthalerPurchase Date: July 2025www.marthalerhondaofhelena.com Rimrock Snowy Mountain Motors Owner/Dealer: Steve ZabawaPurchase Date: September 2025www.snowymountaincdjr.com Don Aadsen Chevrolet Owner/Dealer: Eric HenricksenPurchase Date: March 2025 Don Aadsen Chrysler Jeep Dodge RAM Owner/Dealer: Eric HenricksenPurchase Date: March 2025 Havre Ford Owner/Dealer: Aaron JonesPurchase Date: October 2025www.havre-ford.com

Across the retail warranty reimbursement industry, vendors have begun aggressively touting artificial intelligence (AI) as a transformative force, promising faster processing, smarter job classification and better analytics.

Welcome to 2026, the year social media shifted from optional to essential for dealerships. Whether your store has been posting consistently, is building momentum or is still trying to convince your top salesperson to retire the flip phone, the reality is simple: The landscape has changed.

SkillsUSA Montana is dedicated to preparing students for successful careers in skilled trades, technical fields and leadership through hands-on learning, real-world competition and strong partnerships with industry.

New light-vehicle sales in October 2025 recorded the lowest SAAR in 15 months. The October 2025 SAAR of 15.3 million units represents a 4.8% decline year over year and a 5.9% decrease compared to September 2025. The SAAR decrease was primarily driven by the decline in battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales, which fell significantly in

This year’s theme, AI and the Road Ahead, rips the cover off what’s really happening in automotive. AI isn’t a gadget. I

If you run a dealership in 2025, you’re already managing more information than most small businesses ever will. Thousands of customer records. Service histories. CRM notes. Inventory data. Emails. Ads. Phone logs.

The automotive retail landscape is evolving rapidly, and payment acceptance at dealerships is no exception. Dealers across Montana and the nation are adopting new technologies, responding to shifting consumer expectations and managing rising costs associated with credit and debit card acceptance.

In efforts to promote the industry and to lobby Congress on issues of importance, MTADA’s delegation, including, Bruce Knudsen, MTADA EVP; Wade Rehbein, MTADA Chairman, Rehbein Ford; Craig Tilleman, NADA State Director, Tilleman Motor Company and Wendy Tilleman; Erick Anderson, MTADA board member, Placer Motors and Renee Anderson, Placer Motors; Chad Notbohm, MTADA board member, Notbohm Motors and Janelle Notbohm, Notbohm Motors; joined NADA and many other state auto associations for the annual NADA Washington Conference and Congressional Fly-in.

As a part of our ongoing series, we highlight exceptional women in the industry. There is a misconception that the auto industry is only for men, and it is time to break this stereotype.

MTADA’s 111th Annual Family Convention was held in Polson, Montana, on Aug. 14-17. Attendees heard from industry leaders, networked and enjoyed the good food and fun activities. Elected officials from both state and national offices joined us in wishing Don “K” Kaltschmidt a happy retirement and thanked him for all his contributions. A big thanks to our sponsors who make events like these possible. We hope to see you again at the next Annual Family Convention, Aug. 13-16, 2026 in Butte!

Congressman Troy Downing is currently serving his first term as the United States Representative for Montana’s Second Congressional District. We recently had the opportunity to catch up with him and discuss his experience so far. The following are excerpts from our conversation.

The Clean Air Act (CAA) was enacted by Congress in 1970 and amended in 1977 and again in 1990. Section 42 U.S.C. § 7522(a)(3)(B) of the CAA prohibits the manufacture, sale or offer to sell or install a part or component for a motor vehicle, where a principle effect of the part or component is to bypass, defeat, or render inoperative any emission control device.

MTADA Office Staff Bruce KnudsenExecutive Vice Presidentbknudsen@mtada.comCell: (406) 461-7680Office: (406) 442-1233 Bruce Knudsen is the executive vice president, Government Relations for the Montana Auto Dealers Association (MTADA). He earned a BA in Japanese language and literature from Brigham Young University and an MBA from Regis University. Bruce has led MTADA since 2014 and has years