The Great Canadian Aftermarket Podcast

Bruce Eccles, respected shop veteran and vice-chair of the newly rebranded Automotive Aftermarket Repairers Organization of Canada (AARO.ca) joins host Andrew Ross to talk about what's behind the recent rebrand and what the vision for the future of the storied Ontario association holds as it seeks to broaden its mandate across Canada.

Whether you feel like a "born leader" or not, there are skills you can learn and practices you can put into action that will put you in a proper leadership position (and not just the boss) at your automotive business. Murray Voth, RPM Training, provides excellent starting points and skills to build in your journey to being a better leader. 

Paul Reed, The Showroom Guy, and now VP Business Development with Ritestart (Ritestart.ca) talks the importance of integrated design build in your new store or shop construction or renovation, and why new, upgraded designs matter more than ever. With Host Andrew Ross.

Skilled Trades Ontario CEO Candice White talks about the vision and goals for the province’s still-new apprenticeship agency, getting past growing pains, and what the near future holds for the agency, for apprentices, and for the industry. Recorded October 27, 2025. Industry professionals, stakeholders, apprentices and interested parties are encouraged to reach out to Skilled Trades Ontario. Contact information is at skilledtradesontario.ca/contact-us.

Recorded live at AAPEX 2025: Three young entrepreneurs from Calgary and Vancouver--Eddie Tso, Albert Liu, and Joshua Lin--talk about the importance of building relationships, mentorship, paying it forward, and leaning on each other as they build Pacer Dynamics in the aftermarket. With host Andrew Ross.

Live from AAPEX 2025 in Las Vegas: JF Champagne, President and CEO of AIA Canada, sits down with host Andrew Ross to discuss AAPEX's significance as a global centrepoint for the aftermarket for associations, suppliers and customers; the age of aftermarket renewal and revitalization; and the challenges and wins impacting the industry. Recorded November 5, 2025.

J.F. Champagne, president and CEO of AIA Canada talks details and mechanisms at play with Quebec's Right to Repair now coming into force, as well as related issues surrounding Quebec's unique approach to the issue, and what it might mean for the rest of Canada. With host Andrew Ross.

Canada's automotive service market is estimated to be blowing up to some $18 billion, a significant increase over the last few years, but the data shows that the independent aftermarket shops are slipping in both share of those dollars, and how customers rate them.

Driven by some structural factors affecting the vehicle population profile, and the experience and rising expectations of customers, independent aftermarket shops are seeing a slide in their both the dollar share of business they're winning, and customer satisfaction rankings.

J.D. Ney, Automotovie Practice Manager--Canada at leading researcher J.D. Power, joins host Andrew Ross on this episode of The Great Canadian AFtermarket Podcast to dig into what the survey data says about where customers at large are saying thei local shops might be falling short, and how to fix what matters most.

Word of mouth is recognized as a key driver for shop business, but are you losing that personal touch in the Facebook and Instagram world of marketing? Are you forgetting to put the customer first?

Murray Voth, RPM Training, returns to the show after a break to talk about connecting with customers by focusing on their motivations as people, not just customers and how to keep that personal connection even when you're using modern technology to market your shop. With host Andrew Ross.

The dynamics of the new and used car market play a strong role in shaping Canada's aftermarket. Baris Akyurek, AutoTrader’s VP of Insights & Intelligence, joins host Andrew Ross to talk about shifts happening in Canada's automotive market, and what this can tell us about the evolving aftermarket.