Around ASA
ASA-Oregon
ASA-Oregon held its annual convention Feb. 27 - March 1 at the Inn at Spanish Head in Lincoln City, Ore. The three-day event offered attendees the Automotive Management Institute (AMI) seminar, "Triple Your Sales in Just Nine Months," presented by Bob Cooper. Seminar attendees earned six credits toward their Accredited Automotive Manager (AAM) designation. Walter Trapp, ASA executive vice president, and Bob Anderson, AAM, ASA chairman, were also on the convention program as keynote and luncheon speakers. The Saturday night event was an ice cream social with dancing, a disc jockey and prizes.
ASA presents Quill Awards
ASA announced the recipients of the 1998 Golden Quill Awards during the ASA Annual Convention, held March 11-15, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. The Golden Quill Awards recognize ASA regional publications and ASA member television commercials for excellence in layout, design and content.
Awards were presented in the categories of ASA magazine, ASA affiliate newsletter, ASA chapter newsletter and best television commercial. Pennsylvania Automotive, ASA-Pennsylvania's publication, received first place in the magazine category. Second place in this category went to ASA News, of ASA-Minnesota. First place in the affiliate newsletter category was won by Auto Pro, of ASA-Texas. Second place in this category resulted in a tie between Colorado Report, of ASA-Colorado and Auto Pro, of ASA-Oregon. The Driving Force, of ASA-Greater Kansas City, was presented the first place award in the category for chapter newsletter. Second place in this category went to Portland Scope, of ASA-Portland, Ore. The member television commercial award was won by Richard Schiff, La Car Porte in La Porte, Texas.
ASA-Georgia conducts training event
ASA-Georgia sponsored the "2 EXCEL Hi-Tech Training and Expo," held Feb. 21 in Atlanta.
Dr. Wayne Ates opened the program with an eyeopening keynote address. Ates taught attendees to overlook the unbecoming, understand the unconventional, tolerate the unpleasant and outlast the unbearable. Following the keynote address, the more than 100 attendees were offered two management seminars taught by Richard Flint that earned attendees six credits each toward the AMI's Accredited Automotive Manager (AAM) designation. In addition to the management seminars, technical courses were offered on topics such as electrical systems diagnosis, paint VOCs, and production and engine management driveability. The tradeshow ran concurrently with the education programs and provided the latest in automotive equipment and services. Tradeshow exhibitors were very pleased with the attendance and several plan to participate again next year. "For a first-time event, we were very pleased with the turnout. It was a learning experience for us. And we are looking forward to making next year's event even better," said Beth Smith, ASA-Georgia executive director.
ASA member receives AAA top shop award
Jerry Kezhaya, owner of The Auto Shop in Plano, Texas, was awarded the Top Shop award from AAA Texas on Feb. 6. The award recognizes The Auto Shop's 99 percent customer satisfaction rating, which ranks it the highest among the more than 20 Dallas/Ft. Worth participants in the AAA Texas Approved Auto Repair program.
The Auto Shop has been serving the metroplex for more than 17 years and has been an ASA member since 1987. The shop is a full service facility providing a wide-range of automotive repairs. In January, The Auto Shop's Web Site was recognized in AutoInc. as a top 10 automotive-related Web site. The Auto Shop site can be accessed at http://www.theautoshop.com.
ASA-Minnesota announces board of directors
The 1998 ASA-Minnesota board of directors is composed of Bob Fischer, AAM, Fischer Auto Service, in Inver Grove Heights, president; Dale Feste, AAM, Dale Feste Automotive, in Hopkins, secretary/treasurer; Pat Whelan, PJW Automotive, in New Brighton, mechanical division director; and Jim Cook, Cook's One Stop Shop, in Lexington, collision division director.
National News
ASA announced the members of its 1998 board of directors with Carl Miller, AAM, Japanese Connection, Inc., Salem, Ore., named chairman; and Howard Lewis, AAM, L&B Auto & Truck Repair, Snohomish, Wash., elected as secretary-treasurer. Robert Anderson, AAM, Anderson's Automotive Service, Sheffield Village, Ohio, moved to the immediate past chairman position. John Mock, AAM, Johnny Mock's CARSTAR Auto Body, Inc., Turtle Creek, Pa., is the chairman-elect.
Chris Dameron, AAM, CBWD's, Inc., Raleigh, N.C., joins the board as general director. The two other general director positions are held by Charles Elder, AAM, Ray Gordon Brake Service, Tallahassee, Fla., and Jim Keller, CARA Collision & Glass, Milwaukee, Wis. Reggie Denney, AAM, Reggie Denney Auto Repair, Eden, N.C. was elected to the position of affiliate director. Dan Frohlich, AAM, A.R.S. Automotive, Pittsburgh, Pa., and David Zwalina, AAM, Automotive One, Longwood, Fla., will continue to serve as affiliate directors. Kevin Caldwell, AAM, Autobody by Caldwell, Laguna Hills, Calif., is the new collision division director and Rick Sharbrough, AAM, Rick's Hi-Tech Auto Care, Katy, Texas, was elected mechanical division director.
Ken Roberts has joined the ASA national staff as vice president of communications. Roberts fills the vacancy created by Monica Buchholz's resignation. Buchholz left ASA to pursue an entrepreneurial endeavor involving newsletters.
As vice president of communications, Roberts' responsibilities include overseeing the production of AutoInc., the official publication of ASA; acting as spokesperson for the association; conducting industry and consumer media relations; and reviewing all ASA communications before distribution. His office is located in Bedford, Texas.
ASA's annual Congress of Automotive Repair and Service (CARS) will be held Oct. 30 - Nov. 1 at the Alexis Park Resort in Las Vegas.
The program will include business management seminars offered by the Automotive Management Institute (AMI), which will earn attendees credit toward the institute's Accredited Automotive Manager (AAM) designation. CARS will precede the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week (AAIW) tradeshows, that will be held Nov. 3-6 at the Sands and Las Vegas Convention Centers.
ASA has scheduled its next Annual Convention for March 17-21, 1999, in Bermuda. The convention will be held at the Castle Harbour Marriott Resort, which will offer rooms for $83, $108 and $138 per night, depending on accommodation preferences. Events planned for the convention include meetings for both the ASA Mechanical and Collision Divisions, awards ceremony, chairman's reception and banquet, board of directors meeting, a welcome party, and an Ascettes meeting. The Automotive Management Institute (AMI) will offer convention attendees two quality, accredited business programs.
ASA has established a members-only section on its Web site. The new section will provide valuable association information to ASA members, including the annual report, voting information, legislative updates and time-sensitive division information. Members will also have the opportunity to answer periodic surveys that will assist the national staff in better serving the members.
ASA regular members may access the members-only section by logging in their ASA Member Number as name and password. For more information, members should contact the ASA Web site coordinator at (800) 272-7467, ext. 234.
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Out & About | 
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ASA Completes Safety I/M Analysis || Dealerships Compete for Independents' Customers || Timely Tips for Time Savings in the Paint Shop || Everything You Didn't Want to Know About Running a Profitable Body Shop || Guest Editorial: I've Been Ripped Off! || Tech to Tech || Tech Tips || News Briefs || Taking the Hill || Around ASA || Shop Profile || Net Worth || Stat Corner || Chairman's Message
AutoInc. Magazine ®, Vol. XLVI, April 1998 (http://www.asashop.org)