On July 1, 1922, the Midwest Regrinders Association was formed and held its initial annual meeting in Des Moines, Iowa. Officers were elected and committees were established to handle the following subjects: Membership, Selling, Production, Accounting, and Adjustments.
Old records of the association state that, “The act of personal contact brought out the fact that the problems of all were mutual and very much alike and it was very noticeable that the spirit of good fellowship prevailed during the entire meeting. Every advantage was taken of the opportunity presented to talk over mutual grievances and problems and each regrinder derived a great deal of help through these free and frank discussions.”
Similar groups sprung up in other geographical areas and the Midwest Regrinders Association did much to assist the newer regrinders to organize. Soon the leaders of these organizations started thinking of the benefits that a national organization could offer. John J. Fuchs Jr., President of the Midwest Regrinders Association lead the idea of this national organization and invited all of the regrinder organizations to a national meeting to be held in Chicago, Illinois on November 27-28, 1923.
During this meeting, the National Motor Regrinder & Rebuilder Association was born. Membership was open to any district Association in the United States and Canada whose own membership was “primarily engaged in cylinder grinding and used recognized mechanical equipment for performing the service.”
During its 4th annual convention, the name of the association was changed to the Associated Automotive Engine Rebuilders, however, before its 5th convention was held the organization’s name was changed once more. This time the name would stick and remains that today, Automotive Engine Rebuilders Association (AERA). The association resides in Cary, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.
The following statement is a direct quote taken from the 1922-1924 records of our association:
…to learn the true cost of doing the work and handling the parts used in this service, to learn how to merchandise and sell, and to develop methods that will produce better work and make it possible to turn it out more efficiently and at a lower cost to the consumer.”
It’s amazing to read a quote like this one from the early 1920s and realize that many of the concerns that our forefathers had are still concerns today. That’s not to say many of these issues have not been resolved but rather that the concerns still exist.
The Association was incorporated and granted tax exempt status by 1939. The Association Bylaws list as its purposes: “the development and encouragement of high standards of workmanship and ethics among its members, the improvement of business conditions through the exchange of information and ideas, and the promotion of the common business interests of persons and organizations engaged in the rebuilding of internal combustion engines or basic internal components of such engines.”
The Association today has over 3,000 members worldwide, with members mainly in the United States and Canada, but also in Latin America, Europe and even Africa. Service to our members is our highest priority, whether it be through our publications, the web or in meetings and seminars.
Today, this association is a network of professional engine builders, rebuilders and installers with the expertise and connections to provide you with the right answers when you need them. AERA has established a “Standards of Service” document for both gasoline and diesel engines.
These documents define the standards for a rebuilt/remanufactured engine and have clearly differentiated a professionally rebuilt/remanufactured engine from a repaired, partially rebuilt or second hand exchange engine. In addition to active shop members, AERA welcomes suppliers/manufacturers, manufacturer reps and schools to our membership.
