Aug. 10, 2012—The winners of this year's SkillsUSA Championships in collision repair technology will attend the 2012 Automotive Service & Repair Week (ASRW) as featured guests.
ASRW organizers said the SkillsUSA gold medal winners of the secondary and post-secondary categories will be recognized with their instructors during the Opening General Session, which is scheduled for Oct. 11. They will also be recognized during the ASRW Awards event Oct. 12 at the National WWII Museum.
"The SkillsUSA winners represent the next generation of collision repairers, and we consider it a great honor to be able to recognize their outstanding work among the industry at ASRW,” said Ron Pyle, president and chief staff executive of the Automotive Service Association (ASA), sponsor of ASRW. “We are thrilled to welcome the SkillsUSA gold medal winners and instructors back to the show.”
ASRW organizers said 72 students competed in the collision repair technology contest during the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Kansas City. The winners and instructors who will be honored during ASRW include the following:
• Jason Lucius: SkillsUSA secondary gold medalist
• Carl Rusch: Secondary instructor
• John Stanton: SkillsUSA post-secondary gold medalist
• Danny Mays: Post-secondary instructor
Darrell Andrews, property claims trainer for State Farm Insurance and SkillsUSA National Collision Repair chairman, said State Farm will sponsor the trip to ASRW for the SkillsUSA winners and their instructors.
"With the educational programs planned and networking opportunities, ASRW allows an important forum for the collision repair community to become more involved in SkillsUSA and the lives of the industry's future workforce," Andrews said.
ASRW 2012, which includes the NACE and CARS events, is scheduled for Oct. 10-13 at the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.
