QUINCY, MA :  Rick Parmelee and Christopher Ernest, partners at blumshapiro, the largest regional business advisory firm based in New England with offices in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, have been selected as keynote speakers at the annual Auto/Mate User Summit, slated from October 23-25 in Nashville, Tennessee.

At this year’s summit titled “2035 Dealership of the Future,” Parmelee and Ernest will present the latest research on the impact of industry disruptors on dealership operations and how dealers can best prepare themselves.

Parmelee is a partner and industry leader of blumshapiro’s Automotive Dealership Services Group.  He is also a member of the firm’s Employee Benefit Assurance Services Group and oversees many of blumshapiro’s employee benefit plan audit engagements, including the audits of defined contribution, defined benefit and health and welfare plans.

Ernest is a partner in the blumshapiro Accounting and Auditing Department and a member of the firm’s Automotive Dealership Services Group. He provides comprehensive accounting and tax services to automobile, recreational vehicle and heavy equipment dealers, including yearly financial statement and tax preparation, review of monthly dealership financials, assistance with bank and factory compliance matters and business sales and acquisitions.

The Auto/Mate User Summit will span three days and feature a variety of presentations, breakout sessions and

networking opportunities for its dealership customers.

Summit attendees will have an exclusive preview of key findings from a whitepaper presently in development by blumshapiro and an AutoTeam America affiliate firm.  The whitepaper, which will not be published until the 2020 National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Convention and Expo, will reveal the expected impact of industry trends on auto dealerships, such as changes in franchise laws, new entrants into the market, ride sharing, autonomous vehicles and changes affecting fixed operations.