Steve and Valerie White, owners of White Auto Body.
As the award winner, Piraino will receive more than $30,000 in prizes, including NAPA tools and equipment, additional fully paid training from the NAPA Institute of Automotive Technology, a NAPA TRACS computer system, and a commemorative plaque and ring.
Presented annually by NAPA Auto Parts and the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), the Technician of the Year award is determined by a judging panel of former winners, automotive trade media and the president of ASE.
Piraino has been an ASA member since 1986 and he earned his designation as an Accredited Automotive Manager (AAM) in 2001 from the Automotive Management Institute.
Three chapters in the Los Angeles basin - Mid-Cities, Torrance and Long Beach - will sponsor a service writers seminar March 14 at the Holiday Inn in Torrance. The Modesto chapter will hold a seminar March 12, and the San Diego chapter's seminar is scheduled for March 19.
Two ASC chapters in Northern California (San Jose and East Bay) are joining with the East Bay Autobody Association to sponsor an all-day seminar April 20 in San Ramon. These seminars are being produced by the Automotive Service Association.
Steve and Valerie White, owners of White Auto Body. |
“Each year the collision repair industry as a whole comes across cars that are 'written off' by either the owner or the insurance company. Oftentimes these are older vehicles that just need some mechanical and body work to get them road-ready and perfectly safe to drive. Because we believe these cars are going to waste when there are people who really need them, we decided to do something about it,” said Valerie White.
Individuals are chosen based on their insurability and why the lack of reliable transportation interferes with their current and future economic status. Applicants were also asked to describe how receiving the vehicle would assist them in becoming self-sufficient. This year's recipients were recommended by an employee of White Auto Body and by the administrator of the Garden View Care Center in O'Fallon.
This is the third consecutive year White Auto Body has provided reliable, safe transportation to someone in need. “This program is designed to be a hand up, not a handout,” said White. In addition to the vehicles, both recipients received a gift basket made possible from employee contributions.
A highlight of the meeting will be the Richard Petty Driving Experience. Attendees will have the opportunity to get behind the wheel or ride in an authentic NASCAR Winston Cup style stock car.
For more information, call ASA-North Carolina at (919) 846-8799.
Three winners will be chosen to receive a two-night stay in Las Vegas to attend the 2002 AAPEX show. Airfare, ground transportation to and from the airport, hotel room, meals and show entrance fees are included. Show attendance Nov. 5-6 is mandatory, and winners must hold current ASE certification at the time of the sweepstakes drawing in August.
Sweepstakes entry forms may be obtained by calling ASE at (703) 669-6600, or by downloading a PDF format version at its Web site, www.asecert.org. Entry forms may also be ordered by contacting AAIA at (301) 654-6664. Send entry form to AAIA, Attn: Sweepstakes, 4600 East-West Hwy., Ste. 300, Bethesda, MD 20814. Entries must be received at AAIA before Aug. 1, 2002, and participants must be 21 years old to enter.
In conjunction with Industry Week, the Automotive Service Association will again present the Congress of Automotive Repair and Service (CARS), the premier event of mechanical and transmission repair. CARS 2002 will be held at the Tropicana Resort and Casino in Las Vegas Nov. 7-9, and will offer management and technical seminars, workshops and presentations geared toward automotive service professionals. For more information, visit the CARS Web site, www.CARSonline.org.
The Automotive Service Association (ASA) and the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) presented the first-ever Collision Industry Award of the Year to the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) Data Task Force. Presentation of the award was made during the Collision Industry Night of Achievement banquet held during the International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE) in November.
ASA and SCRS plan to make this an annual award recognizing the outstanding effort and positive contribution made by any group, committee, association or company.
The 2002 ASA Annual Convention will be held April 8-13 in Washington, D.C. The convention Web site, www.asashop.org/annual2002, provides complete information on optional activities, division meetings and AMI seminars. In addition, the site offers a complete calendar of events.
Geralynn Kottschade, AAM, co-owner of Jerry's Body Shop in Mankato, Minn., was re-elected secretary of the Collision Industry Electronic Commerce Association (CIECA). She has been on the board for three years and previously served as treasurer.
The remaining officers of the CIECA board are Farzam Afshar, industry consultant, chairman; Rick Palmer, ComputerLogic, vice chair; Jim Laning, State Farm Insurance, treasurer; and Floyd Morasch, Farmers Insurance, past chairman. These officers will serve on the CIECA executive committee, which oversees business matters between board meetings and maintains the board's agenda.
In addition, Kottschade serves on the ASA board of directors as a general director and is a member of ASA's executive committee.
Reminder of the MonthASA links shop Web sites to its list of regional searches in the "Find Nearest ASA Shop" section of the ASA Web site (www.asashop.org). If you are an ASA member and have a shop Web site, e-mail your Web address to asainfo@asashop.org. The link is free of charge to all ASA members. |
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AutoInc. Magazine ® Vol. L, March 2002
E-mail: info@autoinc.org, Web Site: http://www.autoinc.org
Copyright © 2002 Automotive Service Association (ASA). All rights reserved.