MAPA NEWS

July 22, 2014

The Michigan Automotive Parts Association is pleased to announce the selection of Barry Hill, Vice President of Auto-Wares Group of Companies, Grand Rapids, Michigan as recipient of its 2014 MAPA Lifetime Service Award.

Barry’s involvement in the automotive aftermarket industry spans 55 years, beginning at the age of 13 working in his family’s business Tri-State Automotive Warehouse and Hill Piston while going to school. Today, Barry is Vice President of Auto-Wares Group of Companies located in Grand Rapids, Michigan and is semi-retired. Throughout his career, Barry has been a champion of the independent, and a strong supporter of the automotive aftermarket industry.

Created in 2010, the MAPA Lifetime Service Award is presented to an individual by the association. It is designed to honor the excellence of individuals in the industry who have made significant impacts in the industry and/or the association. The award will be presented during MAPA Industry Day 2014 being held on Wednesday, September 10th, 2014 at the Holiday Inn Gateway Centre in Flint, Michigan.

Qualifying criteria for consideration of MAPA’s Lifetime Service Award is recipient must be a Michigan based company, have 25 or more years of service in the industry, and contributed significantly to the automotive industry and to their local community. Previous recipients include Sam Rogers, Parts Warehouse Co., Bay City, Michigan and Al Blanchard, Mid-5 Auto Supply, Livonia, Michigan.