Record Number of Recipients Receive Aftermarket Scholarship July 9, 2001

Research Triangle Park, N.C. - The future of the automotive aftermarket industry seems brighter as a result of the awarding of a record number of recipients for the annual Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium Scholarship.

A total of 132 students will receive the scholarship in 2001. Twenty Canadian students, representing 15 schools in nine provinces, were a strong segment of the record scholarship recipients. This year marks the fifth year of scholarship awards and brings the total close to 400 winners and approximately $500,000 in aid.

The annual investment to help develop future aftermarket industry leaders is funded through proceeds from the annual Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS). This two-day program brings together numerous industry executives and examines the issues and trends affecting the automotive aftermarket industry and influencing its future. GAAS has become the aftermarket's premier educational conference. The 2002 Symposium will be held Thursday, May 16, and Friday, May 17, 2002, at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare in Chicago, Ill.

The 2001 scholarship winners were chosen from a record number of applicants, according to Mort Schwartz, GAAS scholarship chairman.

"Not only did we have more applicants than we've ever had in the past, but the quality of the applicants was the highest ever," Schwartz said. "Considering today's general economic conditions, it is a testament to the entire industry that we can award a record number of scholarships. It's just a shame we couldn't award the scholarship to more students who want to make a difference in shaping the future of our industry."

The severe shortage of qualified, trained employees in the automotive field is well known. The GAAS scholarships are an important step in addressing this vital need, Schwartz added.

The scholarships are available to students in two-year technical college programs and vocational schools and four-year college programs.

Schwartz notes that in order to be eligible for a GAAS scholarship, applicants must be enrolled full-time in a college-level program or a National Automotive Technician Education Foundation (NATEF) accredited automotive technical program in the United States or Canada. Graduate programs and part-time undergraduate programs do not qualify.

The GAAS scholarship is also unique in that recipients can receive two financial grants: one while in school to assist with tuition and an equivalent, matching grant for recipients who graduate from their program and show proof of employment in the automotive aftermarket for at least six months after graduation.

Scholarship applications are available from the eight industry associations who sponsor GAAS. Applicants can also contact the University of the Aftermarket at 816-523-8118 or Schona Evans at 816-361-6588 (sevans@awda.org) for applications. For more information on the scholarship or to download an application form, applicants can also go to www.automotivescholarships.com. A separate application for Canadian students is available from the Automotive Industries Association of Canada (AIA) at 613-728-5821, or at the organization's Web site: www.aiacanada.com. Deadline for 2002 scholarship applications is Thursday, Feb. 28, 2002.

The GAAS program is a joint professional education effort of the Alliance of State Automotive Aftermarket Associations (ASAAA), Automotive Industries Association (AIA) of Canada, Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA), Automotive Parts Rebuilders Association (APRA), Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association (AWDA), Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA), Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), Tire Association of North America (TANA) and University of the Aftermarket.

For more information, contact: Neal Zipser, MEMA, 919-549-4800, ext. 811, media@mema.org