Southern Texas is the new home of ATRA. While ATRA is thriving in its new home, the ATRA Southwest Chapter has been long established in this great state. The ATRA Southwest chapter started in the late seventies. Ewell Dickerson from Dunn Transmission in Tyler, Texas, and Jim Shine from Shines Transmission in the Houston area were the first to get the chapter started. Ed Doyle from A+1 Transmissions in Kerrville, Texas, has been the chapter president since 2005. Texas is a big enough state to host three training seminars – Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. There have been a few other training events in the Odessa area, but more so in the other cities. While the training events are an important benefit, there’s more than meets the eye. In past years, the chapter would put on a hospitality night on the evening before the events. Sometimes you’d learn more during those events than the seminar itself.
If you ask Ed what makes your chapter special, he’ll gladly tell you! “It’s all about the people and the shops. Networking is something we do, and we do it well.”
The Southwest chapter and ATRA helped sponsor a very special event this past year – Turtle Creek Volunteer Fire Department Kerrville Golf Tournament. ATRA got to team up with some players and enjoy a round of golf. Sponsoring events like this makes ATRA more visible to the daily commuters and other businesses. They get to see what ATRA offers, and it always spawns a few questions. Ed was the tournament host and moderator of the post-tourney ceremony. He thanked all the sponsors and talked about the volunteer fire department and why having one in his community is so important.
The Southwest Chapter has put on other special training events. For example, in 2018-2019, the chapter put on a CVT training event at St. Phillips College in San Antonio. There were over sixty attendees, and our good friends at WIT were the presenters. The chapters should do these things to remain ahead of the technology curve.
Ed’s wife, Mary, was also involved in the chapter. Mary was in the Executive Women’s Club to raise money for breast cancer and other causes. The Women’s Club raised about $50,000 to donate to the breast cancer facility in Kerrville. She was also on the Kerr County’s Women Chamber of Commerce and named Woman of the Year in both these independent organizations two separate years during her time on the boards.
This is really what being part of a chapter is all about. Making relationships with shops and other like-minded businesses to help the association grow. I asked Ed, “What’s the best thing about being the chapter president?” Ed said, “Giving back to the industry. It takes two to Tango.”
Networking is one of the biggest keys to learning. These days, attendees come and leave as fast as possible, but Ed thinks they should hang around afterward, and here’s why. Some of the most interesting guys you’ll ever meet are in our industry. Sharing years of stories and experiences alone is worth its weight in gold. Nine times out of ten, you’ll be talking to someone in the hallway and find “that fix” you’ve been looking for.
A+1 Transmission will be celebrating its 45th year in Kerrville on August 18,2023. Ed has been an ATRA member at that same location since 1980. It’s located on “Gasoline Alley.” Yes, you read that right, Gasoline Alley 😊.
Being a member of the association and a chapter allows you to see the industry grow. If you’re genuinely a gearhead, being a part of the chapter will be your cup of tea. If you’re the type of person who’s into giving, you’ll receive more in return than you can possibly give. If you’re interested in joining or creating a chapter, please contact me at lwiggins@atra.com.
