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Explore every episode of the podcast Auto Service World Conversations
Dive into the complete episode list for Auto Service World Conversations. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enhanced Media: CARS Shop of the Year 2025, Platinum Automotive Repair | 10 Dec 2025 | 00:06:52 | |
Tune into the Enhanced Media portion of the December 2025 issue of CARS magazine to hear more from Sal Medici, owner of Platinum Automotive Repair in Niagara Falls, winner of the 2025 Shop of the Year Award, Sponsored by Milwaukee Tool. This more from our conversation that we couldn’t fit into the magazine. Listen now to hear more of their insights and check out the full feature in the magazine. | |||
| Navigating Global Disruption, with Bill Hanvey | 01 Dec 2025 | 00:15:43 | |
Bill Hanvey, president of the Auto Care Association, joins Auto Service World Conversations to explore the latest happenings in the aftermarket and nail down the challenges and opportunities. He discusses how the industry is adapting to political uncertainty, tariffs and evolving consumer behaviours, while highlighting the pivotal roles of artificial intelligence, global collaboration and technical training. Hanvey emphasizes the importance of mentorship and the emergence of a new generation of leaders. | |||
| ASW Conversations: A Roadmap For Our Aftermarket Future, with NAPA’s Donovan Ringo | 07 Jul 2025 | 00:16:51 | |
Donovan Ringo, senior manager of emerging technologies at NAPA, explores the transformative technologies reshaping the automotive industry, particularly for repair shops. With ADAS, EVs and autonomous driving at various stages of sophistication, Ringo emphasizes the critical need for independent shops to invest in emerging technologies. He discusses the challenges shops face in adopting new tech, from training to equipment costs, and to retain customers and compete with dealerships. With predictions of EVs reaching 30% of the car parc in a decade and ongoing advancements in autonomous driving, Ringo explores the importance of continuous learning and adaptation in the rapidly evolving automotive landscape. | |||
| ASW Conversations: How shop business has changed | 22 Sep 2021 | 00:16:22 | |
ASW Conversations: How shop business has changed by Peter Bulmer | |||
| ASW Conversations: Education trends and challenges | 31 Aug 2021 | 00:21:31 | |
ASW Conversations: Education trends and challenges by Peter Bulmer | |||
| ASW Conversations: Connecting with customers through a robot | 10 Aug 2021 | 00:09:44 | |
ASW Conversations: Connecting with customers through a robot by Peter Bulmer | |||
| ASW Conversations: Welcoming back Adam Malik as editor | 29 Jul 2021 | 00:13:11 | |
After a couple of years away, Adam Malik has returned as editor of Jobber News and now CARS magazines. | |||
| ASW Conversations: Al Haberman talks mandatory certification | 22 Jul 2021 | 00:21:42 | |
ASW Conversations: Al Haberman talks mandatory certification by Peter Bulmer | |||
| ASW Conversations: ShopPros' CEO Al Wheeler on why business culture matters | 21 Jun 2021 | 00:19:59 | |
ASW Conversations: ShopPros' CEO Al Wheeler on why business culture matters by Peter Bulmer | |||
| ASW Conversations: ShopPros on business planning & why shop owners can't count on "Plan B" | 18 Jun 2021 | 00:20:16 | |
ASW Conversations: ShopPros on business planning & why shop owners can't count on "Plan B" by Peter Bulmer | |||
| ASW Conversations: Meet the Toronto shop owner spreading positivity & community through signs | 03 Jun 2021 | 00:16:53 | |
ASW Conversations: Meet the Toronto shop owner spreading positivity & community through signs by Peter Bulmer | |||
| ASW Conversations: Bruce Eccles on changes and challenges in today’s aftermarket (Part Two) | 27 May 2021 | 00:14:08 | |
ASW Conversations: Bruce Eccles on changes and challenges in today’s aftermarket (Part Two) by Peter Bulmer | |||
| ASW Conversations: Bruce Eccles on changes and challenges in today's aftermarket | 12 May 2021 | 00:14:28 | |
ASW Conversations: Bruce Eccles on changes and challenges in today's aftermarket by Peter Bulmer | |||
| ASW Conversations: Positioning Your Shop for Sale, with Tekmetric’s Sunil Patel | 23 Jun 2025 | 00:15:53 | |
With many auto repair shop owners looking to soon exit their business, Sunil Patel, founder of Tekmetric, explains what’s important to potential buyers, from an internal one, to the shop down the street to a private equity firm. Patel outlines key steps for shop owners to make their businesses more attractive for acquisition, emphasizing clean financials, operational efficiency, and strong customer service. Tune in to hear about the importance of adopting technology, maintaining a dedicated team, and leveraging digital marketing strategies. | |||
| ASW Conversations: See how this female tech is promoting a more inclusive aftermarket | 22 Apr 2021 | 00:11:24 | |
ASW Conversations: See how this female tech is promoting a more inclusive aftermarket by Peter Bulmer | |||
| ASW Conversations: Everything you need to know about Pennzoil's new carbon neutral lubricants | 08 Apr 2021 | 00:15:19 | |
