Jobber News Executive Outlook: Kenton Switzer

Jobber News reached out to leaders in the supply and distribution segment of the automotive aftermarket and asked them what they see happening in the industry over the next 12 months, how the segment can leverage technology, lasting impacts, lessons learned from last year and where success will be found in 2026. We will present their answers in alphabetical order over the coming weeks…

You can view the full feature in our January 2026 issue.

Kenton Switzer, 2025 Jobber of the Year | Pat’s Auto Supply

It is unfortunate that, as AI and automation gain a solid foothold, we will require fewer people to do the same amount of work.

I believe we are all experiencing similar challenges with finding employees, let alone employees who genuinely want to turn the job into a career.  The constant training of new people has impacted our ability to perform to the high standards we expect from our businesses.  We have been making a conscious effort to explore automation wherever possible in order to reduce our dependence on well-trained employees.  It is unfortunate that, as AI and automation gain a solid foothold, we will require fewer people to do the same amount of work. But those are the cards we have been dealt and if we do not stay ahead of the curve, we will be left behind.

The most impactful “lesson” was more of a validation of the approach we have taken for years now.  Do not depend on governments, buying groups, vendors, etc. These are all run by human beings and, even if they are doing great for you today, there will eventually be changes to their personnel. You need to be independent enough to pivot and adjust when changes are not working out as hoped. Our independence and our never-ending adjustments to our back up plans have helped us ride the wave(s) of uncertainty with confidence.

The answer to finding success is the same, simple since Pat’s started in 1955: People.  Customer service is challenging to find anywhere, allowing us to stand out from the competition. Same goes with how we treat our staff. Happy people are productive people.