Cards Fall In Place for Indiana Service Dealer
Atlanta – Chris Fox, a service dealer at Indy Tire Centers, Inc. in Indianapolis, outlasted 63 other service dealers to win $30,000 in the 2005 NAPA EXPO Million Dollar Texas Hold’em Poker Showdown, Dec. 7, at Bally’s Hotel and Convention Center in Las Vegas.
Sponsored by NAPA BRAKE and CHASSIS and the NAPA ELECTRICAL GROUP, the poker tournament gave 64 lucky service dealers the chance to vie for $75,000 in cash prizes and an opportunity to play heads up against 2003 World Series of Poker Champion Chris Moneymaker for a chance to win $1 million.
In addition to Fox, the poker tournament also produced three other big cash winners: Mike Dunning of Merrill Auto, Lakewood, CO, $15,000; Chris Miller of Tuffy Auto Service Center, Grand Rapids, MI, $5,000; and Mike Dent of Muffler Masters, Ocean City, MD, $5,000. Fox, who said he plays poker only occasionally, was surprised at how far he lasted in the tournament.
“A couple of times I ended up going all in, and could have been out, but I got my card on the river twice to stay alive,” he said.
As the service dealer champion, Fox then got to play poker against Moneymaker with the winner claiming an additional $20,000 bonus, and a chance to win $1 million if he were to beat Moneymaker with a royal flush. Moneymaker used his experience…and a pair of 10s…to slip past Fox for the victory.
The NAPA EXPO is a four-day seminar designed specifically to help service dealers strengthen and grow their automotive repair business.
CARQUEST Names 2005 Excellence Award Winner
Raleigh, NC – Rick Allen of Hampton, NJ, has been named the 2005 CARQUEST Excellence Award Winner. He was presented the award Oct. 28 in Raleigh, NC.
“It is a privilege to win the CARQUEST excellence award and an honor to be the first to win it while also being a past technician of the year recipient,” said Allen, who in 2003 won the TECH-NET Professional Auto Service/ASE Technician of the Year award from CARQUEST.
The CARQUEST Excellence Award seeks to recognize the independent automobile service business that, through the course of everyday service excellence, exemplifies the professionalism necessary to build public understanding and respect for people working in the auto service industry today.
Owner of Rick Allen’s Auto Repair, the Hampton, NJ, native has more than 30 years of experience in the auto repair industry, and holds four ASE master certifications, with L-1 and L-2.
Women’s Board Announces 2006 Executive Board, Tio Named
Woman of the Year
Bethesda, MD – The Car Care Council Women’s Board named Jennifer Tio its second annual “Aftermarket Woman of the Year.” The announcement was made during the 2005 Women’s Board reception, Nov. 1, at the AAPEX show in Las Vegas.
Tio was chosen by the Women’s Board executive committee based on her longevity in the aftermarket, her career accomplishments, her leadership capabilities and dedication to the automotive aftermarket industry.
Tio joined Maximum Marketing Services in 1985, and currently serves as executive vice president. She will step down from her position as president of the Women’s Board this month, where she has served for the past five years. Under her leadership, the Women’s Board experienced significant growth and established many successful programs.
The Women’s Board’s recently announced 2006 executive board is as follows: President: Katie Noga, SKF Automotive Division; Vice President: Becky Babcox, Babcox Publications; Chair, Consumer Education: Ruth Ehlinger, AAA; Chair, Recruitment & Retention: Judy Scholl, Jiffy Lube; Chair, Scholarship Committee: Sherrie Graham, Northwood University; Chair, Membership & Awards Committee: Lynn Konsbruck, Maximum Marketing Services; Chair, Industry Relations: Stacey Hurst, Jasper Engines & Transmissions.
Orlando – New research from AAA suggests that, contrary to popular belief, men are just as likely to stop to ask for directions as women are, and there is no real difference in the genders’ likelihood to get lost when traveling together.
“Men get lost and seek help at about the same rate women do despite, or perhaps because of, decades of hearing, ‘Honey, just stop and ask for directions,'” said Jan Coyne, director, AAA Geographic Information Systems, the area responsible for AAAmaps.com and Internet TripTik on www.aaa.com.
“The perception that men are more reticent to ask for directions may stem from the fact that when couples travel together, men do the driving 78% of the time,” said Coyne, referring to a 2001 study by the Federal Highway Administration.
In the AAA study, men who were lost stopped to ask for directions 34% of the time and women, 37%, figures that researchers say are too close to conclude that a difference exists. Couples in the study often tried to find the correct route themselves and most were lost for less than 30 minutes before getting back on their way. A scant 0.5% were lost for more than four hours, and another 0.7% never did make it to their destination.
However, it appears that Americans are not getting lost very often. Out of more than 2,000 randomly selected U.S. adults in the study, only 156 reported being lost while driving with their spouse or significant other in the past two years.
Maintenance and Repair Association Targets Lead Pollution
Bethesda, MD – The board of the Automotive Maintenance and Repair Association (AMRA) recently adopted a first-of-its-kind policy stating that all used lead wheel weights collected by member companies should be recycled through the service provider’s designated supplier or approved recycler. Used wheel weights, while awaiting pickup, should be stored in containers suitable for that purpose. Providing used wheel weights to anyone other than the approved vendor/recycler is prohibited.
Simply discarding lead wheel weights and other components containing lead in the trash introduces lead into the environment. The trash goes to a landfill or other solid waste facility where the lead leaches into the soil and groundwater, merging with the water supply system.
AMRA represents North American automotive repair facilities whose shops include approximately 62,000 tire-installing service bays and who change tires on an average of eight vehicles per day. AMRA member shops account for (conservatively) 248,000 lbs. of recyclable lead per day or more than 39,000 tons a year.
To help member companies that have no designated supplier or approved vendor, AMRA has made arrangements with Interstate Battery System of America to pick up reclaimed lead wheel weights. For arrangements, contact Ronnie Fulton at AMRA at 301-364-4955 or [email protected].
One Man’s Vision – Importing Chinese-Made Vehicles to U.S.
“When I saw the world-class quality of the Chery factories and the quality of the current automobiles, I was blown away!” said Tim Ciasulli, CEO of Planet Honda and head of the Visionary Vehicles Dealer Board, adding, that in all of his family’s years of selling almost 1 million automobiles, he has never seen anything as spectacular as what the American public is about to experience when the first Chinese automobiles arrive from Chery Automobile in 2007.
“If I wasn’t there myself, I would never have believed that the American public is going to have the opportunity to buy top-of-the-line, fully loaded cars for 30% lower than the current pricing available from Detroit today. This trip has redefined my life as an automobile dealer.”
Ciasulli and Malcolm Bricklin, CEO of Visionary Vehicles, recently arrived back from Wuhu, China, where they met with Chery Automobile President Yin Tongyao for a two-day strategic planning meeting. While in China, Ciasulli and Bricklin held discussions with the top officials at Chery, toured the factories, inspected the quality of the automobiles, took several test drives, and reviewed the strategic plan for the North American launch. Chery/Visionary Vehicles’ plans call for selling 1 million cars a year to North American consumers within five years.
“I can honestly say the Chery/Visionary Vehicles venture is probably the biggest opportunity that has ever come along for both car dealers and the buying public. It is going to revolutionize the auto industry,” Ciasulli said.
