Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: NGA Marketing Dept.
marketing@glass.org

JEFF OLIVE NAMED U.S. CHAMPION AUTO GLASS TECHNICIAN
Champion to Represent U.S. in International Master Fitter Competition in Germany

WASHINGTON, DC, September 8, 2006—The National Glass Association (NGA) is pleased to announce that Jeff Olive of Glasspro, Inc. in Mount Pleasant, SC was named U.S. Champion Auto Glass Technician in a competition held today by NGA in suburban Washington, DC. Mark Taylor of Portland Glass in Portland, ME and Carl Sorrels of Northwest Windshields, Inc. in Walla Walla, WA finished in second and third place respectively.

As the U.S. Champion, Jeff Olive will represent the United States and NGA in the International Master Fitter Competition in Düsseldorf, Germany, October 27-28, 2006 at glasstec 2006. The two runner-up finalists will also go to Germany to show support for the United States in the competition.

After being named U.S. Champion, Jeff Olive shared his thoughts on the honor, “My fellow finalists were very qualified to be in the competition, but I feel what set me apart was my relaxed approach. I felt pretty confident the whole way through.” Jeff also shared that he is very excited to be representing the U.S. in Germany and he will be joined by his wife and 6-month old daughter for the journey.

The competition was judged by Gilbert Gutierrez of Equalizer Industries, Inc. and Jay Sampson of Safety Auto Glass. NGA’s Leo Cyr served as Master of Ceremonies for the event. NGA received generous donations for the competition from Old Dominion Glass in Richmond, VA and Equalizer Industries, Inc. in Round Rock, TX. Dale Malcolm of Dow Automotive came out to watch the action, as well as many local NGA members.

Video highlights of the NGA competition will be available on NGA’s Web site on Monday, September 11, 2006.

The International Master Fitter Competition is organized by Automotive Glazing Europe UEMV and is held in conjunction with glasstec 2006. The competition hosts champion auto glass installers from participating countries from around the world to compete against each other to determine who performs the highest quality auto glass replacement and repair. For updates on our U.S. Champion’s “Road to Germany”, visit www.glass.org/cert/mfitter.htm. For information on the International Master Fitter Competition, visit www.uemv.com.

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About NGA
Founded in 1948, the National Glass Association is the largest trade association representing the entire flat glass industry. Based outside Washington, DC, NGA offers certification, education and training, and recently debuted MyGlassClass.com—a state-of-the-art, online training resource. NGA publishes the leading trade magazines—Glass Magazine®, Window & Door®, AutoGlass™, and new e-newsletter, e-glass weekly™. NGA currently hosts GlassBuild America®: The Glass, Window & Door Expo and the National Auto Glass Conference & EXPO.