The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of New Jersey (AASP/NJ) inducted longtime supporter, board member and retired shop owner Anthony Trama of Bloomfield Auto Body into its Hall of Fame at its recent annual meeting.
Trama has been active with AASP/NJ as a board member since 2005. He recently sold Bloomfield Auto Body after a successful 24-year run and remains active with the AASP/NJ board of directors.
AASP/NJ Executive Director Charles Bryant praised Trama for his ongoing dedication and contributions to the association over the years as he presented him with the honor during the October annual meeting at Gran Centurions in Clark, N.J.
“Tonight’s inductee has been around a long time and has been involved in many things,” said Bryant. “He doesn’t just attend meetings; he always speaks up. He didn’t just pick a seat on the board of directors; he participates an awful lot and has helped our association get to where it is today.”
Added Trama, “I was incredibly surprised. I didn’t feel I was deserving of such an honor to have earned the respect of the board who accepted me into the AASP/NJ Hall of the Fame. I am just totally honored.”
Trama credits his time with the association toward helping him succeed with his business.
“I really believe my participation with AASP/NJ played a key role in my business,” Trama said. When I first joined, I always felt like the youngest guy in the room. I didn’t know a whole lot about the industry then. Once you become a business owner, there’s a whole different realm of responsibilities that go with it. Most of the knowledge I gained came from the association and some of the veterans like Jeff McDowell, Eddie Day, Tom Elder and Nick Kostaskis who were all board members. I looked up to them and hoped one day to be as successful as them.”
Trama also treasures the friendships he has made. “I consider all of these guys my friends. I know that I can call them if I need something, and they would never hesitate to help if they could. There are people out there who question what the association can do for them … they believe it should be something tangible, but you can’t put a price on what you can gain from being a part of the association.”
For more information on AASP/NJ, visit aaspnj.org.
