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ASE Kicks Off 50th-Anniversary Celebration
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By Counterman
Benjamin Fisher of New Haven, Connecticut, is the 2023 Mitchell 1 and National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Technician of the Future, Mitchell 1 announced.
Fisher received the award during the ASE Board of Governors Meeting and Service Professional Awards Banquet in Clearwater, Florida.
“We congratulate Ben on receiving the 2023 Technician of the Future Award,” said Nick DiVerde, senior marketing director, Mitchell 1. “Through his hard work and determination thus far, Ben has proven to be a student that Mitchell 1 is proud to recognize. We know he will be successful as he continues with his education and journeys down his career path.”
Fisher, who received a $1,000 cash prize for the honor, recently earned an associate’s degree in Comprehensive Automotive Repair and Services (C.A.R.S.) from Gateway Community College in New Haven. He also holds several ASE certifications.
“While attending the University of Connecticut for software engineering during COVID, I decided to take a semester off and found a job at a local TravelCenters of America,” said Fisher. “That’s when I discovered that working with my hands as well as my brain was much more rewarding. My goal for the future is to make an impact in the world with my skill set.”
To receive the Mitchell 1 and ASE Technician of the Future Award, the winner must be ASE-certified, have registered as a student and earned the highest cumulative test scores on the A4, A5, A6 and A8 tests.
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By Counterman
New Advance Auto Parts CEO Shane O’Kelly served as a U.S. Army captain in the 1990s after graduating from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
Early in Advance’s third-quarter conference call on Nov. 15 – during which the company reported an operating loss of $43.7 million – O’Kelly said his time in the military taught him the importance of aligning an organization “around fewer measurable goals while ensuring while ensuring discipline and accountability in the process to achieve those goals.”
O’Kelly, who replaced Tom Greco as CEO on Sept. 11, then outlined five “decisive actions” that Advance is taking “to help stabilize the company and return to profitable growth.”
The headliner was the company’s decision to divest its most prized asset: Worldpac.
Advance acquired Worldpac and Carquest in 2014 through its acquisition of General Parts International Inc. At the time, Advance boasted that the transaction created the largest provider of aftermarket parts in North America.
Centerview Partners, an investment-banking and advisory firm, will assist with the sale process, according to the company.
“Worldpac is a high-performing business and as you know, is very different than our core blended-box model,” O’Kelly said during the conference call. “As we get back to the fundamentals of servicing our professional and DIY customers, we view now as the right time to simplify our model. The Worldpac business still operates relatively independently from Advance, and we believe that the sale process will not create a distraction.”
In a separate sales process, Advance plans to divest its business in Canada. Advance’s Canadian business – which goes to market under the Carquest banner – predominantly serves DIFM customers.
As part of its operational review launched in August, Advance also announced a cost-cutting program that the company expects to generate at least $150 million in annualized savings. While Advance’s Q3 net sales were up 3% to $2.7 billion, the company reported negative cash flow through the first three quarters of 2023 – an outflow of $156.8 million.
The cost-reduction program “will be primarily driven by simplifying our organizational structure, minimizing duplicative efforts and eliminating investments that are not core to supporting our frontline team members and customers,” O’Kelly said.
O’Kelly noted that Advance plans to reinvest approximately $50 million from the cost-cutting program “to improve the retention of our frontline teams and ensure we have experienced team members to serve our customers.”
“In fact, we began making changes to our frontline compensation structure in Q3 and are already seeing a reduction in turnover in targeted frontline roles,” he added.
Advance Appoints New CFO
Coinciding with its third-quarter earnings announcement, Advance announced the appointment of Ryan Grimsland as executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective Nov. 27.
Tony Iskander, who has served as interim chief financial officer since August, will continue in his role as senior vice president, finance and treasurer.
Grimsland, 46, brings more than 20 years of experience in corporate finance, treasury, financial planning and retail strategy and transformation.
Most recently, Grimsland served as senior vice president, strategy and transformation at Lowe’s Companies. During his 17-year tenure at Lowe’s, he held leadership roles across all aspects of the finance organization, including senior vice president, corporate finance and treasurer; vice president, corporate financial planning and analysis; and vice president, stores finance.
During Advance’s Nov. 15 conference call, O’Kelly said Grimsland “has a strong track record of driving organizational improvements while implementing best practices to resolve complex issues.”
“In addition to our CFO announcement, we’ve taken action to streamline our management structure,” O’Kelly added. “We have reorganized parts of my leadership team and transitioned responsibilities for our marketing, merchandising and e-commerce functions to the appropriate leaders in our organization who will drive enhanced collaboration and accountability.”
