Dare with the Greens

Dare with the Greens

We got the feeling that in the Vienna Chamber of Commerce, work for the independent spare parts trade is no longer desired and that the merger agreement with the vehicle trade is viewed as invalid," explains Wolfgang Dytrich, chairman of the spare parts specialist committee in the Federal Vehicle Trade Committee. Looking back: The merger agreement concluded on the occasion of the chamber reform in 2010 between the wholesale vehicle parts committee and the vehicle dealer committee expired in 2015. This is true, according to Dytrich not so, especially since it would not be in the contract (merger agreement between the Vienna State Committee for the Vehicle Trade and the Vienna State Committee for the Wholesale of Motor Vehicle Parts and Service Facilities).

TEAM AUTO PARTS

But since the list places for the parts trade were reduced for the chamber election (March 2nd to 5th, 2020), Dytrich feared that after the 2020 election there would no longer be a spare parts profession and therefore no longer a voice in the WKO for the more than 3,000 parts dealers throughout Austria. Dytrich and his colleagues are therefore running for the Vienna Chamber elections with their own list, the “Team Automotive Parts”. They receive support from unexpected quarters. “Don’t laugh,” said Dytrich at a press conference, “but our cause is supported by the Greens, specifically by local councilor Hans Arsenovic, even though the majority of us belong to the Economic Association.” Arsenovic is the founder and managing director of the tanning salon and cosmetics chain “Sun Company”. He has been spokesman for the Vienna Green Economy since 2005 and has been vice president and representative of the trade division of the Vienna Chamber of Commerce since 2015. As part of the coalition negotiations to form a government between the turquoise ÖVP and the Greens, he negotiated in the main economics and finance group.

“Don’t laugh, but our cause is supported by the Greens even though the majority of us belong to the Economic Association.”WOLFGANG DYTRICH, CHAIRMAN OF THE SPARE PARTS SPECIALIST COMMITTEE IN THE BG OF THE VEHICLE TRADE

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY REPAIR

The background, says Dytrich: “According to the green philosophy, repairing existing vehicles is more environmentally friendly than buying new vehicles - that fits in well with our business model.” According to Dytrich, the spare parts profession in the WKO not only represents the 363 spare parts dealers in Vienna, but also - with the support of the Federal Vehicle Trade Committee - the more than 3,000 parts dealers across Austria. Hans Arsenovic - spokesman for the Vienna Green Economy - understands the concerns of independent parts dealers and is now enabling Wolfgang Dytrich and his team (representatives from Stahlgruber, Birner, Carparts and GKN) to stand for election in March. The agreement with Green was straightforward: "You can join me. You don't have to become a Green party member," Arsenovic said. The fact is, Wolfgang Dytrich wants to hand over a “functioning profession” after the election – because then he himself will retire. As is well known, Walter Birner is not available as a successor as planned. Dytrich's successor will be industry professional Andreas Rappolt. Will the deal with the Greens, the entry of the Automotive Parts team under a green umbrella, deter entrepreneurs from the automotive sector? Dytrich refers to what he calls the emergency plan, which is ultimately intended to ensure the survival of the free parts trade in the Chamber of Commerce and emphasizes his “color blindness” when it comes to representing the interests of the free parts trade.