2011 ASRW award ceremony honors individual achievements

Several groups honored industry professionals Thursday during the ASRW Award Ceremonies. Held in Orlando, Fla., during Automotive Service and Repair Week (ASRW), the annual awards event provides a platform in which a variety of mechanical and collision repair groups may acknowledge the achievements of some of their outstanding members, customers and industry partners.

Ron Pyle, Automotive Service Association (ASA) president and chief staff executive, hosted the program, which opened with the Automotive Management Institute (AMI) graduation ceremony recognizing those who have earned the Accredited Automotive Manager (AAM) designation.

Following the opening graduation ceremony:

Tom B. Babcox Memorial Scholarship
Don Schnitzler, Don's Auto Repair Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio
Zurich "High Octane" Scholarship
John Firm, Firm Automotive, Fort Worth, Texas
AVI Education Scholarship
Tawaina Frost, Price's Automotive Service, Wrightsville, Ga.
BodyShop Business Magazine Scholarship
Kristine Linscombe, Hernandez Collision Center, Hinesville, Ga.
Emil Stanley Merit Scholarship
Chris Renfro, Car-O-Van Collision Center, Orlando, Fla.
Richard Cossette/Gale Westerlund Memorial Scholarship
James Noe, Nagy's Body & Frame, Doylestown, Ohio

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Motor Age and ABRN presented the following:

ASA Chairman's Award
Ron Nagy, AAM, Nagy's Collision Centers, Wooster, Ohio.
Motor Age Top Shop of the Year
Rad Air Complete Car Care, Strongsville, Ohio, Andy Fiffick, owner.
ABRN Top Shop of the Year
O'Rielly Collision Center, Tucson, Ariz. Brian Guerrero, manager.

FenderBender presented six awards during the event:

FenderBender Executive Award
Henry Yach II, Yach's Body & Custom, Wausau, Wis.
FenderBender Management Award
Devin Fischer, Fischer Body Shop, Jacksonville, Mo.
FenderBender Administrative Support Award
Humberto Ibarra, Gateway Collision Center Inc., Bakersfield, Calif.
FenderBender Shop Worker Award
Zachery Utecht, Offutt Collision Repair, Bellevue, Neb.
FenderBender Vendor Award
Blake Harris, Blue Ridge Color Co., Roanoke, Va.
FenderBender Wildcard Award
Rick Starbard, Rick's Auto Collision & Service Center, Revere, Mass.

Additional industry awards presented at the ceremony included:

Women's Industry Network (WIN) NACE Scholarships
Elizabeth Moore, Houston, Texas; and Alexandra Domar, Maple Grove, Ill.
Russ Verona Memorial/IBIS Scholarship
Ron Nagy, AAM, Nagy's Collision Centers, Wooster, Ohio.

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Automotive Service Association awards included:

ASA Alpha Award
Howard Pitkow, AAM, Wagenwerx Inc., Wyndmoor, Pa.
ASA Phoenix Award
Mike Schoonover, Schoonover Body Works and Glass Inc., Shoreview, Minn.
ASA Benefit Provider of the Year
Meadowbrook Insurance Group, Overland Park, Kan.
ASA Chairman's Award of Excellence (2)
Mike West, AAM, Southtowne Auto Rebuild Inc., Tukwila, Wash.; and Virginia Duncan, Duncan's Collision, Boardman, Ohio.
ASA Legislative Award
The late Paul Duncan, AAM, Duncan's Collision, Boardman, Ohio.

Award winners were also acknowledged during the ASRW Opening General Session on Thursday, which featured keynote speaker and marketing guru Chris Brogan.

NACE and CARS will be held during Automotive Service and Repair Week (ASRW) next year when the events move to New Orleans, Oct. 10-13. Plan now to attend the events designed exclusively for automotive service and repair professionals.

Visit www.ASRWevents.com for the latest announcements.

For additional information about ASA, go to www.ASAshop.org. ASRW, NACE and CARS are produced by Hanley Wood Exhibitions.