The Automotive Industries Association (AIA) of Canada has announced the official launch of its Automotive Service Associate Program (ASAP).

The program has been created to allow service professionals access to a host of solutions critical to their business success. As a program participant, a range of benefits are offered to automotive service providers: tailored research at the shop-level, training events geared to management and technical issues facing repair shops, a national shop finder service, financial services for shop customers, and technical expertise on vehicle reprogramming among other perks. The program is specifically designed to be inclusive of all aftermarket shops (both in the mechanical and collision sectors).

“We are seeing the arrival of a fundamental change in the vehicle maintenance and repair environment, where electronics, telematics and vehicle data are rapidly forming the heart of the diagnosis process,” says Andrew Shepherd, Senior Director of Industry Programs, AIA Canada. “Aftermarket service providers are going to need a connection to new training and new equipment, but more importantly a connection to a community where challenges can be faced and solutions can be developed. ASAP is that community.”

The launch of ASAP allows AIA Canada to achieve the inclusion of all segments of the aftermarket, ensuring that all industry stakeholders play an active role in the growth, prosperity, and future of the industry. Started in 1942 by a group of wholesalers (formerly known as the Canadian Automotive Wholesalers Association) who united to ensure the sustainability of the aftermarket, AIA Canada has naturally evolved to represent the whole supply and service chain of the industry, acting as the national voice and resource for both the mechanical and the collision sectors.

“AIA Canada has a long history of expanding its reach in the automotive aftermarket,” explains Jean-François Champagne, President, AIA Canada. “It is now time to embrace the next logical steps to better engage automotive service providers who are an important stakeholder in the sustainability of the aftermarket.”

For more information on ASAP and how to become a program participant, visit the ASAP web page.