APAC ATI is growing and sometimes in order to do so, it’s time to hit the road. Our mission is to help Veterans and anyone ready for a hand up and to embrace the hard work it takes to become a trained automotive technology technician
In January 2023, APAC ATI welcomed 2 new students to the APAC training program
directly thanks to your donations.
Our Founder, Chris Knuth, Recently Took To The Road And Visited Texas, Georgia, Florida, And Nashville, Tennessee
to meet with independent auto repair shops interested in training the next generation of qualified automotive professionals. He educated them on helping others through the unique APAC ATI method. Chris is looking forward to helping shops grow by gaining access to the skilled labor that is in short supply currently.
Read on to discover the many places APAC ATI visited and the wonderful shop owners and leaders we met.
The first stop was Tommy’s Hi-Tech Auto in Denton, Texas. Owned by Shop Fix Academy coach, Michael Rosenberger, APAC ATI met with GM Rusty to gain an understanding of their technician and recruiting needs.
Next, it was time to visit Blair Automotive in Dallas, Texas, owned by Shop Fix Academy coach, Ryan Blair. Blair is also a managing partner at SimplyTRUE Automotive Group. Chris and Ryan discussed SimplyTRUE’s recruiting and philanthropic efforts, to see how APAC ATI can support their initiatives. Check out their bio on LinkedIn. They have plans to open 100+ shops!
From there, Chris flew to Atlanta to visit Ryan Burton and the Leads Near Me team. They actually design and maintain our APAC ATI website! We even recorded an episode of Near Me Radio, an automotive industry podcast in Ryan’s studio (available soon!) to let people learn about APAC ATI. It was invaluable to collaborate and see how more people can be helped by our mission to empower, inspire, educate, and transform lives. Leads Near Me has been an incredible blessing to APAC ACTI over the years.
We had one of the best shops in Georgia join us for our tour, APAC ATI friend Andy Salazar from Andy’s Garage in Rome, Georgia. We went to meet colleague and friend, Jason Westberry of Car Doctors Auto Repair in Athens, Georgia. It was time well spent scoping out future training centers in Georgia!
Next stop was Orlando, Florida, where Chris visited ASAP Auto Repair in Altamonte, Springs.
Owners John and Terrie Walters are amazing shop owners with a great business. They have a true heart for our Veterans and giving back to their community. They are looking forward to becoming a training center in the near future.
Auto Solutions of Orlando is owned by Shop Fix Academy coach, Juan Barrera. He has a very clean and efficient operation, just a few miles from the Walters. He is also looking forward to becoming a training center.
Our 9th stop was Foreign Affairs in West Palm Beach, FL. Second generation owner, Jonathan Ortiz, hosted our tour of their gorgeous European service center. They have a very customer and team-centric approach to business that has served them well for over 40 years!
Foreign Auto Services of West Palm Beach and APAC ATI friend Brice Capone welcomed us next. We toured their family owned business and discussed bringing our training program to their shop after their huge remodel!
USP Euro and our friend and APAC ATI benefactor, Chris Green in Miami, Florida were a worthwhile stop on the trip. Green runs a great shop and the story of the businesses he has built is truly inspiring. He has been a huge part of our growth … and we can’t thank him enough for his generosity.
Chris Knuth made time for a special visit to one of his best friends, Fernando Aguliar of The Car Clinic of Miami. They shared an incredible lunch at a favorited Peruvian restaurant in a vibrant Miami neighborhood.
The last leg of our journey took APAC ATI back to Nashville, Tennessee for the January Shop Fix Academy conference where Chris Knuth taught a breakout session on leadership!
In total, we connected with 13 shops with plants to partner together to elevate the industry, through excellence, or increase their skilled labor force by becoming APAC ATI training centers.
We look forward to helping more students in 2023. Every donation goes directly into the program to help students. Please consider donating today and make a difference for the future of skilled labor in the automotive industry!
Learn more about APAC ATI: Here
