Identifix Inc., along with the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), honored Edward Kiekover, an ASE Master automobile technician from Zeeland, Mich., with the Identifix/ASE Aftermarket Drivability Technician of the Year award. The ceremony took place in November during the Fall Board of Governors meeting for the ASE in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Keikover co-owns three OK Tire Stores locations and has been an automotive technician for 35 years. He enjoys volunteering in the community through his church activities and mentors troubled youth. Keikover cited increased technology as the number one change he’s seen in the automotive industry since he started at OK Tires in 1979.
“Back then, the cars we worked on were from the ‘60s and ‘70s, which was practically from the Jurassic Period when they were big and heavy, and for lack of a better word, crude,” he said. “I’m amazed by the incredible use of electronics today and the complexity of what they allow us to do. Technicians still have the ‘grease monkey’ reputation, and it simply isn’t true anymore. For example, I use up to five laptops at my job every day.”
Keikover’s secret to a fulfilling career isn’t in prestige or profits, but in personal connections, such as when a customer smiles and thanks him for taking care of the issue, as well as the satisfaction that comes with a job done right.
“I have a saying at work, and it’s ‘humility is the next car in the bay,’” he said. “I love my job because it’s a never ending challenge of my ability to diagnose and fix cars.”
The ASE annual awards honor the top scorers on the ASE Certification Tests, along with other criteria such as on-the-job excellence and community service. Out of a talent pool of 300,000 ASE-certified technicians nationwide, only 47 ranked high enough to receive awards.
