IGONC’s 2018 ASTE Large Success, Industry Leaders Recognized During Awards Ceremony

IGONC’s 2018 ASTE Large Success, Industry Leaders Recognized During Awards Ceremony

By Chasidy Rae Sisk as printed in Autobody News

 

On September 28-29, the Independent Garage Owners of North Carolina (IGONC) hosted its 2018 Automotive Service and Technology Expo (ASTE) at the Embassy Suites and Convention Center in Cary, NC. According to IGONC Executive Director Bob Pulverenti, “It is by far the largest show we have had in years, with 14 speakers, 34 classes and more social events, including comedian Kody Steele at the awards banquet.”

The 2018 ASTE began on Thursday evening with a reception pre-party at Rally Point, followed by an IGONC Hospitality Suite. The educational portion of the event commenced on Friday morning with a variety of informative seminars. Rick White of 180BIZ presented “Change Is a Given,” ATI’s Jim Silverman discussed “Effective Succession Planning, and David Patrick, Instructor for the CARQUEST Technical Institute, focused on “Asian Security Systems Theory and Operation.” Additionally, presentations were delivered by GM’s Chris Peace, Aaron Stokes of Shop Fix Academy, ACDC CEO Craig VanBatenburg, Dirk Fuchs, ZF Aftermarket Technician Training Manager,” Kukui speaker Jimmy Lea, and Tom Dorsey of AutoVitals.

During lunch on Friday, Carm Capriotto, founder and host of Remarkable Results Radio, mediated a Technician Town Hall Forum that focused on everything related to technicians, including technician shortage, retaining technicians, training, benefits and more. The panelists included CARQUEST’s Chris Chesney, Amy Mattinat of Craftsman Auto, Lucas Underwood from L&N Performance, and Jim Lasley of Wilson’s Garage.

In addition to the continuation of Rick White’s all-day seminar, Friday afternoon featured seven educational options: “How to Put on a Successful Women’s Car Care Clinic and Brand Your Shop as The Expert in Your Community” by Amy Mattinat, David Patrick’s “Current Probe Revisited,” Peace’s “Diesel Emissions and the Aftertreatment,” “A Mobile Tech’s Tips & Tricks for Diagnostic Techs” presented by Edwin Hazzard of South East Mobile Tech in SC, Craig VanBatenburg’s “High Voltage Battery Packs,” Dirk Fuchs’ “Modern Chassis Technology,” and “Communication and Management: Millennials & Generation Y” presented by Mandee Bradshaw, VP of Client Acquisition at Management Success.

Friday evening will featured the Hotel Manager’s Reception and ASTE Pizza Party followed by the highly anticipated Casino Night, a crowd favorite. The evening will end with the nightly Hospitality Suite.

Saturday morning, the final day of the 2018 ASTE, commenced with eight educational presentations. Rick White presented “Marketing on a Shoestring Budget,” while Autoshop Solutions Inc. CEO Danny Sanchez discussed “Building a Winning Culture.” David Patrick covered “Ford EcoBoost Platforms Operation and Diagnosis,” Aaron Stokes taught attendees “How to Grow Your Shop – The Real Reason You’re Not Succeeding,” and Craig VanBatenburg discussed “Electric Cars: Chevy Bolt, Tesla S, and BMW i3.” As “8 Speed Hybrid Transmission” was taught by Dirk Fuchs, NAPA’s Jeff Bly presented “Scan Tool Proficiency,” “Robots Loose in the Streets” was discussed by Donny Seyfer, Executive Officer for the National Automotive Service Task Force, and Jill Trotta, Senior Director of Industry Advocacy and Sales at RepairPal, presented on “Price Transparency and the Autocare Consumer, How to Use it to Your Advantage.”

Lunch on Saturday featured the annual ASTE vendor trade show from 11:45 A.M. until 2:15 P.M., followed by the afternoon’s seminars which included: Rick White’s “The Customer Says ‘NO!’ Now What?,” Amy Mattinat’s “Increase Your Sales with Women,” David Patrick’s “Gasoline Direct Injection: Essential Operation & Testing,” Jim Silverman’s “Fixing a Dysfunctional Courtesy Check Process,” Edwin Hazzard’s “When to Scope and When to Scan,” Dirk Fuchs’ “Drivetrain Technology,” “End the Shortage! Growing Your Own Technicians” presented by Kyle Holt, President of S/P2, and CARQUEST Instructor Peter Orlando’s “Vehicle Fluids: Lubricant and Filtration Technologies.”

IGONC’s 2018 ASTE concluded on Saturday night with the Hotel Managers Reception, the IGONC Annual Awards Banquet, and the evening’s Hospitality Suite. The Annual Awards Banquet is designed to recognize industry leaders who have demonstrated above-average contributions to the automotive service industry and IGONC.

The 2018 IGONC Associate Member of the Year was Advance/CARQUEST who also received the award for Best Booth at the ASTE Trade Show. Additionally, Advance/CARQUEST trainer Chris Chesney was recognized for his ongoing dedication to the industry. IGONC Executive Director Bob Pulverenti noted, “Besides the strong commitment Advance/CARQUEST has made to the automotive industry, they were recognized for being a longtime supporter of IGONC and its events.”

The IGONC Member of the Year for 2018 was Lucas Underwood of L & N Performance Automotive Repair of Boone, NC. “The IGONC Member of the Year is the highest achievement awarded by IGONC, it is in memory of AC Britain who was the first Executive Director of IGONC. Underwood is relatively new to IGONC, but he has the spirit and drive needed for our next generation of members. He helped organize a regional meeting this year in Boone and was responsible for bringing two new vendors to the ASTE trade show,” Pulverenti shared.

For more information on the 2018 ASTE, visit asteshow.com.