07 Aug Influencing the Influencers

AMSOIL partnered with the MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS INSTITUTE (MMI) and MARINE MECHANICS INSTITUTE (MMI)

AMSOIL has entered a partnership with Universal Technical Institute (UTI) to become the official oil of its motorcycle and marine divisions, the Motorcycle Mechanics Institute (MMI) and Marine Mechanics Institute (MMI). MMI is dedicated to providing its students with the technical education and skills required to diagnose, service and repair motorcycles or marine equipment and launch successful careers in the motorcycle or marine service industries, and it boasts alliances with the top manufacturers in each industry. MMI has campuses in Phoenix and Orlando. The Orlando campus also includes the Marine focused Marine Mechanics Institute.

“MMI had already used AMSOIL products in some of its training programs over the years,” said Terry Emig, UTI/MMI Director of Business Alliances. “We became interested in a potential partnership as we noticed the company’s dedication to supporting the industry, enthusiasts and motorsport events. MMI initially got involved with AMSOIL Arena-cross, supporting the series with the MMI/Ricky Carmichael scholarship program beginning in 2013-2014. A few conversations, a campus tour and meeting set thstage for a win-win longterm partnership.”

MMI Training Programs

MMI training includes a 36-week Core Skills Program and a minimum of one original equipment manufacturer (OEM)-supported elective training program to help students earn work-experience credit, certifications or technician recognition levels. Elective choices include Harley-Davidson®, Kawasaki®/KTech Specialist, Suzuki®/FAST, BMW® Motorrad, Yamaha®/YamaPro and Honda®/HonTech. MMI’s Core program is considered the “Gold Standard” for motorcycle technician training, with students learning engine operation, troubleshooting and diagnostics through intense hands-on training. Through the electives, students also have access to ATV, UTV, personal watercraft, snowmobile, generator service and repair training.

MMI’S 51 week Marine program covers four-and two-stroke outboards, sterndrives, rigging, fuel and lubrication systems, electrical and diesel marine engines, providing hands-on training with the latest models, along with specialized factory-supported training through manufacturer partners Mercury Marine®, Suzuki Marine®, Yamaha Marine®, Honda Marine® and Volvo Penta®.

MMI boasts a high placement of motorcycle and marine technicians throughout the country as four out of five graduates find employment with dealerships, aftermarket shops and the motorsports industry.

AMSOIL-Branded Training

As the official oil of MMI, AMSOIL gains four AMSOIL-branded classrooms (two at MMI Phoenix, one at MMI Orlando [Motorcycle], one at MMI Orlando [Marine]) and assumes an active role in the lubrication and chemical curriculum training. While most of the current training in the Core lubrication courses was developed by OEMs, AMSOIL is working with the MMI curriculum team to enhance the training content and speaking points with information regarding the differences between conventional and synthetic lubricants, oil analysis and AMSOIL product information and imagery. Students will hear the AMSOIL story while learning about its state-of-the-industry products. AMSOIL corporate staff will also lead MMI instructor training programs and participate in MMI’s annual Partner Advisory Council, providing feedback on the school’s curriculum, staff, students, training aides and training environment.

The MMI/AMSOIL partnership will benefit students by giving them a better understanding of today’s leading lubricants and the technology behind the products. As these students become graduates and technicians, they will have a much better understanding of lubricant products and the differences between AMSOIL and the others. Product donations, curriculum support, scholarships and a working relationship with AMSOIL support a unique, high quality training experience.

“It is exciting to work directly with AMSOIL to develop curriculum for our students,” said Kevin Shockency, UTI/MMI Education Content Developer. “AMSOIL is a name brand I had lab-tested under severe conditions for off-road motorcycle applications. After nearly double the recommended mileage, the oil sustained a high concentration of friction-reducing additives and maintained stable viscosity. AMSOIL is an excellent choice to support the lubrication and chemical training needs for our students.”

Scholarships and Awards

As an official partner with MMI, Amsoil offers students a number of scholarship opportunities. Recognizing the challenges many students face in relocating to Phoenix or Orlando to attend MMI, AMSOIL offers the AMSOIL Relocation Scholarship Program. Thirty scholarships are awarded to help students mitigate relocation expenses. In addition, the AMSOIL Graduation Scholarship Program offers three scholarships (one per campus) to current students to help reduce graduation expenses.

MMI graduates are well-represented in the supercross/motocross world. In fact, 16 of the top 20 teams have hired MMI graduates, including five with the AMSOIL/Honda team. AMSOIL is the title sponsor and Official Oil of Monster Energy Supercross. Throughout the upcoming race seasons, AMSOIL and MMI will jointly present the Top Tech Award, awarded to the technicians who overcome adversity to get their riders’ bikes running and back into competition. The Top Tech Award will be awarded for each of the 16 Monster Energy Supercross rounds and each of the 10 AMSOIL Arena-cross rounds, with an additional overall award presented at the end of the season for Arena-cross and each class of Supercross (450, 250 West, 250 East). The Top Tech Award will be featured on the race series’ websites and social media sites. In addition, AMSOIL and MMI will also jointly present Tech Tips during race events and in social media.

Influencing the Influencers

The AMSOIL/MMI partnership serves as a very effective way to “influence the influencers,” creating immense opportunity for AMSOIL Dealers.

MMI graduates will leave school and enter the field armed with knowledge regarding the superiority of AMSOIL synthetic lubricants. As highly trained MMI technicians, their recommendations carry significant weight with dealerships, shops, race team owners, fellow technicians and customers, creating increased demand for AMSOIL products.

Students are trained on the best equipment with the latest technology and quality brands.  MMI is a premium technical training institute, and these future technicians will be excited to train and work with AMSOIL technology. The involvement of AMSOIL shows the students that AMSOIL supports the future technicians of our industry. That support goes a long way with these students, as many are young adults who are just starting new careers. Some have young families. Some are servicemen and women looking to begin new careers after serving our country. Students respect and promote the brands that support their training experience. This type of partnership and student experience creates a foundation for success for MMI, AMSOIL and our graduates.