CCAR Attends ASE 2012 Annual Meeting

Earlier this month Rod Enlow (CCAR’s VP of Industry Relations) and  I were thrilled to be part of the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) annual meeting and Technician awards ceremony in San Antonio, TX.  This was our first time at this event — and I am certain that it won’t be our last – as we were able to meet with a large number of people who represent our core customer base.  If I’m not mistaken, there were representatives from several of the OEMs, as well as with new (and some familiar) faces from the mechanical repair, collision repair, and education & training industries.

ASE is a high-integrity organization that provides technicians and other professionals with the opportunity to be certified in more than 40 areas of automotive, truck, and equipment specializations. My first taste of the rigors behind being ASE certified took place in the early 90s when I studied for (and, thankfully passed) the automotive brake certification test (A5).  Passing wasn’t (and still isn’t) easy, and in most cases re-testing is required every five (5) years.  CCAR is proud to have a member on our Board of Directors who is ASE Master Certified (having passed tests A1 through A8).

The highlight of the event this week was definitely the awards ceremony held at the conclusion.  In total, 44 technicians from a variety of industries were recognized as being “the best of the best”.  These people work in a variety of fields, such as collision repair, mechanical repair, light truck, and even some from the military.  The award winners were named one-by-one, brought up on stage to be recognized by the President and Chairman (respectively) of ASE, and were essentially treated like rock stars (which, frankly, they are) for the duration of the event. None of the recipients had set out to be recognized for their efforts; this recognition was essentially the outcome of hard work, dedication, and love of the industry.  It was truly a special evening to rub elbows with these folks and learn more about what makes them ‘tick’.

For more information, please visit the ASE website at:  www.ase.com