Explore every episode of the podcast Auto Service World Conversations
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASW Conversations: On a Journey of Growth, with Nick Brunet | 21 Oct 2024 | 00:14:01 | |
After a year at the helm, we catch up with Nick Brunet, president of Bestbuy Distributors. He joined the company after a stint outside the aftermarket but spent years before that with 3M. He’s no stranger to the aftermarket and is now taking on the challenge to growing Bestbuy’s place in the market. The distributor’s shareholder base has grown over the last year and looks to go even higher. He discusses growth, challenges like inventory management, using new tools like predictive analytics and the changes taking place in the automotive aftermarket. | |||
| ASW Conversations: Generational Divides in Auto Care, with Jeff O’Hara | 07 Oct 2024 | 00:16:04 | |
The priorities of those working in the automotive aftermarket vary widely by generation, according to the Defining Culture Survey, put out by the Modern Industry eXpertise (MiX) Council, part of MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers. Just what do these generations value — and what do they have in common? MiX chair Jeff O’Hara chats about what the survey found, what jumped out to him and what the industry can learn from the results.
| |||
| ASW Conversations: Aftermarket labour challenges with Alana Baker of AIA Canada | 27 May 2024 | 00:17:38 | |
Alana Baker, vice president of government relations and research at AIA Canada, joined Auto Service World Conversations to speak about the group’s Labour Market Report. It found that the labour gap is expected to worsen in the coming years, exacerbated by the growing trend towards vehicle electrification. Baker joins host Adam Malik to speak about the study, what it found, the challenges, how the industry can approach the issues and more. | |||
| 025 Nhu Nguyen on the road to Porsche | 07 Sep 2020 | 00:13:13 | |
Porsche technician Nhu Nguyen followed her passion for fixing broken things into the automotive repair world. She's now a technician at a Toronto-area Porsche dealership, a volunteer at Porsche driver events, and an advocate for getting more women in repair bays. Her active social media profile, led her to be selected by eBay Canada as a tastemaker. You can find the eBay "finds" she recommends at eBay.ca/ebayedits. We spoke to her about her very busy -- and unique -- career. | |||
| 024 David Lawes on the origins of "Ken the Mechanic" | 31 Aug 2020 | 00:08:39 | |
David Lawes, CEO of the B.C. Used Oil Management Association, talks about an innovative series of videos featuring a hilarious technician named "Ken the Mechanic" who discusses the recyclability of motor oil. The videos make the point that not everything that gets dirty needs to be thrown away... and that's especially true of used motor oil. We spoke to David about how the campaign came together. | |||
| 023 Tim and TJ Brough on innovative marketing | 24 Aug 2020 | 00:12:13 | |
Tim and Becky Brough, owners of Reliance Automotive in Hamilton, Montana hit a home run with their spirited “Who is Becky!” marketing campaign earlier this month. The campaign dominated the local news media and was the top trending topic in town for weeks. It also drew lots of new faces into the shop. We talk to Tim and his son T.J. about how the campaign was conceived. | |||
| 022 J.F. Champagne on mandatory certification of repair shops | 15 Aug 2020 | 00:10:00 | |
AIA Canada is working with industry to convince the Ontario government that mandating the certification of collision shops will help reduce the hight cost of insurance in that province. If the initiative is adopted -- and it looks like it might -- they think it would be a good idea for mechanical shops to face mandatory certification too. We spoke to AIA president J.F. Champagne to understand what's behind the initiative. | |||
| 021 Tim Cifelli on what repair shops are learning during Covid | 10 Aug 2020 | 00:11:55 | |
Tim Cifelli is the marketing director for shop software company Bolt On Technology, which has led the way with things like digital inspections and text-based communications strategies. Tim says modern tools have opened up a world of new opportunities for aftermarket shops, and that, ironically enough, the Covid-19 pandemic has helped prove how effective they can be. | |||
| 020-Bill Hanvey on what to expect at AAPEX this year | 03 Aug 2020 | 00:11:10 | |
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. | |||
| 019 Ray Proulx on how you can help High Fives for Kids | 27 Jul 2020 | 00:09:49 | |
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. | |||
| 018 Todd Hack on how 2020 could shape up for the aftermarket | 20 Jul 2020 | 00:10:53 | |
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 service shops throughout the continent. We asked what he expects to see for the balance of this year. | |||
| 017 Jeremy O'Neal on the most important hour of the day | 13 Jul 2020 | 00:10:57 | |
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. | |||
| 016 Brian Wheeler on keeping up with technology | 06 Jul 2020 | 00:09:34 | |
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. | |||
| ASW Conversations: AutoShow Insights — Chevrolet Canada | 13 May 2024 | 00:06:14 | |
Host Adam Malik talks to Holly Broome from Chevrolet about their role in vehicle electrification and more at the Canadian International AutoShow. | |||
| 015 Daren Hodgson on why he's still not open for business | 29 Jun 2020 | 00:06:44 | |
