Bedford, Texas, Sept. 19, 2005 - The Automotive Management Institute (AMI), in conjunction with Babcox Publications, recently announced Sandra Utterback, manager and service advisor, Grammer's Auto Repair and Welding, Inc., Tullahoma, Tenn., as the recipient of the "Tom B. Babcox Memorial Scholarship." The scholarship recognizes a management-oriented member of the Automotive Service Association (ASA) Mechanical Division. The recipient receives $1,000 to be applied toward expenses to attend AMI seminars offered during the Congress of Automotive Repair and Service (CARS) in Las Vegas, Nov. 3-5.

Utterback has worked in the automotive service industry for the past six years. She recently completed the necessary requirements to earn the Institute's Accredited Automotive Manager (AAM) designation.

"I am honored to be selected as the Tom B. Babcox Scholarship recipient and to be given this opportunity to improve my professional skills," said Utterback. "AMI education has provided me with the skills necessary to improve my job performance as I constantly strive to improve our shop's level of excellence."

AMI was established to answer the demand for continuing education tailored specifically for the business needs of the automotive service industry. The Institute offers the Accredited Automotive Manager (AAM) designation, the first business management accreditation exclusively for the automotive service professional. To date, AMI programs have attracted more than 131,000 enrollments throughout North America. AMI is a not-for-profit educational foundation to which tax-deductible contributions can be made. For more information about the Institute, its curriculum, or EXCEL, please contact AMI at (800) 272-7467, ext. 239, or visit the AMI Web site at www.amionline.org.