Beyond the Wrench
How can automotive and diesel shops run a better business and be more profitable? How can we make the aftermarket and dealerships more attractive to younger generations? Each week, Jay Goninen, Co-Founder & President of WrenchWay, will sit down with shop owners, technicians, instructors, and professionals in the automotive and diesel industries to have them share their stories and insights. We’ll dive deep into what’s going on in shops and dealerships and what we can do to help drive the industry forward.
The Beyond the Wrench Podcast is powered by WrenchWay.
Episodes
236 episodes
Building Student Connections in Talent Acquisition
Nick Stafford, Talent Acquisition Lead at JX Truck Center, strives to serve each person he meets in their career journey. He emphasizes the importance of building relationships with students during the recruitment process, explains why the trad...
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1:08:02
Future of Independent Collision Shops
Cole Strandberg, Managing Director at Focus Investment Banking and Host of the Collision Vision Podcast, discusses three future growth options for single-location shops. He highlights helpful Small Business Administration (SBA) resources and ex...
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55:39
Advances in Auto Body
Jason Garfoot, Global Portfolio Manager at 3M, started by custom painting motorcycle helmets for friends, which sparked his passion for the body and paint industry. Now at 3M, he is exploring “the science of why,” and gathering insights from fo...
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1:06:35
Inspiring the Next Gen of Technicians
Ryan Marrinan, Body Repair Trainer at the 3M Collision Repair Academy, began as a technician. Now, he helps shape future technicians by inspiring young people about automotive technology—explaining the “why” behind engineers’ designs and teachi...
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1:06:04
Customer Care in the Service Drive
Deron Lundgren, Zone Retailer Aftersales Manager at Subaru of America, shares strategies for improving customer relationships and driving new business. He discusses techniques such as evaluating inbound calls, using role-playing for team coachi...
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1:10:59
Understanding ADAS
Jay "Joern" Aebert, Master Technician, breaks down Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)—simplifying everything from setting up ADAS in your shop and mastering the core knowledge needed to operate the technology, to creating the ideal space...
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1:11:25
Making Technician Training Accessible
David Boyes, President of Today’s Class, joins us to discuss how their company has made training more accessible for today’s technicians. Today’s Class focuses on the automotive aftermarket by creating personalized learning paths, adapting to o...
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59:46
Understanding Dealership Financials
From valet to Dealership Academy Instructor at the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), Jim O'Donnell joins us to discuss financial management in a dealership. He highlights how 40-60% of gross profit comes from the fixed ops departm...
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1:03:11
Fostering Real Connections with Auto Schools
Mike Wiant, Regional Sales Representative at Shelby American, is a catalyst in the auto industry, driven by a passion for inspiring students and engaging with local schools. From initiating exciting events like, "Drive a Shelby to School Day" a...
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1:06:31
Master Technician Pays it Forward with Positivity
As an ASE Master Automotive Technician, Robert Solei's positive attitude and happiness are contagious both in the shop and throughout this episode. He walks us through his career, highlighting his early years as an automotive technician, discus...
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1:02:05
Leading with Shop Values
Bruce Spencer, Owner of Walt Eger’s Service Center, shares his journey from corporate life to shop ownership. He emphasizes the importance of hiring a COO, living by the shop's values, fostering friendly competition among technicians, and maint...
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1:07:07
How Walser Supports & Empowers Technicians
Derek Thompson, an ASE World Class Toyota Technician at Walser Toyota, walks us through how Walser has prioritized their technicians, the expansion of their new shop, and how Derek has maintained his most important tool—his body—throughout his ...
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1:02:49
100 Years of Milwaukee Tool
Ryan Mack, Group Project Manager, walks us through 100 years of Milwaukee Tool—from the fresh beginnings in Wisconsin, to cordless tools getting the attention of technicians, to the massive brand loyalty Milwaukee Tool has built today. Ryan giv...
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1:03:07
Collision Technician Survey Results & Analysis
Dara Goroff, Vice President of Planning & Industry Talent Programming at I-CAR, discusses findings from their recent collision technician survey and efforts to promote collision careers. Key takeaways include the importance of gathering ano...
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1:03:53
What’s New with ASE? A Chat with the CEO
Dave Johnson, President & CEO of the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) dives into all things ASE-related. Dave shares his personal journey, industry insights, and the critical challenges faced by automotive professi...
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1:09:43
Financial Guru Discusses Technician Pay
Anders Gustafson, Co-Founder of ShopLevers and former shop owner, breaks down technician compensation. He shares lessons learned from starting a new shop, including the importance of incentive plans, offering benefits like health insurance, and...
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59:50
Supporting Skilled Trades Programs
Danny Corwin from Harbor Freight Tools for Schools and Jay Abitz from Freedom High School discuss why shops, dealerships, manufacturers, and other businesses need to support skilled trades programs. They also dive into the struggles schools are...
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1:04:51
Shop Leadership & Management Advice
John Spence, one of the top business experts in the world, author, CEO, and speaker, is back to offer key leadership and management advice. He covers the elements of a good culture, the importance of caring for your people, and the impact that ...
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1:02:33
Teacher Shortage Crisis
Matt Kerhin, Technology & Engineering Teacher at Hartford Union High School, joins us to talk about the huge teacher shortage in technical education—from the impact of retiring teachers to training the next generation and the costs of retai...
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1:13:34
Leadership Transition—Going from Technician to Manager
Russ Green, Operations Officer at Machinery Advisors Consortium, expresses how top employers need good leaders to keep people happy. Understanding employees, proper career growth, and keeping up with the industry pace are key to nurturing futur...
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1:02:25
Technician Pay Deep Dive
Tanner Brandt, President of Autodiag Clinic, discusses the value of evaluating your technicians’ actual take-home income and the necessity of proper pay plans when assessing technician compensation. Tanner also dissects WrenchWay’s recent Techn...
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1:02:48
Improving Your Dealership or Shop
Jay Marrazzo, General Manager of AIM Group, LLC, brings a fresh perspective on how shops and dealerships can improve by thinking of different departments as having different cultures. He also gets candid and discusses our industry's shortcoming...
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1:04:51
2024 Technician Pay Survey Results & Data Tool
WrenchWay Co-Founders Jay Goninen and Mark Wilson dive into WrenchWay’s 2024 Technician Pay survey. The survey gathered data about pay and benefits from thousands of technicians across the country. WrenchWay processed the information and develo...
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55:37
Navigating Automotive Technician Education
George Arrants, Vice President at ASE Education Foundation, is back to clear up misconceptions about hiring employees under 18, discuss the shortage of teachers, and explore the impact that work-based learning can have on students.
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1:05:24
Repairing Relationships in the Service Department
Trust in the service department is imperative to running an effective shop. Derrick King, Director of Fixed Operations at ClearShift, joins us to give honest advice every shop needs to hear. From the importance of having transparency with your ...
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1:03:06