“With our industry-leading WIX® Institute of Filtration Technology and our innovative Filtration eLearning Center, WIX® has been on the front line of technician education for years,” said Jeff Blocher, brand manager for WIX® Filters. “Our alliance with UTI/NTI is a great avenue for Affinia and WIX® to support the technician community, while educating the next generation of technicians about today’s filtration issues.”

WIX® representatives spoke with students about industry trends, answered questions about filtration, and collected entries for sweepstakes and prize drawings. As an extension of this program, WIX® will host a filtration workshop for educators at the NTI Mooresville campus in August.

Through a company-led initiative, Affinia has awarded $36,000 in scholarships to students at the Universal Technical Institute, a leading provider of technical training for automotive, diesel and collision repair technicians. Eighteen tuition scholarships, valued at $2,000 each, have been awarded to students attending one of the Institute’s automotive or diesel campuses in Mooresville, NC; Phoenix, Ariz.; Orlando, Fla.; Houston, Texas; Glendale Heights, Ill.; Rancho Cucamonga and Sacramento, Calif.; Exton, Penn. and Norwood, Mass.

Affinia Group is one of the largest supporters in the aftermarket industry of UTI/NTI, lending financial and product support from its industry leading brands, including WIX®, Raybestos® brand brakes and Spicer® Chassis.

Universal Technical Institute, Inc. is a leading provider of technical education training for students seeking careers as professional automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle and marine technicians. The company offers undergraduate degrees, diploma and certificate programs at 10 campuses across the United States, and manufacturer-sponsored advanced programs at 18 dedicated training centers. Through its campus-based school system, Universal Technical Institute, Inc. offers specialized technical education programs through several well-known brands, including Universal Technical Institute (UTI), NASCAR Technical Institute (NTI), Motorcycle Mechanics Institute and Marine Mechanics Institute (MMI). For more information, visit www.uti.edu.

Since 1939, Wix® Filters has been an innovator in filtration products. WIX® designs, manufactures and distributes products for automotive, diesel, agricultural, industrial and specialty filter markets. Its product line includes oil, air, cabin interior, fuel, coolant, transmission and hydraulic filters for automobiles, trucks and off-road equipment. WIX®, a member of the Affinia family of brands, is the number one filter in NASCAR and an exclusive NASCAR Performance Product. Its NASCAR relationship also includes the WIX® Filters Lap Leader Award, which recognizes the drivers leading the most laps in each race. For more information, visit www.wixfilters.com.

Affinia Group Inc. is a global leader in the on- and off-highway replacement products and service industry. In North America the Affinia family of brands includes WIX® filters, Raybestos®, AIMCO® and BrakePro® brake products, and McQuay-Norris® and Spicer® chassis parts. South American and European brands include Nakata®, Filtron®, Urba® and Quinton Hazell®. For more information, visit www.affiniagroup.com.