As part of that reorganization, Advance announced that it is eliminating the position of executive vice president, merchandising, marketing and e-commerce, currently held by Jason McDonell. McDonell will depart from the company effective Dec. 1.
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By Counterman
The ASE Education Foundation recently convened a workshop to review the tasks and tools used by ASE-accredited collision repair and refinish programs in high schools and colleges nationwide.
The review committee consisted of individuals representing vehicle manufacturers, collision repair and refinish shop owners and technicians, instructors and industry trainers and equipment and parts suppliers.
“We want to thank the committee members for working diligently to review and enhance our standards for collision repair and refinish program accreditation,” said Mike Coley, president of the ASE Education Foundation. “The updates reflect what is happening in the industry with new technologies like EVs and ADAS and will help collision repair and refinish students be better prepared to enter the workforce.”
One of the major outcomes was the creation of a new area of accreditation entitled “Collision Repair and Refinish Fundamentals.”
This new area includes 121 distinct skills/tasks and requires a minimum of 300 hours of combined classroom/lab instruction. It draws from the existing areas of accreditation but focuses on five core skill areas highly valued by employers: damaged vehicle disassembly, reassembly, small-dent repair, plastic repair and prep for refinish.
The new option gives schools and local businesses another path to prepare students for success in entry-level positions with skills that are in high demand, according to ASE.
The updated collision repair and refinish standards include new hybrid and electric vehicle safety tasks that are required for all students in ASE-accredited collision repair and refinish programs. Two new task sections in mechanical and electrical components also were also added for advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and hybrid and electric vehicle service procedures.
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By Counterman
The inaugural class of the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) President’s Club will feature six of the most accomplished automotive service professionals in the transportation industry.
“We want to congratulate the first class of the ASE President’s Club,” said Tim Zilke, ASE president. “These outstanding individuals have earned distinction by receiving ASE certifications in over 50 areas as well as having successful careers as service professionals. These six are the best of the best and we are honored to induct them into the ASE President’s Club.”
The ASE President’s Club selections will be made each year, with any changes in status determined at that time. The current requirements include passing 51 ASE certification tests. The military test series and all OEM-specific tests are excluded from the ASE President’s Club requirements.
The following is the inaugural class of the 2023 ASE President’s Club:
David M. Burns – Hewlett Packard Enterprise Services (Eads, Tennessee) Daniel J. Fuller – Connecticut State Community College, Gateway Campus (Southbury, Connecticut) Robert S. Macas – AutoTime (Oak Lawn, Illinois) Glenn D. Markley – Cox Automotive (North Providence, Rhode Island) Zachary A. Merrill – The Car Whispers, LLC (Greenville, South Carolina) William J. Woods – First Vehicle Services (Delta, Pennsylvania) Established in 1972 as a non-profit organization,
link hidden, please login to view is a driving force in the transportation industry. As an independent third party, ASE upholds and promotes high standards of service and repair through the assessment, certification and credentialing of current and future industry professionals, and the prestigious ASE Blue Seal logo identifies professionals who possess the essential knowledge and skills to perform with excellence. Today, there are approximately 220,000 ASE-certified professionals at work in dealerships, independent shops, collision repair shops, auto parts stores, fleets, schools and colleges throughout the country.
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By Advance Auto Parts
ADVANCE AUTO PARTS OFFERING STUDENTS A CHANCE TO WIN A ‘FUEL RIDE TO COLLEGE’ AND FREE ‘OFF-TO-CAMPUS’ IN-STORE SERVICES
Incoming college freshmen can enter to win a “fuel ride” – four years of free gasoline – after new national survey reveals gas is a significant financial strain for majority of students
RALEIGH, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Advance Auto Parts (NYSE: AAP), a leading automotive aftermarket parts provider, announced today that it will help advance the education of incoming college freshmen, and ease their financial burden, by awarding 10 “fuel rides” in the form of four years of free gasoline to 10 lucky winners of the “Fuel Ride to College” sweepstakes.*
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here:
link hidden, please login to view Along with providing four years of free gas to 10 college students, Advance Auto Parts is offering free in-store services, including free battery testing and installation, wiper blade installation and check engine light scanning. (Photo: Business Wire)
Advance’s “Fuel Ride to College” sweepstakes arrives right on time as prices at the pump tick up. New data from Atomik Research reveals that 67% of college students cite gasoline for their automobile as being an expense that puts the most financial strain on their wallet**, while 76% of parents of incoming freshmen say they are worried about their student’s ability to afford gas.***
Parents also have significant anxiety regarding the safety of their college students when it comes to the automobiles they operate, according to Atomik Research surveys commissioned by Advance. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of parents of incoming college freshmen feel very or extremely anxious about their student’s safety when it comes to maintaining their cars and about three-fourths (73%) of parents have more anxiety about the car safety of their incoming college freshman than they did during the child’s senior year in high school.
