MENTORS AT WORK PRESENTS THE MENTOR OF THE YEAR AWARD AT NACE

For Immediate Release:
November 14, 2005

Contact:
Mark J. Claypool
Mentors At Work, LLC
Phone 630-762-0614
Toll Free: 888-225-6968
Fax 630-762-0615
mclaypool@mentorsatwork.com

911 Collision Center’s Ron Ratzlaff Honored

Left to right: Mark Claypool, President and CEO of Mentors at Work; Ronald Ratzlaff, 2005 Mentor of the Year; Michael Quinn, Owner of 911 Collision Centers.

Las Vegas, Nevada – November, 2005 – Mentors At Work, LLC presented the 2005 Mentor of the Year Award to Ronald Ratzlaff, a 36 year veteran technician from 911 Collision Centers in Tucson, AZ. The award was presented to Ratzlaff at the Industry Night of Achievement during NACE in Las Vegas.

Ratzlaff currently leads a team at 911 Collision Centers that consists of one “A” tech, one “B” tech and five apprentices. Together, Ratzlaff’s team has a year-to-date cycle time of 3.8 days and they have earned CSI scores in the 98% range.

Mike Quinn and Pat O’Neill, owners of 911 Collision Centers, submitted the nomination. In the nomination, they recognized the work ethic and pride Ratzlaff takes in his work.

Matthew O’Neill, field operations manager of 911 Collision Centers, further stated, “Ron is very patient and committed to making a difference with these young guys. When we decided to implement teams to ensure our future staffing, Ron was the first person who came to mind. He is an excellent craftsman who is understanding but can be strong when necessary.”

“It’s very difficult to train younger people, they can be immature. Ron has shown tremendous patience when it comes to their attendance. He understands when uncontrollable issues arise and employees may need time off, but he doesn’t tolerate unexcused absences. He’s teaching these people about responsibility and how a bad decision can be costly,” says Marea Turnbull, 911’s Human Resource Director.

“It makes me proud to see these people move forward, to know that I have helped shape their future. I’m proud of them all!” said Rarzlaff.

Ratzlaff’s apprentices describe him as hard working, dedicated and understanding. Ratzlaff teaches them how to be responsible technicians and how to make good decisions, setting goals for them and holding them accountable for hitting their numbers.

In addition to training new apprentices, Ratzlaff is also training “A” and “B” techs to manage their own teams some day, how to manage the flow of work, how to do it with exceptional cycle times and high CSI scores. This adds additional, qualified team leaders to the 911 Collision Centers stable, enabling them to grow and be that much more competitive in their market.

“It will be those shops who most effectively mentor new people into this field who will have the competitive edge over the next 5-10 years,” said Mark Claypool, President and CEO of Mentors At Work. “The work Raztlaff is doing to mentor not only new apprentices, but also preparing experienced techs to lead their own teams is exceptionally valuable and I know management at 911 Collision Centers appreciate his efforts.”

“Not only should one be able to train and equip tomorrow’s technicians, but they must also believe in a company’s culture and mission,” Quinn says. “Ron believes in both and is a huge asset to us at 911 Collision Centers.”

“Ron tells us that he is extending his own career by sharing his knowledge with new people and allowing his team to handle some of the demanding physical tasks that perhaps aren’t quite as easy for him any more,” added Claypool. “Ron possesses so much knowledge and skill that he is a tremendous asset to his employer from that perspective alone, and he uses this to prepare others for rewarding careers of their own. That’s good stuff.”

“This is the kind of dedication and the above and beyond the normal call of duty efforts that deserves everyone’s recognition for the positive impact these initiatives will have on our industry’s long-term ability to fix cars right and in a timely manner,” adds Claypool. “By presenting this “Mentor Of The Year” Award to Ron, we are able to recognize him for the great job he is doing mentoring others and encourage shop owners and managers to consider building effective mentoring/apprenticeship programs within their own shops. This, in turn, will help our industry meet its critically important long-term skilled labor needs.”

Claypool, considered by many to be one of the nation’s leading experts on occupational mentoring and apprenticeships, is the founder of Mentors At Wor, LLC. Claypool served as SkillsUSA’s TeamUSA Leader at this past summer’s World Skills Competition in Helsinki, Finland. He is the former Executive Director of the National Auto Body Council (NABC), the I-CAR Education Foundation and was National Director of Development for SkillsUSA/VICA.

Mentors At Work was founded in 2001 to help the automotive industry be successful in building successful apprenticeship and occupational mentoring programs. Mentors at Work’s clients include Caliber Collision Centers, DCR Systems and True2Form, as well as a number of independents and several clients outside of the automotive industry. Business partners include Sherwin-Williams, Akzo Nobel, and the DuPont Performance Alliance. Mentors At Work is headquartered just outside Chicago in St. Charles, Illinois and also has offices in Overland Park, Kansas and Alexandria, Virginia. For more information, go to the web at www.mentorsatwork.com, call toll free 888-225-6968 or e-mail info@mentorsatwork.com.

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