Look Who's in the Running for an
Expense-Paid Trip to CARS or NACE

No one can recruit another shop into your trade association better than you. That's why the Chairman's Club has always been an integral part of the Automotive Service Association's membership recruitment program. For every member application processed at the national office that is submitted by a regular member, that member will earn five points.

The member with the most points Sept. 15, 2008, will receive one expense-paid* trip to CARS or NACE. In the case of a tie, a drawing will be held to determine the winner. To be eligible for the trip you must have a minimum of 50 points. Here are the current leaders:

Bob Schlanger, 20 points
Scott Benavidez, 15 points
Don Nagy, 10 points
Ron Nagy, 10 points
Aaron Clements, 5 points
Dave Walter, 5 points
Doug McAlister, 5 points
James Copeland, 5 points
John Francis, 5 points
Michael Anderson, 5 points
Nathan Merrill, 5 points
Steve Louden, 5 points
Terry Keller, 5 points
Thomas Durrence, 5 points

*Expenses covered - round-trip airline ticket plus registration to the event and four nights in a hotel. Food and beverage are the responsibility of the winner. All accommodations must be arranged by ASA.

Go Shopping - ASA Style!

ASA is encouraging members to enter and browse the ASA Online Store. The ASA store has educational, training and promotional items for ASA member shops and their customers. It has a variety of sections of association items that ASA members are sure to enjoy!

ASA has recently added the Automotive Video Inc. (AVI) Training Products section to the store. Within this area, members can easily order and receive a 15 percent discount on selected products from AVI.

If you need assistance, or need sales advice, please call ASA's membership department at (800) 272-7467, ext. 295.

Get on the Map, Gain New Customers

As a reminder, each month ASA offers a monthly special to its members. Anytime in the month of April, ASA members save $20 on the ASA Good to Go Shop Locator enhanced listing.

The "Find The Nearest ASA Shop Locator" is a great tool for capturing new customers and building a larger patron base.

By integrating MapQuest technology, ASA's Find The Nearest ASA Shop feature allows motorists to access maps and driving directions to your shop! Motorists can search for a repair facility by company name, street address, city, state or ZIP code and a link to your shop's Web site is also accessible to searchers.

ASA is providing an upgrade opportunity for members who want to enhance their free listing to include other information such as specific services and payment options, shop hours, and shop certification and affiliations.

By calling the ASA membership department, (800) 272-7467, ext. 295, you, too, can take advantage of this golden opportunity to use the enhanced listing and receive national exposure at a minimal cost.

NATIONAL NEWS

• Executives from Delphi (right) - Frank Ordonez, president, Delphi product and service solutions; Norman Young, vice president, North American sales and global service operations, independent aftermarket; David Barbeau, vice president, global independent aftermarket business unit; and Scott Donnelly, sales director, North America - visited ASA headquarters recently. Delphi is an associate member and a sponsored benefit provider offering ASA members its comprehensive management and training tool, e-Tech Network, at a discounted rate. The program is designed to improve service bay efficiency and enhance the productivity of technicians.

• Ron Pyle, ASA president and chief staff executive; Aaron Clements, current ASA chairman; and Reggie Denney, chairman-elect; attended the American Society for Association Executives' (ASAE) Symposium for Chief Executive & Chief Elected Officers in Cary, N.C., March 10-11, 2008. The event provided an opportunity to forge a strong partnership between staff and volunteer leadership. Pyle met with Clements and Denney to explore priorities for the year and determine how best to work together. The curriculum included insights on making knowledge-based decisions, creating a culture of trust and sustaining a nimble infrastructure.

• ASA staffers attended the Congress of Automotive Repair and Service (CARS) Advisory Council Meeting at the Hanley Wood office in Irving, Texas, March 13 to plan for the upcoming CARS event to be held Nov. 5-8, 2008, in Las Vegas. The event will be held in conjunction with the International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE) under the umbrella of Automotive Service and Repair Week. It will be the first time that the mechanical and collision events will be co-located.

• This year marks the 25th anniversary for Carol Dennis as ASA's coordinator of membership records and accounting.

  There is nothing that Dennis will not do for the association. She does everything from making corrections to member records, processing accounts payable invoices, conducting accounts receivable billing, to ordering office supplies, specialty items, and coordinating employee functions and the ASA annual Christmas family project.

  In addition, Dennis works at the registration desk at ASA's Annual Convention and Congress of Automotive Repair and Services (CARS). On a personal note, Dennis is a devoted wife, mother of two and grandmother of nine.

  "Carol has achieved something few people do anymore. She has faithfully served the members and her fellow workers on the ASA staff for 25 years," said Ron Pyle, ASA president and chief staff executive. "It is a remarkable accomplishment and of course, we are proud of her. I am sure everyone knows that she was only 12 years old when she started, just in case you were trying to guess her age."