Around the Industry: November/December 2025

AAPEX Announces Service & Repair Award Winners

The Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo announced the winners of the AAPEX Service & Repair Awards this week in a press release.

Shop Owner of the Year: Tom Palermo of Preferred Automotive Specialists in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The shop owner category recognized Palermo as an independent repair shop owner who has demonstrated leadership, operational excellence, and commitment to safety in providing quality repair work.

Service Advisor of the Year: Katlyn French of Hillside Auto Repair in O’Fallon, Missouri

The service advisor category selected French, citing exceptional performance in communicating with customers with integrity and effectively coordinating service.

Technician of the Year: Tony Martinez of Silver Lake Auto & Tire Centers in Wisconsin

Silver Lake Auto & Tire Centers is a multi-store operation with locations surrounding Wisconsin. Martinez has been recognized as a technician with extraordinary diagnostic skills, technical proficiency, and stringent adherence to industry standards and safety requirements in his role with Silver Lake.

Women in Auto Care Announces Award Recipients at AAPEX 2025

Women in Auto Care announced its 2025 award recipients during the Women in Auto Care Awards Ceremony, held at this year’s Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo in Las Vegas. 

The winners of the 2025 Women in Auto Care Awards are as follows:

• Lifetime Achievement: Courtney Pedler, CEO, Autology Data Management
• Outstanding Achievement: Olivia Droney-Newton, senior vice president, category management and customer insights, NA Williams
• Female Shop Owner of the Year: Shari Pheasant, co-CEO, A Master Mechanic
• Women of Excellence: Heather Antrim, commercial category manager, AutoZone
• Women of Excellence: Lauren Briggs, director, sales and marketing, NAPA Auto Care
• Women of Excellence: Tracy Capriotto, director of content, producer, Remarkable Results Radio
• Women of Excellence: Cass Tomac, senior manager, strategic sourcing, Highline Warren
• Company Ally of the Year: Highline Warren
• Women in Auto Care Champion of the Year: Amy Steele, vice president, Nexa Motion Group (NMG)

JohnDow Pledges Swift Oil Extraction with New Centralized Fluid Evacuation System

As oil extractors continue to gain popularity with quick lube operators, JohnDow Industries has unveiled a new form factor that the company says will reduce oil change times and improve the overall customer experience.

Known for its line of portable fluid evacuation devices, JohnDow’s new Centralized Fluid Evacuation System is built directly into the service facility. The evacuator has been in development for two years.

The Centralized Fluid Evacuation System was developed as a solution for shops that have been using portable systems that have seen their compressors wear out after years of use, said Jack Blackburn Jr., JohnDow vice president of manufacturing and engineering. The new extractor uses a quarter horsepower electric pump with energy costs of about $30 to $40 per year. The extractor comes in single and double models, which can configured to accommodate differing bay counts per shop.

Oil extraction using the centralized unit takes about 20 to 30 seconds per quart, which is about half the time of previous extractor models, said Blackburn.

PGI Promotes Executive, Launches Rebrand and New Product

Premium Guard Inc. has announced the promotion of John Etheridge to vice president of category & product management in a recent press release.

First joining PGI in 2019, Etheridge brings more than 20 years of experience in the automotive aftermarket. He’s credited with building PGI's Product Management organization. Beyond PGI, Etheridge also serves as Council Chair of the Auto Care Filter Manufacturers Community.

In his new role, Etheridge will oversee both Category Management and Product Management, working closely with PGI's leadership team to drive growth and expand the company's product platform.

At AAPEX, meanwhile, PGI showcased a rebranding of its Premium Guard product line. The company also debuted its new Vehicle Interior Air Quality diagnostic tool for cabin air filters.

Valvoline Inc. Named on Forbes’ Annual Best Customer Service Companies List

Valvoline Inc. was recently recognized by Forbes on its annual list of America’s Best Customer Service Companies, as shared in a press release.

The Forbes list is based on a comprehensive survey of 158,000 U.S. consumers conducted between August 2024 and July 2025. Participants were asked to rate companies based on the quality of customer interactions, accessibility, and overall satisfaction.

The company ranked 21st overall out of the 300 companies making the list, and second within the auto repair and maintenance category. It was joined by other quick lube brands, including Take 5 Oil Change in spot no. 145, and Express Oil Change in spot no. 256.

Lucas Oil Launches First Product Line Designed for Hybrid Vehicles

Lucas Oil has released its first-ever product line designed exclusively for hybrid vehicles, according to a recent press release.

The new Hybrid Oil Treatment and Hybrid Fuel Treatment with HybridShield Technology are hybrid-specific formulations engineered to solve specific issues new and used hybrid engines face, such as longer intervals between oil changes and infrequent refueling that leads to fuel and oil sit longer, increasing the risk of moisture buildup, corrosion, and fuel degradation.

The Hybrid Oil Treatment with HybridShield Technology is a top-fill formula that can be added at any time, not just during an oil change, and works with any brand or viscosity of oil. It's designed to support the lighter oils used in most hybrids to deliver an extra layer of protection.