Parents’ anxiety is warranted as more than half of college students admit to having ignored dashboard alerts and notifications, including “check engine” and “low battery warning,” according to the survey.
To help ease this anxiety, Advance and its team of friendly automotive experts are offering students and their parents free “off-to-campus” in-store services at Advance stores nationwide, including free battery testing and installation, wiper blade installation and check engine light scanning.
In addition to awarding 10 four-year “Fuel Rides to College,” Advance will also award 20 additional winners a $100 Advance gift card to stock up on essentials to help keep their automobiles in reliable shape this school year. If interested in learning more, visit
link hidden, please login to view through Aug. 18 to review eligibility requirements to enter for a chance to win and to review the sweepstakes rules. “Starting college is exciting for incoming freshmen, but that excitement is accompanied by anxiety and worry for both students and their parents, especially regarding finances and safety,” said Samantha Avivi, Advance’s chief marketing officer. “Through our ‘Fuel Ride to College’ program and complimentary curbside services for motorists, we want to put the brakes on fuel-filled worries for both students and parents, especially when it comes to having a reliable and safe automobile on the road to college, around campus, back home and everywhere in between.”
Additional data from the Atomik surveys validate the value of a “Fuel Ride to College:”
One-third (33%) of students cite that a lack of gas money or the cost of gas has deterred them from going to class, the library or study groups, while 60% of incoming college students’ parents express this exact worry: that the cost of gas will deter their child from going to class or education-related activities. Many college students choose between fueling their body and their automobile: more than one-third (36%) say they have compromised or cut back on groceries to fit gas money into their budget. One-quarter (25%) of college students say they’ve had to cut back or compromise school supplies to fuel their automobiles. Advance has also partnered with auto racing driver and television personality Arie Luyendyk Jr. to encourage incoming freshmen to enter for a chance to win a “Fuel Ride to College” and spread the word about Advance’s commitment to providing parents peace of mind via complimentary in-store services. Check out
link hidden, please login to view or visit an link hidden, please login to view to shop for auto parts and products needed to get vehicles in shape for the school year or to receive a free off-to-campus vehicle checkup. About Advance Auto Parts
Advance Auto Parts, Inc. is a leading automotive aftermarket parts provider that serves both professional installer and do-it-yourself customers. As of April 22, 2023, Advance operated 4,778 stores and 318 Worldpac branches primarily within the United States, with additional locations in Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The company also served 1,315 independently owned Carquest branded stores across these locations in addition to Mexico and various Caribbean islands. Additional information about Advance, including employment opportunities, customer services, and online shopping for parts, accessories and other offerings can be found at
link hidden, please login to view. * NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. Open only to legal residents of the 50 United States (D.C.), 17 to 20 years of age. Void where prohibited by law. Sweepstakes begins at 8:00 am ET on 8/7/23 and ends at 11:59 pm ET on 8/18/23. Subject to full Official Rules including prizes and odds,
link hidden, please login to view. Sponsor: Advance Stores Company, Incorporated, 4200 Six Forks Road, Raleigh, NC 27609. ** Atomik Research conducted an online survey of 1,003 college students across the United States between July 10 and 12, 2023. Qualified respondents are students currently enrolled or planning to be enrolled at a college, university, community college or trade school this fall and who own and/or regularly operate a car. The age of participants ranges between 18 and 24. Margin of error of the sample is +/- 3 percentage points with a confidence level of 95%.
*** Atomik Research conducted an online survey of 504 parents of incoming college freshmen across the United States between July 10 and 18, 2023. Qualified respondents are parents of incoming freshmen, who own or regularly operate a car, and are planning to be enrolled at a college, university, community college or trade school this fall. Margin of error of the sample is +/- 4 percentage points with a confidence level of 95%.
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Advance Auto Parts Contacts:
Investor Relations:
Elisabeth Eisleben
T: (919) 227-5466
E: [email protected]
Media Relations:
Darryl Carr
T: (984) 389-7207
E: [email protected]
Source: Advance Auto Parts
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