AAIA Visionary Award Presented at Aftermarket eForum

BETHESDA, MD - July 27, 2006 - The Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) presented its Visionary Award to Ed Heon, CEO, DATAgility, Inc., at the Aftermarket eForum[tm] in Chicago, held July 17-19. The award recognizes an individual who demonstrates vision and imagination in the application of technology for the betterment of the aftermarket industry. Selection is made annually by the members of the AAIA Technology Standards and Solutions Committee.

Heon was recognized for his role as the "father" of the Product Information Exchange Standard (PIES) and for fostering a greater awareness and respect for the value of full, rich standards-based product information in business processes. Heon has also been an advocate for synchronization of product information as a platform for all business-to-business collaborations.

Prior to forming DATAgility with Denise Keating in 2005, Heon worked on the adoption of e-business data standards and practices with multiple industry groups besides the automotive aftermarket; including the Electrical Industry Data Warehouse, Electronic Commerce Council of Canada and the Department of Defense.

Kathleen Schmatz, AAIA president and CEO and Scott Luckett, AAIA vice president, technology standards and solutions, presented the Visionary Award at the eForum.

"AAIA is driven by energetic volunteer members and we like to celebrate the accomplishments of our exceptional volunteers," Schmatz said.

"Ed Heon truly is a visionary and we in the aftermarket are quite fortunate that he has been such an active volunteer for the past several years," Luckett said. "Better data management practices and a healthier industry will be his legacy."

The AAIA Visionary Award was first presented in 2005 at the eForum to Mike Williams, vice president for advanced technologies, O'Reilly Auto Parts.

About AAIA

AAIA is a Bethesda, Md.-based association whose more than 8,000 member companies and affiliates manufacture, distribute and sell motor vehicle parts, accessories, service, tools, equipment, materials and supplies. Through its membership, AAIA represents more than 100,000 repair shops, parts stores and distribution outlets.