FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                   

Contact:            Marilyn Rawlings, Lee County Fleet Management
(941) 338-3233 

LEE COUNTY FLEET RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS SERVICE DESIGNATION

FORT MYERS, Fla. (April 4, 2002) – Lee County Fleet Management has earned the Blue Seal of Excellence from the National Institute of Automotive Service Repair (ASE) – one of only 13 government fleets statewide to receive the distinction. 

“Businesses that have earned the ASE Blue Seal of Excellence Recognition have gone the extra mile in support of their customers,” said Ronald H. Weiner, ASE President.  “Employing ASE-certified professionals is an important element in their overall customer satisfaction program.  We salute those businesses who achieve this goal and thank them for helping promote quality automotive repair and service.” 

There are 102 Blue Seal shops in Florida and only seven in Lee County. 

To be eligible of this recognition, a company must have 75 percent of its automotive professionals ASE certified and there must be a certified technician in each area of service offered.  To remain in the program, a business must renew each year and confirm its professionals’ certification status. 

ASE is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of vehicle repair and service by means of voluntary testing and certification for automotive repair and service professionals. 

In October, Lee County Fleet Management was recognized as the second most efficient fleet operation in the United States, according to a nationally recognized fleet analyst and an article he wrote in the October issue of Automotive Fleet magazine. 

Lee County Government’s Fleet Management Division maintains more than 1,200 vehicles that are used by the county’s 25 departments and divisions each day in providing services to residents.  The fleet includes everything from passenger cars, light duty trucks and commercial work vans to ambulances, graders and super-duty construction trucks and equipment.  The division employees 25 and has an annual operating budget of $4.8 million.