BLOOMINGDALE, Ill. – Glenn Dahl, senior coordinator of technical education for Bloomingdale, Ill.-based Bridgestone Retail Operations LLC (BSRO), has been appointed to the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Board of Directors. Dahl is the first team member to be elected to this position from BSRO, a member of the Bridgestone Americas family of companies. BSRO operates the world’s largest network of company-owned automotive service centers, including Firestone Complete Auto Care and Tires Plus locations.
“We’re honored to have a team member appointed to the ASE Board of Directors,” said Darrell Rowe, BSRO’s manager of education and development. “At BSRO, it’s our goal to provide our customers with a positive experience every time they visit one of our more than 2,000 retail locations. Because of organizations like ASE and team members like Glenn, technicians receive extensive education about current automotive technologies and procedures.”
By participating on the Board of Directors, Dahl, a 29-year industry veteran, will assist the non-profit ASE in its mission of improving the quality of automotive service and repair through voluntary testing and certification of automotive technicians and parts specialists. Prior to being appointed to the ASE Board of Directors, Dahl was appointed to the ASE Board of Governors, where he continues to serve.
“ASE is proud to have Bridgestone’s support of our certification program,” said Tim Zilke, ASE president and CEO. “It is especially gratifying to have someone of Glenn’s caliber on the board. He brings technical as well as real world experience to our group."
BSRO has supported ASE certification for its technicians since ASE’s inception in 1972. Technicians achieve certification after passing at least one exam and providing proof of at least two years of relevant work experience. In order to maintain ASE certification, individuals must recertify every five years to ensure they are competent to address and service the newest automotive technologies.
In 2002, Dahl was instrumental in developing a patch program to recognize BSRO’s teammates who become ASE certified, with each such teammate receiving patches they can proudly display on their uniforms. In 2005, BSRO and ASE developed a special registration program for BSRO’s technicians to make it easier for them to register for certification testing. Since the launch of the registration program, BSRO has increased its count of ASE certified technicians by more than 60 percent.
