David Brierley
Managing Editor
Vesna Brajkovic
Assistant Editor
Stefanie Von Rueden
Assistant Editor
Barry Hoyland
Contributing Editor
Staying connected
Let’s talk about what’s new
in the automotive aftermarket,
and share what we know.
By Sara Scullin, Editor
Sara@VehicleServicePros.com
PTEN Editorial Advisory Board
Technicians
John Harris,
Brooks-Huff Goodyear, Timonium MD
Eric Moore,
DeMary Trucks, Columbus, OH
Lou Fort,
K.A.R.S. Inc., Huntingburg, IN
Shop Owners
Phil Fournier,
Phil's Auto Clinic, Hemet, CA
JD Goad,
Goad's Body Shop, Lexington, VA
Edwin Hazzard,
Southeast Mobile Tech, Goose Creek, SC
Barry Hoyland,
VSSCA, Camarillo, CA
Pete Rudloff,
Pete’s Garage Inc., Newark, DE
Equipment Manufacturers
Chad Schley,
Schley Products/SP Tools
Jim O’Hara,
Clore Automotive
EDITOR'S N OTE
As you may have heard, there have
been some changes here at PTEN.
After many successful years,
editor Erica Schueller has been promoted
to Editor-in-Chief of Fleet Maintenance
Magazine, and I have the honor of coming
aboard as this magazine’s newest editor.
As for my editorial cred: I started out
covering automotive tools and equipment
(with this magazine, in fact) about a decade
ago. From there I became an editor with
publications Law Enforcement Technology
and Law Enforcement Product News. Every
now and then a story or product would pertain
to how police and sheriff's departments
were maintaining their fleets and outfitting
special purpose vehicles like undercover
cars and armored rescue vehicles. But before
all that, I was growing up in a small town in
Wisconsin, trying to keep my oil changed
and the starter sputtering on my first car--
a two-tone brown 1981 Chevy Citation
(dubbed Irma).
I’m learning, and always striving to
learn more. And I want you, PTEN reader,
to know more, too. We are currently living
in a challenging, exciting, pivotal time
for the automotive aftermarket. Cars are
becoming “smarter.” They are incorporating
more automation into each component
(I’ll tell you what -- there was no way Irma
was parking herself on the curb!). Of course,
as our vehicles get smarter the tools used to
repair them become increasingly complex.
Diagnostic tools have rushed the market
in the last decade like no other category
before it. That presents a major sea change
for aftermarket repair shops.
Additionally, at a time when vehicles and
the industry continue to undergo rather
remarkable transitions, we are also seeing
a shortage of qualified technicians to practice
the trade and help take maintenance
and repair in the direction it needs to go.
In light of this, I can’t think of a better
time to stay informed of the new products
and equipment coming down the line.
It’s also a good time to keep an ear to the
ground and note how other shop owners
are tooling up and turning a profit. While
we love publishing stories like Big-Time
Boxes and Top 10 Tools (customized picks
from technicians across the country) in
these pages, I’d also encourage you to join
the conversations about new products and
clever repair solutions on our Professional
Tool & Equipment News Facebook page.
In this issue — to closeout 2017 — we
bring to you some of the standout tools and
equipment we saw and handled at this year’s
AAPEX and SEMA shows in Las Vegas (see
Editor’s Picks starting on p. 36). To stay true
to our end-of-year tradition, we’ve also
compiled the list of most requested products
from the year. You can see the first 25
starting on p. 54; and be sure to hop online
at VehicleServicePros.com to see more.
I look forward to learning more about
the industry, and navigating the future of
automotive repair with your input and ideas.
Thanks for reading!
8 PTEN DECEMBER 2017 VehicleServicePros.com
Check out the VehicleServicePros.
com online product guide, which
is updated daily with details on
new tools and equipment.
To search, visit:
VehicleServicePros.com/directory
/VehicleServicePros.com
/VehicleServicePros.com
/directory
link