Author: Darrell Amberson

ASA Candidate Slate: Who is running?

In accordance with the bylaws of the Automotive Service Association (ASA), this announcement shall serve as official notice of the slate of candidates for one position of general director and one position of Mechanical Division director. This announcement is not…

$75,000 Grant Funds

Aluminum-Repair Training More than 50 collision school instructors will convene in the Chicago area in March 2016 for intensive aluminum-repair training, thanks to a generous grant from the Alcoa Foundation. As the philanthropic arm of Alcoa, a global leader in…

Thank You

At our annual meeting in April my term as chairman will end. Therefore, this is my last Chairman’s Message. Donny Seyfer will become chairman, and I assure you he is more than capable. There will be one or two new…

Opportunity’s Knocking!

Famous racer Bobby Unser said, “Success is where preparation and opportunity meet.” Winston Churchill gave further clarification on the topic when he said, “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” Lately…

The Experience

Hard to imagine that it is already November. In northern tier states such as Minnesota, the leaves are gone. Frosty mornings are the norm, many days are gray, and we await the snow that usually brightens our landscape for months…

Culture of Learning

Recently, I-CAR completed a survey. Over a long period they measured the performance of a number of collision shops while the staff went through many I-CAR classes. They were trying to establish the relevance of education to its return on…

It’s Showtime!

As a former drag racer, I have experienced many times what it’s like to spend a great deal of time preparing for an event. The team and I would spend months preparing for the season, days or weeks preparing for…

Marching Forward

“Life is a series of experiences, each of which makes us bigger, even though it is hard to realize this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and grieves which we endure…

Great Expectations

May is upon us. It’s a time when our weather is moving well into spring and giving us the first tastes of our upcoming summer. We anticipate summer vacations and activities. It is speed month in Indianapolis, culminating in the…

Great Things Happening

In many ways ASA is experiencing a rebirth and is currently in a whirlwind of positive activity. We’ve reported on the changes in our leadership, structure, new show venue and heightened energy over the past year. We are working to…

Failure, as a Motivator

I’ve lately been working on a new mechanical shop venture for the company I work for. The shop was previously occupied by a tenant whose business was failing. The business was apparently unable to keep up with its rent, utility,…

‘Finding’ Ways to Win

I like motorsports. All kinds, including NASCAR, Indy, muscle cars, street rods, old classics and other collectibles. I’ve always had a special affection for drag racing and dedicated an important part of my life to it. I’ve also learned a…