The Aftermarket Warehouse Distributors Association (AWDA), a community of the Auto Care Association, presented its 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award in Honor of Martin Fromm to Aaron Lowe, newly retired senior vice president, regulatory & government affairs for the Auto Care Association. The award was presented by AWDA Chairman Ryan Samuels on October 30 at AWDA’s 2022 Annual Conference in Las Vegas.

AWDA’s Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes individuals who have, over the course of many years, distinguished themselves through their unselfish commitment to, and high level of performance within, the motor vehicle aftermarket industry. The award is named in honor of former AWDA President Martin Fromm.

Lowe was with the Auto Care Association over 40 years overseeing the Auto Care Association’s federal and state legislative and regulatory efforts, focusing on a wide range of environmental, vehicle safety, workplace-health and safety and international trade issues.

Lowe masterminded the Auto Care Association’s successful effort in 2012 to obtain enactment of the Motor Vehicle Right to Repair Act in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Right to Repair ensured that independent service entities have effective and affordable access to the information, tools and software to work on the highly sophisticated computer-controlled vehicle systems on the road today. He also was part of the team that successfully negotiated a 2013 national agreement on Right to Repair that is modeled after the Massachusetts law.

More recently, Lowe spearheaded the association’s successful initiative in Massachusetts to amend that 2012 Right to Repair law in order to ensure that vehicle owners could access and control their diagnostic and repair data that is transmitted from both the on-board diagnostic port and wirelessly through telematic systems. Known as Question 1, the initiative was approved by voters in 2020 by an overwhelming 75-25% margin – thanks in large part to Lowe’s efforts.

Lowe’s commitment to the industry went well beyond simply Government Affairs as evidenced by his receiving the Northwood University Automotive Aftermarket Management Education Award in 2003. He was also on the board of directors and steering committee for several aftermarket coalitions aimed at ensuring the economic future of the auto care industry.

This industry would look much different had Aaron Lowe not been protecting our rights for the past 40 years. Lowe will never be replaced, however his legacy lives on every single day in the shops, the parts stores and the manufacturing plants that supply our industry. His dedication to our industry speaks volumes as to his character and dedication.

Bill Hanvey, president and CEO of The Auto Care Association said of Lowe’s award, “Aaron’s lifetime of work on behalf of the industry has no peer. He has defended our industry for 40 years and has secured the consumer’s right to choose where they have their vehicle repaired amongst other significant contributions. We as an industry are indebted to Aaron and there is no more deserving recipient of this award then he.”