The awards recognize individual contributors across three categories: independent repair shop owners, service advisors and repair technicians
Las Vegas—The Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) has announced the winners of the annual AAPEX Service & Repair Awards for 2026. The awards recognize individual contributors for exceptional dedication across three categories: independent repair shop owners, service advisors and repair technicians.
The award program, now in its seventh year, accepts nominations from anyone in the automotive aftermarket. The winners are selected from a volunteer panel that scores each award application; the highest score in each category wins.
“These are the professionals that quite literally keep America on the road,” said MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers President Emily Poladian. “Independent repair shops, and their employees, account for 72% of the repair capacity in this country—it’s an essential service that helps keep the 294 million vehicles we collectively own operating safely.”
The 2026 award winners are as follows:
1. Shop Owner of the Year: Bill Nalu of Interstate Auto Care
The Shop Owner of the Year award goes to Bill Nalu of Interstate Auto Care, a family-owned independent repair shop in Madison Heights, Mich. The award recognizes Nalu for outstanding leadership, operational excellence, and a commitment to safety in automotive repair work.
“I am truly humbled and grateful to be recognized as a recipient of the 7th Annual AAPEX Service and Repair Awards,” he wrote in an email to AAPEX. “I’ve always believed that success is not measured simply by what you accomplish, but by the relationships you build, the people you help along the way, and the reputation you establish.”
He noted that “being a great technician” and “becoming a great business owner requires an entirely different set of skills.” Nalu credits “some incredibly talented and dedicated people” for helping him grow, including Carm Capriotto of Remarkable Results Radio.
2. Service Advisor of the Year: Mike Austin of Schearer’s Sales & Service, Inc.
The Service Advisor of the Year award goes to Mike Austin of Schearer’s Sales & Service in Allentown, Pa. The award distinguishes Austin for outstanding customer communication and coordination of service.
“Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined being nominated, let alone being chosen as the recipient,” he said in an email. “Receiving this award is an incredible honor, but I know that success is never achieved alone.”
Austin credits the shop’s owner and marketing manager, Tom Schearer, and Samantha Schearer-Hidgon (who was service advisor of the year in 2024), along with 180Biz President Rick White, as among the industry professionals who have helped him succeed in his career.
3. Technician of the Year: Matt Wagg of Accelerated Diagnostic and Automotive
The Technician of the Year title belongs to Matt Wagg, the founder, owner and lead technician at Accelerated Diagnostic and Automotive, in Bennington, Neb. The award recognizes technical proficiency, extraordinary diagnostic skills and strict adherence to safety requirements.
“Receiving this award is one of the most prestigious honors and I feel it is a lifetime achievement for our profession,” Wagg said by email. “It really proves that all of the hard work, effort and dedication that we professional technicians put into what we do each day is recognized, valued and very rewarding.”
Wagg has served as a community college faculty member, a technical trainer for Caterpillar and holds 19 different ASE certifications, including as a Master Automobile Technician. When asked what advice he’d offer young people considering a career as an auto technician, he wrote:
“Focus on continued learning and development. With the rapid advancement of vehicle technologies across all vehicle systems, learning must never stop. We need people who are good critical thinkers, analytical and good problem solvers.”
Winners to be honored at AAPEX 2026
The winners will be honored at AAPEX 2026 during the Keynote Breakfast with Coach Mike Krzyzewski. In addition, the physical awards will be presented to winners just before the Beers and Gears Reception, from 3-4 p.m.
The reception, which follows, is being held near Joe’s Garage (Venetian, level 2) on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, from 4-6:00 p.m. local time in Las Vegas.
“The fact that we can get our vehicles in for repairs and back safely on the road in just a few hours or less is a remarkable feat of logistics,” said Auto Care Association President and CEO Bill Hanvey. “These award winners are a representative sample of your local neighborhood heroes that keep our country driving forward.”
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