Bridgestone Firestone Teammate Appointed To ASE Board Of Governors

BLOOMINGDALE, Ill. (Jan. 14, 2008) –Glenn Dahl, Senior Coordinator of Technical Education for Bloomingdale, Illinois-based BFS Retail & Commercial Operations, LLC (BFRC), has been appointed to the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Board of Governors. Dahl is the first teammate to be elected to this position from BFRC, the retail and commercial subsidiary of Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc. BFRC owns and operates the world’s largest chain of automotive retail generalist stores, which include the Firestone Complete Auto Care™ locations.

“We are extremely proud of Glenn’s appointment to the ASE Board of Governors,” said Alex Kolosiwsky, BFRC’s Director of Consumer Affairs, Government Relations and Quality. “At BFRC, it’s one of our goals to make sure our customers’ vehicles are fixed right the first time. Because of ASE’s certification programs, we’re able to ensure that our customers receive the best care possible and continue strengthening our workforce.”

By participating in the Board of Governors, Dahl will assist ASE, a nonprofit organization, in its mission of improving the quality of automotive service and repair through voluntary testing and certification of automotive technicians and parts specialists. Dahl began his two-year term on Jan. 1.

“BFRC's support of the ASE testing and certification program has been long and of key importance. We appreciate such support and are pleased to have Glenn Dahl represent BFRC on ASE's Board of Governors. His active assistance will help us continue to maintain our high standards of testing and certification,” said Tim Zilke, ASE president.

BFRC 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, teammates must recertify every five years to ensure they are competent to address and service the newest automotive technologies.

In 2002, BFRC developed a patch program to recognize those teammates who become ASE certified, with each such teammate receiving patches they can proudly display on their uniforms. In 2005, BFRC and ASE developed a special registration program for BFRC’s technicians to make it easier for them to register for certification testing. Since the launch of the registration program, BFRC has increased its count of ASE certified technicians by more than 60 percent.