Auto Care Education (ACE) Award
ACE Award - Auto Care Education Award (formerly the Head of the Class Award)
The Auto Care Education (ACE) Award recognizes auto care companies dedicated to excellence in education.
Award-winning companies are acknowledged as leaders in the industry, dedicated to investing in the growth of knowledge and skills within their organization and/or throughout the industry. This may include employee training, customer education programs, programs for instructor and/or students, and other education programs for the industry at-large. Up to three awards will be given, based on company size:
- Small: Under 100 Employees
- Mid-size: 101 – 999 Employees
- Large: Over 1000 Employees
The Auto Care Association promotes the winning companies as examples of what leading companies are doing, outlining their successful programs, and sharing the return on investment each company experiences.
The deadline for submissions is December 20, 2024.
How recipients are recognized:
- Special commemorative award and ACE Award logo for website;
- Featured in press releases and aftermarket media;
- Recognition during new Auto Care Connect Awards Ceremony this May in Phoenix to an audience of nearly 1,000 executives
- Highlighted on Auto Care social media channels to tens of thousands of followers;
- Exclusive Auto Care Insider Magazine interview;
- Blogs, podcasts, and more!
What needs to be submitted?
A high level overview of the education programs or activities you're highlighting and your "company story". The company story is where you go into detail on your education programs/activities and their impact. Your company story can be submitted as a word document, PDF or video. There is no word count or limit on pages, examples, length of video, etc.
How are submissions evaluated?
Submissions are evaluated based on: overall description of program activities; description of program goals or response to a specific need; and the outcomes and/or impact of the program/educational activities.
2025 ACE Award Recipients
Topel’s Service Center, Inc
Location: Lake Mills, Wisconsin
- Topel’s Service Center views education as essential to achieving excellence and the company has built a professional development program with 100 hours of annual training for technicians, plus resources for service advisors and owners.
- Topel’s uses tools like “The Group Training Hub” and a digital library to organize learning, and it supports ongoing education by covering both course fees and time spent training.
- Inspired by the late business coach Bob Greenwood, Topel’s recognizes that the future of auto repair requires advanced knowledge and a shift in how the auto care industry is valued. This belief led the company to prioritize education so its team stays ahead of evolving vehicle technologies and is compensated for their expertise, not just their labor.
- The results have been clear—Topel’s investment in training has boosted technician confidence, efficiency and fostered team-wide knowledge sharing through post-training discussions.
Location: North York, Ontario, Canada
- Mevotech is committed to creating educational and professional development opportunities that enhance the expertise, abilities, and overall job satisfaction of both their team members and industry professionals.
- Internal training initiatives include MevoUniversity, a comprehensive learning platform for employees, the LEAD Program, the Next Generation Program, and UnstoppabElle.
- The LEAD Program, which is a part of MevoUniversity, focuses on developing leadership skills through engaging sessions, assessments, support from professional leadership coaches and the newly added two-day course on Situational Leadership.
- MevoUniversity also offers the Next Generation Program, which aims to help young leaders build and refine their leadership skills. The first series consisted of 15-weeks of interactive face-to-face and online group development courses that emphasized five basic principles of leadership.
- Their employee resource group, UnstoppabElle, focuses on empowering women leaders through learning, curated events and shared experiences.
- Beyond their walls, they extend learning through the Mevotech Training Portal, engaging instructional videos, their comprehensive media hub, an informative YouTube channel, interactive Train-the-Trainer sessions, and the hands-on MevoMobile experience, their mobile classroom program.
- Parts Authority is deeply committed to education and professional development, demonstrated by its leadership-driven initiatives and a dedicated in-house education department.
- In 2024 alone, the company delivered over 55,000 hours of training through its proprietary learning management system, “Parts Authority Education” (PAE), live virtual sessions, and in-person programs, while also participating in key industry education events and committees.
- The PAE platform offers over 360 courses on topics like leadership and compliance, and uses adaptive technology to tailor learning to each employee’s role and needs. Innovative approaches such as micro-learning modules and storytelling in cultural training improve retention and engagement, supplemented by customized live training sessions. Automated systems ensure seamless onboarding and training integration, while high user engagement reflects a strong internal culture of continuous learning.
- With nearly 44,000 active course enrollments, Parts Authority has established itself as a leader in employee development, driving both individual growth and industry advancement.
highlights from previous award ceremonies
Past ACE Award Recipients
- Small Company: Robertson Automotive
- Mid-Size Company: Mevotech
- Large Company: Automotive Parts Headquarters, Inc.
Dynamic Automotive
Robert Bosch LLC, Automotive Aftermarket Division, North America
Advanced Auto Part
Don McNeill Enterprises LTD
Eau Clair Auto Parts
Gates Corporation
N.A. Williams
Olympus Imported Auto Parts
Sears Automotive
Mevotech
Motown Automotive Distributing Co.
Sonsio, Inc.
Tasco Sales Reps.
The Merrill Co- Arnold Motor Supply
Crow-Burlingame Company
Gold Eagle Company
Gustafson’s Auto Clinic, Inc./Tirecraft
The Timken Company
VIP – Parts, Tires & Service
KOI Auto Parts
N.A. Williams Company
Olympus Imported Auto Parts
Tenneco, Inc.