Introducing AIA Canada’s new chair in this issue of Jobber News

We welcome the new chair of AIA Canada in this issue of Jobber News. Jason Herle will take over from Tony Kuczynski for the next year, and we got the chance to speak with him about moving into the position.

If you haven’t grabbed your copy out of your mailbox, you can go here to read the full issue.

Calling AIA Canada “the crème de la crème of organizations,” the head of Fountain Tire tells us about his journey into the aftermarket, rising through the ranks of the company to be the CEO and then taking those learnings to the AIA Canada board. He shares what he loves about the aftermarket and what he sees as opportunities, especially with new president and CEO Emily Chung at the helm.

Elsewhere in this issue, we dive into the state of the Canada-US-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). It’s up for potential renegotiation this year, and the aftermarket has a close eye on what’s happening. At a recent conference, the association representing vehicle suppliers on both the OEM and auto care side explored why it’s so important to have a trilateral deal and how they will help push forward that message to leaders in Washington, D.C.

As always, we have expert insight from industry observers. Kumar Saha explores how customers are walking into jobber stores and repair shops armed with information gained from AI. How does an automotive aftermarket pro deal with these clients? He shares how to not dismiss the customer’s companion but also retain your professional integrity.

With issues like uncertainty from the First Brands situation, labour market challenges, trade policy shifts and the vehicle market, distributors need to take charge instead of sitting back, explains Zakari Krieger.

And if you are dismissing AI technology, Meagan Moody is here to tell you that’s a mistake. This is no longer an experimental technology — it needs to be part of your business strategy and treated as capability building.

And the usual sections are still in the issue, so check out what your fellow industry pros had to say in our Letters section, then flip over to the latest news and numbers to catch up on what’s been happening.

Grab your copy or head to our archives to read the full issue.