Manatee County, Fla., has joined the growing list of government fleets that have obtained the Blue Seal of Excellence from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE).

To obtain ASE Blue Seal certification, 75% of technicians performing diagnosis and repairs must be ASE certified, and each area of service offered in the shop must be covered by at least one ASE certified technician.

“We’ve had this ASE certification and recognition on the radar for many years, and due to technician turnover due to retirements, promotions, and expansion of services, our annual reviews identified we were missing one or several certifications in areas of competency required for the certification,” said Michael Brennan, CEM, fleet division manager.

“Last fall we reviewed our certifications versus our requirement for certification and found we were very close. We let staff know our intent, and what it would take for attainment of certification, and several took the initiative to attain certifications needed to attain the Blue Seal certification. I am truly proud of their accomplishment,” he said.

The fleet maintains 1,472 units across four maintenance facilities. Other government fleets within a 75-mile radius with the ASE Blue Seal of Excellence include the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County.