AMI Celebrates 20th Anniversary

What began in 1989 when a group of industry leaders got together in Bedford, Texas, has become the leading provider of management education for the automotive service and collision repair industry. Over the past 20 years, the Automotive Management Institute (AMI) has attracted more than 176,000 enrollments throughout North America.

The need for management education is one that has been voiced by those who enroll in the AMI courses as well as leaders in the automotive industry. The numbers speak for themselves. In 1989, 26 AMI-approved sessions were taught to 3,000 enrollees. These 26 sessions revolved around 16 approved courses and were taught by a handful of approved instructors. In 2008, 890 AMI-approved sessions were taught to 12,600 enrollees. AMI now has more than 1,000 approved courses and 260 instructors.

Throughout the years, AMI has earned the support and confidence of leading companies, associations, shop owners and managers. Tax-deductible contributions can be made in a variety of ways, including monthly, quarterly and annually. Every donation - big and small - is appreciated and makes a difference. Industry support by both corporations and individuals ensures AMI's ability to fulfill its mission of providing and promoting management education tailored to the automotive service and collision repair industry.

To learn more about AMI, its Accredited Automotive Manager (AAM) designation, or find an AMI course near you, visit www.amionline.org.

Techs Must Be Certified

Technicians working on mobile air conditioning systems are reminded that, by law, they must be certified in proper refrigerant recovery and recycling.

That law (Section 609 of the United States Clean Air Act) has been in effect since 1990, yet many service professionals still are unaware of the requirements or ignore them. Industry members can avoid serious fines by making sure all technicians are certified.
The cost for testing and credentials is $15.

For more information, contact the Mobile Air Conditioning Society Web site at www.macsw.org.

Good News for Shops

Here's some good news for mechanical and collision repair shops: the median age of U.S. vehicles in operation is up to 9.4 years.

That breaks the previous two-year record high of 9.2 years, according to figures released in March by R.L. Polk Co., a leader in global marketing intelligence.

What does that mean to service and repair shops? Those older vehicles are going to need service and repair.

Automotive Students Buy Bikes for Children

Automotive technical students at Ben Barber Career Academy in Mansfield, Texas, made a lot of youngsters in the Dallas-Fort Worth area happy at Christmastime by presenting them with these tricycles and bicycles. The children also got safety helmets, which were donated by Hard Hats for Little Heads and the Sunrise Rotary Club. Two years ago, auto tech students at the academy collected more than $8,000 for underprivileged children. This past year, they collected more than $21,000. It enabled them to buy 425 tricycles and bicycles. The students also donated more than $600 worth of canned goods to various food banks and shelters.