December 2021 - 8

My first AAPEX
'Quality over quantity' was a running theme throughout the show.
By Amanda Silliker, Editor
ASilliker@EndeavorB2B.com
I
finally got the chance to
attend the infamous AAPEX
trade show in Las Vegas,
Nevada, at the beginning of
November. While I heard time
and time again from attendees
and exhibitors that it was quieter
than years past, it still did
not disappoint! I was thrilled to
meet the companies who make
the tools and equipment that
help you do your jobs better
and see first-hand some of the
new innovations revealed at the
show. Take a look at page 56 to
see the products that the PTEN
editors thought really stood out
at AAPEX and SEMA 2021.
While attendance might have been a
bit lighter than before, nearly every exhibitor
I spoke with said it was " quality over
quantity. " They might have been having
fewer conversations, but they were with
the right people - shop owners and technicians
like yourselves who are trying to
find ways to be more productive and are
passionate about the work they do. I feel
like that is something to keep in your own
line of work as well. It is infinitely easier
to keep a customer than to acquire a new
one, so focus on quality every time you
are working on a vehicle or interacting
with a customer. At the end of the day, if
you provide quality service to a few customers
and they trust you when you tell
them they need XYZ done on their vehicle,
that will likely result in significantly
more lifetime sales than giving crummy
customer service to a bunch of non-repeat
oil-change customers.
One young man who embodies this
sentiment is Chris Taylor, the inaugural
winner of our Best Young Tech award.
Taylor works as a fleet technician at Polk
County in Florida and he is lauded for his
attention to detail and high-quality workmanship.
He does a thorough inspection
on every vehicle he works on, finding
issues that may have otherwise been
overlooked. Being that he works on emergency
vehicles, finding a potential problem
on an ambulance before it becomes
a real issue is a very valuable skill. The
quality of his work is so revered that he
is often requested by customers to work
on their vehicles. You can read all about
his accomplishments and more about this
new award on page 64.
Also in this issue we have our Top 100
products of 2021. This annual feature
compiles all print and online product
inquiries submitted from our readers.
Through the reader service cards in every
issue and our online e-inquiry system, we
track what products our readers want to
know more about - and then we share our
results! We've published the first 25 here,
but make sure to visit vehicleservicepros.
com/2021-top-100-products to download
the full list and find out what tools
and equipment are piquing the interest of
your fellow techs and shop owners.
PTEN EDITORIAL
ADVISORY BOARD
TECHNICIANS
ERIC MOORE,
DeMary Trucks, Columbus, OH
LOU FORT,
K.A.R.S. Inc., Huntingburg, IN
SHOP OWNERS
KIM AUERNHEIMER,
Cool Springs Automotive, Brentwood, TN
TANNER BRANDT,
Autodiag Clinic, Welford, SC
PHIL FOURNIER,
Phil's Auto Clinic, Hemet, CA
JD GOAD,
Goad's Body Shop, Lexington, VA
EDWIN HAZZARD,
Southeast Mobile Tech, Goose Creek, SC
PETE RUDLOFF,
Pete's Garage Inc., Newark, DE
MICHELLE TANSEY,
Dubclinic, Santa Clara, CA
EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS
CHAD SCHLEY,
FACEBOOK
facebook.com/
ptenmagazine
LINKEDIN
linkedin.com/company/
professional-equipment-tool-news
INSTAGRAM
@ptenmagazine
YOUTUBE
youtube.com/user/
vehicleservicepros
Schley Products/SP Tools
JIM O'HARA,
Clore Automotive
8 PTEN DECEMBER 2021 VehicleServicePros.com
http://www.vehicleservicepros.com/2021-top-100-products http://www.facebook.com/ptenmagazine http://www.linkedin.com/company/professional-equipment-tool-news http://www.instagram.com/ptenmagazine http://www.youtube.com/user/vehicleservicepros http://www.VehicleServicePros.com
December 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2021
