by Amy Antenora

CHICAGO – In between talk of telematics and technology, Scott Luckett and Kathleen Schmatz of the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) took a moment during the 2008 Aftermarket eForum this week in Chicago to recognize an individual who has worked to bring technology to the forefront of the industry’s consciousness.

Presented annually to the individual whose words and deeds demonstrate vision and imagination in the application of technology for the betterment of the aftermarket industry, this year’s AAIA Aftermarket Visionary Award was presented to Joe Register, president of Prescient Technologies, Inc. in Dover, N.H.

“Any of my colleagues from SEMA, AASA or AAIA will tell you the active volunteers are what turn the wheels of an association. A committee such as ours is fortunate to have individuals who possess a long-term vision of what is possible with technology,” said Luckett. “And it is our pleasure to recognize a special volunteer who is tireless in the pursuit of a technology-enabled aftermarket.”

During his 30-year career as a systems architect and IT expert, Register has worked in assignments at Montgomery Ward’s Automotive Center and Canadian Tire. In his decade of service volunteering on the AAIA Technology Solutions and Standards Committee, he played a leadership role in the development for the iSHOP standard for shop equipment and the development of Internet ordering Web service protocols. Recently, he was appointed to the association’s Technical Committee for Retail Technology Standards. Register also currently serves as technical adviser to the AAIA Technology Committee.

“Anyone who has worked on the committee knows that it’s the volunteers who make this work, so I share this award with everybody that I have worked with for the last 10 years on the Technology Committee," Register said after accepting his award. "Thank you all very much for your tireless efforts. The industry is in debt to all of you.”