The music industry’s biggest names were honored at the GRAMMY Awards last month. Also applauded were the National Football League’s All Stars, who wrapped up their Pro Bowl festivities in recognition of their outstanding talent on the field.
But let’s hear it for the automotive service and repair industry that also has its own group of All Stars. These Top Techs were honored in November during the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence’s (ASE) board meeting held at the Monteleone Hotel in New Orleans.
The annual awards banquet spotlights top “scorers” on the ASE certification tests. In addition, award sponsors examine on-the-job excellence, community service and other factors when selecting honorees.
We at ImportCar would like to recognize the top award winners in the Automotive categories listed below for their expert service in the bays and in shops across the country.
The ASE top honors go to:
Manuel Rodriguez Bridgestone Retail Operations/ASE Master Automobile Technician of the Year, Firestone Complete Auto Care, E. Chicago, IN;
Rollin Hansen TECH-NET Professional/ASE Master Automobile Technician of the Year, Auto Tech & Body, Roselle, IL;
Harlan Wawrzyniak Cengage Learning/ASE Master Automobile Technician of the Year, Harlan’s Auto Repair, Silver Lake, MN;
Timothy Johnson Chrysler/ASE Master Automobile Technician of the Year, Mills Ford Jeep Willmar, Willmar, MN;
Scot Manna Gates/ASE Master Automobile & L1 Technician of the Year, MB Automotive, Inc., Des Plaines, IL;
Bryon Vamos GM/ASE Master Automobile Technician of the Year, Delehanty Pontiac, Flushing, MI;
Louis Gede Honda/ASE Master Automobile Technician of the Year, Route 23 Honda, Pompton Plaines, NJ;
Carl Cornelius Acura/ASE Master Automobile Technician of the Year, David McDavid Acura, Plano, TX;
Raymond Reichert Identifix/ASE Aftermarket Driveability Technician of the Year, Eichelberger Service, Inc., Shickley, NE;
Daryl Emholtz Midas International/ASE Automobile Technician of the Year, Midas, Maple Grove, MN;
Rick Ballard Mitchell 1/ASE Technician of the Future, Cache Valley Advantage Automotive, Logan, UT;
Rory Perrodin NATEF/ASE Instructor of the Year, MCC Longview, Lee’s Summit, MO;
Michael Godson Motor Age Training/ASE Master Automobile & L1 Technician of the Year, Clark College, Vancouver, WA;
Gary Willett Nissan/ASE Master Automobile Technician of the Year, Desert Nissan, Las Vegas;
David Martin Infiniti/ASE Master Automobile Technician of the Year, Brewbaker Motors, Montgomery, AL;
Thomas Piippo Snap-on/ASE Master Automobile Technician of the Year, Tri-County Motors, Rudyard, MI;
Toby Costa Subaru/ASE Master Automobile Technician of the Year, Maita Hyundai Subaru, Sacramento, CA;
Edward LaFontaine Toyota/ASE Master Automobile Technician of the Year, Galaxy Toyota, Eatontown, NJ;
Bryan Ledbetter Lexus/ASE Master Automobile Technician of the Year, Lexus of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK; and
Paul Van Doren Volvo/ASE Master Automobile Technician of the Year, Volvo Spokane, Spokane, WA.
While these service personnel may not be household names like music greats or professional athletes, shop owners who want to deliver top-notch repairs understand the importance of having exceptional, All Star technicians on their team because, then, everyone’s a winner!