The Automotive Service Association (ASA) held its annual “Celebration of Excellence” May 3 at the Hyatt Regency in Santa Clara, Calif. The special awards dinner honors the achievements of ASA members and its industry partners. Bill Haas, AAM, ASA’s vice president of education and training, hosted the program, which opened with the introduction of ASA’s board of directors. The program also included an Automotive Management Institute (AMI) graduation ceremony recognizing those who have earned the Accredited Automotive Manager (AAM) designation.       

Awards presented during the celebration included:

• The AMI Annual Recognition Award, the highest honor the institute bestows on an organization or industry leader who has taken specific and significant action to encourage, enhance and support opportunities for automotive industry professionals to improve their business management skills. This award was presented to Paul Louwers, president and CEO of Automotive Video Inc., Ft. Myers, Fla. George Witt, AAM, AMI board of trustees chairman, presented the award.   
• The Benefit Provider of the Year is presented to a sponsored benefit provider in appreciation of its relationship with ASA and for the value, quality and professional service it offers to ASA members. This year’s recipient was the Wage and Hour Attorney program conducted by Brian Farrington. 
• The Alpha Award recognizes an ASA Mechanical Division member for his or her generous and far-reaching contributions to the automotive service industry. Dave Lanspeary, owner of Dave’s Auto Repair in Youngtown, Ariz., was the recipient of this year’s award.  
• The Phoenix Award recognizes an ASA Collision Division member for his or her contribution to the automotive service industry. Jerry Burns, owner of Automotive Impressions in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, was the recipient of this year’s award.
• The ASA Legislative Award recognizes those who have made an impact on legislative and regulatory activities. This year’s award went to Victor Vandergriff of Dallas for his efforts in support of ASA regarding insurer-owned shops – a project that went all the way to the United States Supreme Court. 
• ASA’s Communicator of the Year Award recognizes an ASA member for outstanding efforts in using different communication vehicles to promote its business in the community and industry. This year’s recipients were Nick and Carla Sallas of Sallas Automotive, with locations in Kansas City, Mo., and Overland Park, Kan.            
• The Affiliate of the Year Award is based on several factors such as membership growth, educational events, participation in ASA national programs, legislative activities and overall contributions of their membership to the automotive industry. The recipient of this year’s award was ASA-Arizona.
• The Affiliate with the Largest Delegation recognizes the ASA affiliate with the greatest number of members at the annual convention. This year’s award was presented to ASA-Washington.
• The Humanitarian Award – ASA’s highest honor – recognizes selfless acts, both inside and outside the industry, of those who promote general goodwill. This year’s honoree was Ben Steinman, owner of Ben’s Auto Body in Mexico, Mo.            

The Chairman’s Award of Excellence recognizes individuals for their outstanding contributions to ASA and the automotive repair industry. This year’s award went to Mike Anderson, Wagonwork Collision in Alexandria, Va.

ASA extends its appreciation for the support and participation of the following sponsoring companies: Audatex, Auto Shop LifeLine, AutoZone, CustomerLink, Meadowbrook Insurance Group, Mitchell 1, Toyota and Zurich. ASA also wishes to thank the companies that participated in the Benefit Provider Networking Reception: ALLDATA, AutoNetTV, Auto Shop LifeLine, AutoZone, Cintas, Delphi, GM Powertrain, Meadowbrook Insurance Group, Mitchell 1, Sunergeo, Unifirst and Zurich.        

ASA’s next annual convention will be held next spring in Florida; specific dates and location are to be determined. The association’s annual trade shows – the International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE) and the Congress of Automotive Repair and Service (CARS) – will be held during the inaugural Automotive Service and Repair Week (ASRW), Nov. 5-8, 2008. ASRW events will be co-located at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.

For more information about ASA, visit www.ASAshop.org or www.TakingTheHill.com.