Auto Service World Conversations

Bill Hanvey and his team at the Auto Care Association face a huge challenge in mounting the giant Automotive Aftermarket Parts Exposition in Las Vegas this fall. With Covid-19 still in the air, the show is going to look a lot different than it normally does. Bill walks us through what to expect when we arrive for what is often described as Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week. Support the show

Ray Proulx is chairman of the High Five for Kids Foundation, a charitable arm of the Automotive Industries Association of Canada. During Covid-19, High Fives has more causes to support and fewer sources of revenue. We called to find out how aftermarket companies can help make a difference for food banks, children's charities, and scholarships across Canada. Support the show

Todd Hack is executive vice president of sales and marketing for Mevotech, the Toronto-based manufacturer of aftermarket chassis components. With more than 30 years of experience at all levels of the aftermarket, he’s in a unique position to see how the threat of Covid-19 has impacted the industry – from fellow manufacturers… to warehouse-distributors… to his end-customers at auto repair and servi...

Jeremy O'Neal gets to work early every day, to clear his head, get inspired, and get all his ducks in a row. The manager of Freedom Auto Repair in Hesperia, Calif., and president of automotive management training firm AdvisorFix, he calls it The Golden Hour of Power. We called him to find out what makes it so powerful. Support the show

Brian Wheeler is vice president of business development and marketing for Fort Smith, Arkansas-based Cloyes. A supplier of timing drive system kits and components, Cloyes really has to stay on top of new-vehicle trends and technology. We thought I’d ask Brian what’s coming down the O.E. track, and why technicians should be paying attention. Support the show

Daren Hodgson, owner of Atelier D.H. Tech Pro in Ste-Marthe, Que., has remained closed to thwart the spread of coronavirus... even though he's legally allowed to open. Closing the shop indefinitely was a scary proposition for him, but not nearly as scary as the prospect of infecting his family. He's waiting until it's truly safe to return to work. We asked him for an update on how i...

Management consultant Bob Greenwood has long spread the word about the importance of raising billed hours, rather than increasing car count. His message should really resonate with shop owners who can keep their staff busy, but have a hard time making the shop profitable. We chat about the principle of increasing average billed hours and why it works so well. Support the show

Mark Lemay is the owner of Auto Aide, a training operation based in Barrie, Ont. In March, when society shut down out in defence against the coronavirus, his live training events were cancelled... and have remained so. We talked to him about the move to webinars and how effective that is in keeping technicians up-to-date on the latest technology. Support the show

Rick McMullin, owner of Ricky Ratchets Auto Repair in London, Ont., had one of those days just before Christmas last year. A runaway truck smashed through the front of his shop just after closing. Fortunately no one was hurt. We gave Rick a call to find out how it all went down. Support the show

Derek Suen, manager of new product development at Dorman Products in Canada, has been named the Young Leader of the Year by the AIA’s Young Professionals of the Aftermarket networking group. He has a passion for helping to bring great parts into the aftermarket. We thought it would be worth asking him how our industry is faring at attracting young professionals. Support the show

Sebastian Zelger is the general manager for North America for the Germany-based oil and additives company Liqui Moly. For the last three years, he’s been based in southern California, overseeing the sales and marketing efforts for the company. If he brought any European management ideas with him when he arrived on this side of the pond, it could be related to his views on transparency. We called t...

The bulk of John Fisher's job used to be done on the road. Now the regional sales manager for UAP-NAPA spends most of his time on the phone and online. We wanted to find out how jobbers are staying in touch with their suppliers during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and what John is hearing from the field. Support the show

MAY 11, 2020 -- Tracy Carnahan and her husband Gord are the owners of OK Tire Park Street in Regina, Saskatchewan. Like every shop in the country, they’ve had to radically redesign their entire process from client intake, to shop procedures, to transaction completion. Tracy says it all boils down to the word trust – but not in the way we normally use that word in this industry. We called her up to...

MAY 4, 2020 -- As a business coach with some 25 years of experience in the auto repair industry, Susan Hitchon has some interesting views on how auto repair shops can continue to connect with their customers at a time when physical contact is pretty much ruled out. Hitchon is a licensee of the Automotive Aftermarket E-Learning Center. Support the show

APRIL 29, 2020 -- J. F. Champagne, president of the Automotive Industries Association of Canada, needs your help taking the measure of the aftermarket, some six weeks into the current coronavirus pandemic. The association has created a survey to gather critical data that can be presented to the federal government and provincial legislators as evidence of how Covid-19 has impacted the aftermarket....

APRIL 24, 2020 -- Today we speak with Zara Wishloff, vice president of sales and marketing for Edmonton-based warehouse-distributor APD. He points out that it took a lot of people in our industry by surprise when we were deemed by governments around the world to be an essential service. So, why does he think we have such an inferiority complex? We asked him. Host: Allan Janssen. Producers: Delon R...

APRIL 20, 2020 -- Closing the shop for months on end is a scary proposition for anyone, but to Daren Hodgson, owner of Atelier D.H. Tech Pro in Ste-Marthe, Que., the prospect of continuing to spread the coronavirus is even scarier. He questions the Quebec governments recent decision to reopen the repair trade in that province, and he says he'll stay closed until at least June. We asked him ho...

APRIL 15, 2020 -- At the beginning of the current pandemic, automotive management expert Bob Greenwood was quick to offer practical ways to respond. We asked him to weigh in on the potential impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the auto service industry. He believes the new realities of retail will stay with us for quite a while, and shops will have to adapt quickly in order to survive. Host: All...

APRIL 10, 2020 -- Bob Ward, owner of The Auto Guys in St. Thomas Ont., says precautions against the spread of coronavirus have changed almost every aspect of his business. The frequent contributor to CARS magazine and the Auto Service World website, he's staying busy in the current pandemic and preparing for the long haul. Host: Allan Janssen. Producers: Delon Rashid, Peter Bulmer. Support th...

APRIL 7, 2020 -- Welcome to Auto Service World Conversations - a podcast about the automotive repair and service industry in Canada. In our first episode, shop owner Scott Eccles tells us his plan for helping fellow business owners in his hometown of Dundas, Ontario. Host: Allan Janssen. Producers: Delon Rashid, Peter Bulmer. Support the show