ASA-Texas Names Member of the Year

Robert Gruener, Autotechtronics By Robert Inc., in Katy, Texas, 2009 ASA-Texas Member of the Year.

Robert Gruener, Autotechtronics By Robert Inc., in Katy, Texas, has been named the recipient of the 2009 ASA-Texas Member of the Year. The award announcement was made during ASA-Texas' Conference in Houston last October.

Gruener earned the prestigious award for his commitment to the local Houston chapter and the affiliate.

ASA-Michigan Hosts Retirement Party

Pictured (l to r) B.J. Johnson, ASA vice president, membership services, Ron Meyer, and Bob Wills, ASA Mechanical Division Operations Committee member.

Ron Meyer, president of ASA-Michigan, officially retired Dec. 31, 2009, after more than 20 years of service to the association. On Jan. 28, 2010, ASA-Michigan held a surprise retirement party for him at the Radisson Hotel in Lansing, Mich.

Approximately 80 people were in attendance to celebrate his retirement. The evening was filled with well-wishes and fond memories from members and affiliate board members.

Ray Fisher, ASA-Michigan incoming president, and Deb Wieber, ASA-Michigan administrative assistant, presented Ron and his wife, Sue, with an Alaskan Cruise on behalf of the membership. The members of the association donated the needed funds for the cruise in a show of appreciation for Meyer's 20 years of service.

ASA-Arizona Sunrise Annual Convention
Will Be Held July 9-11 in Prescott

ASA-Arizona will hold its Sunrise Annual Convention July 9-11, 2010, at the Prescott Resort and Conference Center in Prescott, Ariz. The three-day event will offer management and technical training, as well as an expo featuring the latest technology. For registration and convention information, contact the ASA-Arizona office at (602) 544-2600 or visit the affiliate's Web site, www.asaaz.org.

ASA-Georgia, ASA-South Carolina
to Hold Joint Event

ASA-Georgia and ASA-South Carolina will host the Southern Tradeshow of Automotive Repair and Service (S.T.A.R.S.) March 19-21, 2010, at the Hilton Convention Center in Greenville, S.C. The event will offer attendees educational sessions on topics including sales and marketing, technician shortages, Internet marketing, chassis repair, brake systems, waterborne paints and much more. For more information, contact Neva Hollins, (706) 832-7242, neva@asagashop.org or Shirley Gordon, (803) 736-1489, asasc@bellsouth.net. Interested attendees may also visit the event's Web site, www.starsevent.com.

National News

• As an ASA member, AutoInc. is your publication - therefore, it is important to let us know what your thoughts are on the magazine. We want to make sure we are providing valuable information relevant to our audience. Let us know if there are specific topics you would like to see covered, or if you have newsworthy information that would benefit AutoInc. readers, by calling us at (800) 272-7467 or by sending an e-mail to editor@asashop.org.

• ASA will host the ASA "Taking the Hill" Fly-In and AMI Leadership Conference for ASA members to meet with policymakers to discuss industry issues. The event will take place May 11-12, 2010, in Washington, D.C., and will address the key issues facing both collision- and mechanical-repair professionals. The 2010 event will be paired with an Automotive Management Institute (AMI) Leadership Conference, allowing attendees to participate in two additional three-hour workshops focusing on ethical leadership. The workshops are designed to enhance attendees' business and personal success. For more details, please visit www.asashop.org/TakingTheHill/flyin2010.htm.

Reminder of the month

The ASA logo and signage are available to members to promote association recognition to the motoring public. Motorists nationwide can identify ASA members by their red, white and blue ASA sign. The ASA logos and logo guidelines may be accessed through the Members Only section of the ASA Web site, www.asashop.org. ASA signage is also available to members through the Web site and by contacting the membership department at (800) 272-7467, ext. 295. In addition, member-businesses are also encouraged to display the ASA Code of Ethics to further promote sound business practices. ASA members were provided with a free copy of ASA's Code of Ethics suitable for framing in the February issue of AutoInc., the official publication of ASA.