A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT 5 Louisiana Dealers on the Hill Takeaways from the NADA Washington Conference By Coulter McMahen, President/CEO, LADA 8 Five Questions Every Dealer Should Ask Before Investing in New Technology By Hannis T. Bourgeois 10 It’s Time to Crack the Op Code and Get It Right By Jordan Jankowski, Chief Operating Officer, Armatus Dealer Uplift 12 Drive Your Business Forward 2027 Sponsorship & Advertising Packages Coming Soon! 14 What Went Right? The Question Worth Asking Before Planning for Next Year 17 The ROI of Safety Protecting Your People and Your Dealership Through Stronger EHS Compliance By Amanda Rawls, Vice President of Client Success, KPA 20 Louisiana Auto Outlook Q3 2026 2025-2027 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Patton Fritze Red River Chevrolet Chairman Rand Alford Alford Motors Inc. Vice Chairman, District 15 Ryan LeBlanc Sterling Automotive Group Treasurer, District 5 Kristie M. Hebert Arceneaux Ford Immediate Past Chairwoman Lawrence S. Searcy Jr. Walker Automotive District 8 Clint Hixson Hixson Autoplex of Alexandria District 16 Mark A. Hebert Sr. Hebert’s Town & Country Ford Lincoln NADA State Director OUR TEAM Coulter McMahen President/CEO Katherine Carver Director of Events and Communications Alexandra Hughes Director of Membership Mignon LaBorde Administrative Assistant Jenny Leach Accountant CONTENTS ©2026 The Louisiana Automobile Dealers Association (LADA) | MBR Connect™. All rights reserved. Up To Speed is published four times per year and is the official publication for this association. The information contained in this publication is intended to provide general information for review, consideration and education. The contents do not constitute legal advice and should not be relied on as such. If you need legal advice or assistance, it is strongly recommended that you contact an attorney as to your circumstances. The statements and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of LADA, its board of directors or the publisher. Likewise, the appearance of advertisements within this publication does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation of any product or service advertised. Up To Speed is a collective work, and as such, some articles are submitted by authors who are independent of LADA. While a first-print policy is encouraged, in cases where this is not possible, every effort has been made to comply with any known reprint guidelines or restrictions. Content may not be reproduced or reprinted without prior written permission. For further information, please contact the publisher at (801) 676-9722. 4
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