FirstGroup North American maintenance locations gain Blue Seal of Excellence

The Blue Seal of Excellence has been awarded to 75 FirstGroup maintenance locations in North America.

The Blue Seal is given by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) and to receive it, 75% of technicians at each location must be certified by ASE. In addition, there must be a certified technician in each area of service offered.

The locations, comprising First Student and First Transit operations, received ASE’s Blue Seal certification for their achievement in recruiting the best employees, supporting their training, and providing the best equipment to maintain the vehicles.

“Our maintenance teams recognise the impact of the work they do every day,” said Todd Hawkins, FirstGroup’s senior vice president of maintenance. “The Blue Seal certification demonstrates our teams’ knowledge and training that’s required to diagnose problems precisely and accurately. Our goal is to maintain the vehicles properly and to the highest safety standards.”

The ASE (which was created in 1972) is an independent non-profit organisation that aims to improve the quality of vehicle repair and service by testing and certifying automotive professionals. The Blue Seal of Excellence is the highest certification level given by the organisation

The FirstGroup maintenance locations are among over 100 to have achieved Blue Seal status throughout the United States; the most of any transportation company in North America.