AWDA’s Art Fisher Memorial Scholarship Fund benefits students pursuing automotive aftermarket careers, and is named in honor of Art Fisher, former AWDA Chairman and CEO of Fisher Auto Parts and founder of Federated Auto Parts Distributors.

The Art Fisher Memorial Scholarship Award is presented annually to an aftermarket company or individual that demonstrates outstanding commitment to education and training. Also given in memory of Art Fisher, the award grants substantial scholarships to two students enrolled in the automotive aftermarket management program at Northwood University.

The 2007 Art Fisher Memorial Scholarship Award was presented to Fred A. Bunting, founder and chairman of Auto-Wares Inc. Grand Rapids, MI in recognition of his passion for training and education embodied in the highly successful Tech Expo conferences.

For many service professionals in the north-central U.S., a high point of the year is Tech Expo. Auto-Wares hold two of these events annually in Milwaukee, WI and Grand Rapids MI. The 10-year old events are tailored exclusively to professional technicians in automotive, heavy duty and PBE specialties. In 2007, over 3000 technicians visited Tech Expo and attended more than 4,800 training classes.

The success of Tech Expo has garnered the attention of many others in the aftermarket industry. Bunting believes that the more training our industry provides to technicians, the better it is for everyone. He has freely offered the secrets of his success and in 2006, even granted AAIA permission to duplicate, brand and distribute instructional DVDs that provide other aftermarket companies with the how-to’s for hosting their own training events.

“Without a doubt, this program goes above and beyond in the pursuit of excellence in training and education in the automotive aftermarket,” said Larry Pavey of Federated Auto Parts in presenting the award. “It is a great pleasure to honor Fred Bunting, the driving force behind this outstanding effort.

PREVIOUS AWARD RECIPIENTS

2006 KYB America
2005 Larry Sills
2004 Richard Beirne and Ron Levene
2003 MEMA
2002 Art Fisher
2001 Ted Wise, AAP
2000 Chuck Udell, AAP
1999 Marc Gelfand, AAP
1998 Raymond Walker, AAP
1997 Louis A. Zuanich, AAP
1996 Tim Lee, AAP
1995 Annie Kornafel, AAP
1994 Bill Kuykendall, MAAP
Gary Kremer, AAP
1993 Clay Buzzard, AAP
1992 Aaron Berkowitz
1991 N. Arthur Epstein, AAP*
1990 Kenneth D. Walker, AAP
1989 Robert H. Raff, MAAP
1988 Jay L. Love
1987 Raymond P. Peck
1986 Larry Anton
1985 Donald E. Edelmann
1984 C. Hamilton Sloan
1983 James L. Fine
1982 Frederic S. Kotcher
1981 Peter R. Kornafel, MAAP
1980 Robert L. Sirotek, AAP
1979 Emil G. Stanley*
1978 Richard B. Black
1977 O. Temple Sloan
1976 Charles N. Gaskill, AAP*
1975 Mort Schwartz, AAP
1974 Dunbar Abston Jr.
1973 Martin G. Brown
1972 Sam Nakis
1971 Herbert Lipton
1970 R. Jack Alexander Jr.
1969 S.G. Puryear
1968 Frank Norfleet
1967 Harry D. Rothman*
1966 Ran P. Hall

The AWDA Memorial Scholarship Award was preceded by the Ernest A. Tapp Memorial Award. The recipients of this award are:

1965 John M. Yantis
1964 Bernard Bock
1963 Paul Livoni
1962 A.P. Walter
1961 Jack F. Whitaker
1960 Thomas S. Perry, AAP