ASW Conversations: Everything you need to know about Pennzoil's new carbon neutral lubricants by Peter Bulmer | |||
| ASW Conversations: Meet the company that's offering all-inclusive maintenance experience | 01 Apr 2021 | 00:15:32 | |
ASW Conversations: Meet the company that's offering all-inclusive maintenance experience by Peter Bulmer | |||
| ASW Conversations: LeddarTech exec talks future of ADAS and connected cars | 18 Mar 2021 | 00:12:40 | |
ASW Conversations: LeddarTech exec talks future of ADAS and connected cars by Peter Bulmer | |||
| ASW Conversations: Solera exec pinpoints the AI-based repair & claims processing revolution | 04 Mar 2021 | 00:13:33 | |
ASW Conversations: Solera exec pinpoints the AI-based repair & claims processing revolution by Peter Bulmer | |||
| ASW Conversations: AASA's president Paul McCarthy on the aftermarket's global recovery | 18 Feb 2021 | 00:14:56 | |
ASW Conversations: AASA's president Paul McCarthy on the aftermarket's global recovery by Peter Bulmer | |||
| ASW Conversations: Mark Lemay | 11 Feb 2021 | 00:10:40 | |
ASW Conversations: Mark Lemay by Peter Bulmer | |||
| Podcast: Shop of the Year winner Erin Vaughan | 26 Jan 2021 | 00:10:00 | |
Erin Vaughan, owner of Kinetic Auto Service in Saskatchewan, opens up about winning CARS magazine's Shop of the Year award for 2020. | |||
| 039 Dan Billie on a new direction for steering components | 14 Dec 2020 | 00:11:40 | |
Dan Billie, CEO of Plews & Edelmann, is making waves in the aftermarket by acknowledging the limitations of remanufacturing when it comes to steering components. In the interest of producing reliable aftermarket parts, he's taking the company in a new direction. | |||
| 038 Steve Van Kessel on building an award-winning business | 07 Dec 2020 | 00:12:05 | |
Steve Van Kessel and his sister Susan Peacock are partners at Parry Automotive in Orillia, Ont. The business, founded by their father Peter, is this year's Jobber of the Year. We called Steve up to talk about managing a family business during a pandemic, and what it means to them to win a distinguished industry award. | |||
| ASW Conversations: Global Uncertainty and Resilience, with Bill Hanvey | 09 Jun 2025 | 00:22:59 | |
President and CEO of the Auto Care Association Bill Hanvey provides insights into the industry's current landscape. Discussing challenges like global trade uncertainties and tariffs, Hanvey emphasizes the association's role in supporting members through complex economic times. He highlights progress on right to repair legislation, the potential of AI in inventory management and the industry's global collaboration. Find out why Hanvey remains cautiously optimistic, stressing the importance of flexibility, data-driven forecasting and continued industry investment despite economic headwinds. | |||
| 037 Asaf Weisbrot on the value of automotive data | 30 Nov 2020 | 00:13:18 | |
In the era of big data, automotive telemetry has increasing value. Software company Otonomo has been harnessing a wide array of telemetry for B2B and B2C apps. We called Asaf Weisbrot, Otonomo's chief commercial officer, for a rundown on what to expect as vehicle data goes even deeper. | |||
| 036 Meet Christine Hogg, the new editor of CARS and Jobber News | 23 Nov 2020 | 00:07:59 | |
Christine Hogg is the new face of Jobber News and CARS magazine. In her first appearance on the podcast, she offers her early observations of an industry in transition, and discusses her goals for the magazines. | |||
| 035 Don Frisby on the lessons of 100 years in business | 16 Nov 2020 | 00:10:00 | |
Don Frisby and his team at Frisby Tire in Ottawa, Ont., have reached a rare milestone in our business. The company is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Founded by George Frisby in 1920, the family-owned business has rolled with the changes and challenges of the decades and is as healthy as it has ever been under the third generation of stewardship. We talked about the lessons of the past and the questions of the future. | |||
| 034 Shad Smereka on Fountain Tire's national DVI program | 09 Nov 2020 | 00:09:58 | |
In today’s episode, we're speaking with Shad Smereka, the general manager in charge of people and Store Innovation for Edmonton based Fountain Tire. They’ve been industry leaders in designing systems and processes to streamline automotive service and enhance customer experience. The company recently announced it has standardized the use of digital vehicle inspections (DVI). We called to find out what led to Fountain Tire’s decision to embrace tablet technology. | |||
| 033 Mike Owen on the evolution of power tools | 01 Nov 2020 | 00:10:47 | |
It was once unthinkable that a battery-powered ratchet could deliver the torque necessary for serious automotive work. But that has changed in recent years. Mike Owen, product manager for power tools at Milwaukee Tool Canada, says there's been a sea-change in the world of power tools, as battery technology has taken a giant step forward. So, what's the advantage of using battery-powered tools in a shop environment? What are the limitations? And what's coming next? Mike tackles all our questions on the latest episode of Auto Service World Conversations. | |||
