BEDFORD, TX – The Automotive Service Association (ASA) announced the winner of its 2007 Chairman’s Club Award at the Congress of Automotive Repair and Service (CARS) Luncheon Nov. 3 in Las Vegas. This year’s recipient was Danny Guido, AAM, owner of Tony’s Service Center Inc. in Phoenix, AZ. The award honors ASA members who recruited or provided leads for prospective shops to become members of the association.
Guido recruited 59 new members to ASA, which earned him an expense-paid trip to one of ASA’s two annual trade shows – CARS or the International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE). Guido, who had already planned to attend this year, decided to take his award and donate it to others.
“Danny did something very unique,” said B.J. Johnson, director of membership and affiliate relations at ASA. “Instead of accepting the expense-paid trip, he asked if he could use the money to assist other ASA members with their expenses to attend either CARS or NACE, and we agreed.”
Guido’s thoughtful and generous gesture enabled three additional ASA members to attend ASA’s CARS and NACE events that week. The award value for the trip was $1,000 and the Automotive Management Institute (AMI) contributed another $500. Each of the three members received $500 to apply toward their expenses to attend the events. The members are Michael Mazzarela, Airport Collision Center, Phoenix; Robert Schmidgall, Smitty’s Body Shop, Yuma, AZ.; and Tony Tokin, Ric’s Body & Paint Inc., Phoenix.
“The Chairman’s Club Award is such an honor,” said Guido, on receiving the award. “I am more excited about the new members than I am about the award! The new members who were signed up have already signed up other new members. Strength is the key. I believe Frank Beemer of Virginia Tech said it best, ‘One of us is not as strong as all of us.’”
In addition to recruiting members for ASA, Guido is a general director on ASA’s board of directors. He also serves on the ASA-Arizona board of directors and is president of the ASA-Phoenix chapter.
The Chairman’s Club program is based on a point system: five points are earned for each new member a current member recruits. The member with the most points by a specified date is awarded the grand prize – an expense-paid trip to either CARS or NACE. Twenty-eight members participated in the 2007 Chairman’s Club program. Individuals who participated received a certificate of appreciation from ASA for their recruitment efforts. The next grand prize recipient will be determined Sept. 15, 2008.
To learn more about the Chairman’s Club, call the ASA membership department at (800) 272-7467, ext. 295; or visit the ASA Community section in the Members Only area of the ASA website, www.ASAshop.org.