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 it's going. | |||
| 014 Bob Greenwood on counting billed hours, not cars | 22 Jun 2020 | 00:09:56 | |
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. | |||
| 013 Mark Lemay on training in the age of Covid | 15 Jun 2020 | 00:10:44 | |
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. | |||
| 012 Rick McMullin on his door-crasher special | 08 Jun 2020 | 00:10:34 | |
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. | |||
| 011 Derek Suen on attracting new talent to the industry | 01 Jun 2020 | 00:10:59 | |
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. | |||
| 010 Sebastian Zelger on the value of transparency | 25 May 2020 | 00:10:33 | |
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 to ask why that's so important in business. | |||
| 009 John Fisher on adapting to working online | 18 May 2020 | 00:07:08 | |
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. | |||
| 008 Tracy Carnahan on the shifting meaning of the word TRUST | 11 May 2020 | 00:09:03 | |
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 talk about it. | |||
| 007 Susan Hitchon on making connections during a pandemic | 04 May 2020 | 00:07:39 | |
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. | |||
| 006 J.F. Champagne on quantifying the impact of Covid-19 | 29 Apr 2020 | 00:07:04 | |
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. As you'll hear, lay-offs and lowered revenues tell only part of the story. | |||
| ASW Conversations: AutoShow Insights — Ford Canada | 29 Apr 2024 | 00:08:51 | |
Host Adam Malik talks to Alexa Desjardins from Ford about transitioning consumers to EVs and more at the Canadian International AutoShow. | |||
| 005 Zara Wishloff on why we're more essential than ever | 25 Apr 2020 | 00:07:12 | |
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 Rashid, Peter Bulmer. | |||
| 004 Daren Hodgson on why he's resisting the call to reopen | 25 Apr 2020 | 00:05:31 | |
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 how he came to that decision. | |||
| 003 Bob Greenwood on the changing realities of retail | 25 Apr 2020 | 00:06:45 | |
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: Allan Janssen. Producers: Delon Rashid, Peter Bulmer. | |||
| 002 Bob Ward on how coronavirus has changed everything | 25 Apr 2020 | 00:06:35 | |
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. | |||
| 001 Scott Eccles on helping other stores in trying times | 25 Apr 2020 | 00:06:15 | |
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. | |||
| ASW Conversations: Celebrating 50 years of Lordco | 15 Apr 2024 | 00:11:17 | |
Lordco is marking 50 years in 2024 and the celebrations were highlighted at its annual trade show in Vancouver in April. Host Adam Malik speaks with Sarah Durant, VP of Marketing, Candace Gottschalk, VP of HR, and Marlyn Coates, president, about this year’s show and what 50 years means to them. | |||
| Enhanced Media: AIA Canada Incoming Chair, Ryan Bruno, Jobber News, March 2024 | 01 Apr 2024 | 00:07:20 | |
Jobber News editor Adam Malik sits down with Ryan Bruno to talk about his role as chair of AIA Canada. His one-year term will officially begin in April following the association’s AGM. You can read the interview in the March issue of Jobber News and hear more of his thoughts in this special enhanced media segment. | |||
| ASW Conversations: AutoShow Insights — Volvo Canada | 18 Mar 2024 | 00:08:05 | |
Host Adam Malik talks to Matt Girgis from Volvo about its plans for electrification and more at the Canadian International AutoShow. | |||
| ASW Conversations: How Automakers Will Tackle EV Education | 04 Mar 2024 | 00:06:53 | |
Host Adam Malik speaks to representatives from Ford, Stellantis, Chevrolet, and Volvo about the importance of educating consumers in the transition to electric vehicles. | |||
| ASW Conversations: Canadian M&A — The Vast-O’Reilly deal and more | 08 Jan 2024 | 00:12:40 | |
Host Adam Malik chats with Kumar Saha, U.S. vice president and Canadian managing director of global automotive data firm Eucon, about the Vast-Auto and O’Reilly Automotive deal, what it means for the Canadian aftermarket today and the industry going forward. | |||
| Enhanced Media: How Darryl Croft is helping the EV Transiton, EV World, Winter 2023 | 29 Dec 2023 | 00:11:06 | |
Listen in as Darryl Croft, president of the Electric Vehicle Network and co-owner and vice president of OK Tire (Etobicoke), and Mavrene Brooks, EV consultant at the Electric Vehicle Network, talk about why the network started, how they help consumers get more comfortable with EVs, how they help answer questions from skeptical customers and the first steps aftermarket shops should take to prepare for servicing EVs. | |||
| Enhanced Media: More insights from the 2023 Shop of the Year, CARS, December 2023 | 15 Dec 2023 | 00:04:42 | |
Hear more expertise from Mike Howard, manager of garage operations at Art Turney’s Garage, the winner of the 2023 Shop of the Year. He touches on challenges around training, the importance of a clean shop and advice for his shop peers. | |||
| ASW Conversations: Hanging His Own Shingle, with Rui Silvestre | 23 Sep 2024 | 00:12:12 | |
Rui Silvestre has been a technician for a long time. But things change. Due to circumstances beyond his control, his home at Master Mechanic High Park had to close down. Silvestre knew he wanted to open up his own shop — and he finally did on August 1. Join us for a conversation about how he got there, moving from tech to owner, and what it’s like to have the support of the community.