| 032 Jim Caldwell on how OK Tire handled the pandemic | 24 Oct 2020 | 00:12:41 | |
Jim Caldwell is president and CEO of Surrey, B.C..-based OK Tire. During the worst days of the Covid-19 pandemic, it was his job to give leadership, direction, and encouragement to the 350-plus shops in the OK Tire family. He offers his thoughts on how the auto repair and service industry rose to the challenge and what may still lay in store for us. | |||
| 031 Bob Paff on the Automotive Service Business Network | 19 Oct 2020 | 00:12:22 | |
In his 50-year career in the automotive repair and service industry, Bob Paff has done it all. He's worked at dealerships, independent shops, and specialty shops. He's been a technician, a service advisor, and a shop owner. Fifteen years ago he added another job to his resume: web creator. His vision drives the Automotive Service Business Network (www.asbn.ca). We called him up to find out what his plans are for this unique web resource. | |||
| 030 COMMENTARY: Staying on top of your website | 12 Oct 2020 | 00:07:00 | |
We pick a question from our mail bag this week, and dive into what every shop needs to think about as they build their web presence. There are a lot of social media options and landing page ideas... but are there land mines to avoid? Uh... ya. Here's one. | |||
| 029 Bob Ward on the idea of mandatory certification of repair shops | 05 Oct 2020 | 00:09:37 | |
The Automotive Industries Association of Canada is talking to Ontario legislators about requiring collision shops to be provincially certified in order to do business. If those negotiations go well, AIA believes mandatory certification might also be good for the mechanical repair industry -- not just in Ontario but across the country. We spoke to Ontario shop owner Bob Ward about what he thinks of the idea. | |||
| 028 David Tobin on the industry-wide problem of warranty abuse | 28 Sep 2020 | 00:15:57 | |
Thousands of times every working day technicians across North America return perfectly good parts as defective. Whether for reasons of confusion, expediency, profit, or convenience, it's a practice that is having an impact on the aftermarket. The industry has been wrestling with it -– usually quietly for fear of offending customers -- for decades . We spoke to David Tobin, a senior strategist with California-based parts manufacturer Motorcar Parts of America, about the scope of the problem. | |||
| ASW Conversations: The Future of Automotive Training, with J.F. Champagne | 26 May 2025 | 00:22:07 | |
J.F. Champagne, president and CEO of AIA Canada, outlines the pressing challenges facing automotive service technician training. He emphasizes the need to modernize education to keep pace with rapidly evolving vehicle technologies. With increasing reliance on diagnostic technology and complex vehicle systems, he stresses the necessity of upskilling, addresses the industry's image problem and calls for stronger advocacy to attract young talent. | |||
| 027 Sahas Katta on the future of telematics | 21 Sep 2020 | 00:10:50 | |
Sahas Katta founded Smartcar – a mobility software company – with his brother Sanketh in 2015. Its application programming interface is a “way in” for developers of programs that use vehicle telematics. Unlike others, however, it taps into the data stream without hardware. The company’s platform allows web and mobile apps to do a number of things, include locate and unlock the vehicle, read its fluid and pressure levels, and report odometer, oil and battery readings from vehicles across brands. We spoke to Sahas about the future of telematics and how it could impact aftermarket players. | |||
| 026 Cam Young on the impact of the pandemic | 14 Sep 2020 | 00:05:53 | |
As national sales manager for traditional aftermarket for Bosch Auto Parts, Cam Young has been able to see how the pandemic has impacted everyone in the aftermarket, from parts manufacturers, to distributors, to service providers. He anticipates a coming surge of auto service work as economies re-open and consumers get more comfortable conducting their daily business. We asked him to give us his take on how the pandemic unfolded for the automotive aftermarket. | |||
| 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. | |||
| ASW Conversations: Uncertainty, Resilience and Innovation, with Lordco Auto Parts | 12 May 2025 | 00:15:43 | |
Lordco executives Samatha and Ian Coates discuss the current automotive parts industry landscape, highlighted by economic uncertainty and a softer retail market during their company's 35 Annual Tradeshow. Despite challenges, they remain optimistic, highlighting their trade show strategy, commitment to premium products and customer service. Tune in to hear their thoughts on topics like consolidation, vehicle aging, technological advancements, meeting customer needs and more. | |||
| 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. | |||
| 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. | |||
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