Every shop owner knows that keeping up with technology is no longer optional. From ADAS calibrations to the latest diagnostics, change is constant. Training is how independent shops stay ahead. That’s why industry veterans like Kathleen Callahan, owner of Xpertech Auto Repair in Englewood, Florida, and Bernard Tansey, co-founder and COO of Euro Clinic, European Auto Specialist in Santa Clara, California, make AAPEX a must-attend event each year. 

Tansey says the return on investment from AAPEX training goes far beyond the classroom. “Every time you’re there, every year there’s something new,” he explains. “We always come back with these new golden nuggets and like, ‘Hey guys,this new system’s coming out or this new tool is coming out.’ It also amps the staff. They see that we care about what they’re doing. We want to make their lives easier.’”

For Callahan, the event is equally valuable on the management side. “I love the fact that we can go to AAPEX and see the new technologies that are coming out,” she says. “Where else in the world can you go and talk to 15 20 or 30 different vendors? The amount of knowledge and the amount of different manufacturers and trainers and distributors in one place is unmatched in any other conference.”

Tackling All of the Available Training

When it comes to training strategy, both Callahan and Tansey treat AAPEX like a classroom for the whole shop. “One of the things that I look at is if I’m bringing my staff, we might split up to divide and conquer,” Tansey says. “I’ll send these two to one class because they’re our A techs. My other team I might send to a different class. I might even jump into a class just so I have the content and we can all share this data together.”

Callahan approaches it with the same mindset, focusing on sessions that deliver real-world results. “You really have to have a return on your investment,” she says. “No matter what position you hold within the industry, there is something at AAPEX for you or that you can bring back to your shop that will benefit the entire team.”

Tansey agrees that the key is relevance. “Just because something may sound really cool, ask yourself: are you ever going to use that information?” he says. “There may be something where they’re talking about truck air brakes. That’s awesome, but we don’t work on them. Could your time be better useful in a course that you’re going to take back and actually make a positive change with?”

Both shop owners are looking forward to the show’s growing list of sessions, from customer service and employee engagement to mental health and leadership. As Callahan puts it, “Training keeps you sharp, your team engaged, and your business moving forward. That’s why AAPEX is such a valuable experience.”

In today’s aftermarket, it’s not enough to train to keep up. You have to train to stay ahead. Watch the video for more AAPEX training insight from Callahan and Tansey.