| |||
| ASW Conversations: Right to Repair and the State of the Industry with Bill Hanvey | 24 Nov 2023 | 00:14:05 | |
Bill Hanvey joins Adam Malik for their annual chat at AAPEX on the state of the auto care sector, plus major movement on right to repair | |||
| Enhanced Media: More from the 2023 Jobber of the Year Winner, Jobber News, November 2023 | 20 Nov 2023 | 00:04:52 | |
Here’s more from this year’s Jobber of the Year Winner, Chieftain Auto Parts and its co-owners, the brother and sister team of Trevor Heizne and Jayne Kelly. They discuss the importance of inventory, having good relationships with suppliers and future opportunities. Read more in the November issue of Jobber News and find the expanded feature on autoserviceworld.com | |||
| ASW Conversations: Navigating the Cost Gap on Tesla and Non-Tesla EV Collision Repairs with Kevin Fitzpatrick | 10 Nov 2023 | 00:15:52 | |
Host Peter Bulmer and Kevin Fitzpatrick of Opus IVS discuss future concerns facing the EV industry, including the cost of repairs, ease of access to parts, and keeping up with technological innovations. | |||
| Enhanced Media: EVs and ‘Negative Hyperbole’, EV World, Fall 2023 | 04 Oct 2023 | 00:05:29 | |
Here’s more from Adam Malik’s chat with James Carter, principal consultant at Vision Mobility. Carter talks about the “negative hyperbole” around electric vehicles and some people’s desire to dismiss them for a variety of reasons. | |||
| ASW Conversations: Want to Retire? What to do With Your Shop with Matt DiFrancesco | 22 Sep 2023 | 00:19:59 | |
Automotive repair shop owners skew towards the older age group — and if you’re reading this, you’re probably one of them. So how do you retire and set your shop up for a proper exit? Matt DiFrancesco, principal and financial technician for automotive repair professionals at High Lift Financials, chats with Peter Bulmer in this episode of ASW Conversations about the challenges being faced and how to overcome them. | |||
| ASW Conversations: What About Hydrogen? with Brent Hartman | 07 Jul 2023 | 00:17:51 | |
Hydrogen has an important role to play in our journey toward decarbonization, especially in the freight and transportation sectors. Brent Hartman, director of standards in the fuels and transportation at CSA Group, joins publisher Peter Bulmer in this episode of Auto Service World Conversations to talk about the use of hydrogen as an alternative fuel, standards needed for best practice, challenges faced and more | |||
| Enhanced Media: Diving into the Annual Jobber Survey, CARS, June 2023 | 10 Jun 2023 | 00:04:31 | |
Get ready to explore key takeaways from the results of the 2023 Annual Jobber Survey from CARS. Your host and managing editor, Adam Malik, dives into the top concerns jobbers have with the way some shops operate their businesses, how that conflicts with views from the shop owner side, and then highlights other findings that couldn’t fit into the main feature. | |||
| Enhanced Media: Other Takeaways From the Annual Shop Survey, Jobber News, May 2023 | 06 May 2023 | 00:06:25 | |
Managing editor Adam Malik takes a deeper dive into the results of the Jobber News Annual Shop Survey. While touching on the big change in relationships, he explores how many jobbers stores they want to deal with, their concerns around quality and what they want from their jobber. | |||
| Enhanced Media: The business decision of EVs, EV World, Spring 2023 | 10 Apr 2023 | 00:03:36 | |
Adam Malik interviews Kevin FitzPatrick, the senior vicepresident of North America operations with Opus IVS, which provides diagnostics, programming, and live repair guidance. He expands on our conversation regarding EVs and the importance of the automotive aftermarket to get moving on technology sooner than later. | |||
| Enhanced Media: ADAS’s important role, CARS, April 2023 | 10 Apr 2023 | 00:05:42 | |
Adam Malik brings more of his discussion with Liz Perkins of the L1 Auto Group about the importance of doing proper calibration on ADAS and her passion for this topic. | |||
| ASW Conversations: A Place for the Industry’s Young Pros, with Kari Hann | 09 Sep 2024 | 00:14:41 | |
Host Adam Malik is joined by Kari Hann. By day, she’s the marketing and digital communications manager at Specialty Sales & Marketing, but Kari is also the chair of the Young Professionals in the Auto Care Sector (YPA). They talk about the importance of the YPA, what its goals are, why young professionals should join, why employers should encourage their under-45 staff to join, what her goals are as chair, and more. | |||
| ASW Conversations: How are OEs educating consumers about EVs? | 31 Mar 2023 | 00:10:34 | |
Managing Editor Adam Malik talks to leaders at the Canadian International Auto Show about aftermarket concerns for EV innovations. | |||