Auto Care Education (ACE) Award
ACE Award - Auto Care Education Award (formerly the Head of the Class Award)
The Auto Care Education (ACE) Award honors outstanding commitment to workforce development and professional advancement within the automotive aftermarket industry.
Presented annually, the award recognizes organizations that view education, training, and supporting career growth as strategic investments—both in their people and in the long-term success of the industry.
Up to three awards will be given, based on company size:
- Small: 0 - 500 Employees
- Mid-size: 501 – 4,999 Employees
- Large: 5,000+ 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 Friday, February 13th.
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 Atlanta 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 the ACE Award Represents:
- Commitment to Education and Training: Celebrates organizations that prioritize continuous learning, skills development, and workforce training. This includes investment in empowering employees, potential employees or students, or the industry overall (or any of these combined!)
- Industry Leadership: Highlights those who lead by example—championing a strong, sustainable future for the automotive aftermarket by investing in their people and the industry.
- Workforce Excellence: Represents a commitment to cultivating a workplace and industry focused on growth, retention, and advancement—key to maintaining a skilled and competitive workforce.
- Support for Career Growth: Reflects dedication to supporting career growth and creating opportunities that help individuals succeed in the aftermarket industry.
Should your company apply?
Does your company embody any of the below? Yes! Then apply today – it’s easy and free to submit!
- You invest in your employees' growth by offering training, education, or career development opportunities like mentorship programs or career pathway planning.
- You create and share educational training or resources that benefit the broader automotive aftermarket industry.
- You support student engagement through internships, scholarships, mentorships, or partnerships with schools and technical programs.
- You view learning as a strategic priority, not just a benefit—helping build a stronger, more skilled workforce.
- You champion industry advancement by promoting continuous learning and professional development at all levels.
What needs to be submitted?
Interested in the ACE Award? The application will guide you through four questions about your recent educational activities—what you introduced, the goals you aimed for, how you ensured quality, and the impact achieved. You’re welcome to include up to five pages of supporting materials or a short video to showcase your work.
The ACE Award is more than recognition
It’s a symbol of leadership, growth, and advocacy for talent development in the auto care industry. It celebrates those who understand that investing in people is essential to the future of the automotive aftermarket.
2025 ACE Award Recipients
Small Company: Topel’s Service Center, Inc.
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.
Mid-Size Company: Mevotech
Mevotech
Location: North York, Ontario, Canada
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.
Large Company: Parts Authority
Parts Authority
- 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
2024 ace award recipients
2023 ace award recipients
2022 ace award recipients
2021 ace award recipients
2020 ace award recipients
2019 ace award recipients
2018 ace award recipients
2017 ace award recipients
2015 (head of the class award)
Automotive Supply Associates, Inc./Sanel Auto Part’s
Dynamic Automotive
Robert Bosch LLC, Automotive Aftermarket Division, North America
Dynamic Automotive
Robert Bosch LLC, Automotive Aftermarket Division, North America
2016 ace award recipients
2014 (head of the class award)
The Auto-Wares Group
Advanced Auto Parts
Don McNeill Enterprises LTD
Eau Clair Auto Parts
Gates Corporation
N.A. Williams
Olympus Imported Auto Parts
Sears Automotive
Advanced Auto Parts
Don McNeill Enterprises LTD
Eau Clair Auto Parts
Gates Corporation
N.A. Williams
Olympus Imported Auto Parts
Sears Automotive
2013 (head of the class award)
Dorman Products, Inc.
Mevotech
Motown Automotive Distributing Co.
Sonsio, Inc.
Tasco Sales Reps.
The Merrill Co- Arnold Motor Supply
Mevotech
Motown Automotive Distributing Co.
Sonsio, Inc.
Tasco Sales Reps.
The Merrill Co- Arnold Motor Supply
2012 (head of the class award)
Automotive Parts Headquarters, Inc.
Crow-Burlingame Company
Gold Eagle Company
Gustafson’s Auto Clinic, Inc./Tirecraft
The Timken Company
VIP – Parts, Tires & Service
Crow-Burlingame Company
Gold Eagle Company
Gustafson’s Auto Clinic, Inc./Tirecraft
The Timken Company
VIP – Parts, Tires & Service
2011 (head of the class award)
Car Doctor
KOI Auto Parts
N.A. Williams Company
Olympus Imported Auto Parts
Tenneco, Inc.
KOI Auto Parts
N.A. Williams Company
Olympus Imported Auto Parts
Tenneco, Inc.