A highly educational and informative event returns to ASBC at Georgian College.

On November 19, the Automotive Industries Association of Canada (AIA Canada), along with the AIA Canada YPA (Young Professionals in the Auto Care Sector) Committee, hosted its 2025 Student Aftermarket Day at the Automotive Business School of Canada (ASBC) Georgian College Campus in Barrie, Ont. 

This popular annual event (now in its 18^th year) provides an opportunity for students enrolled in ASBC degree and diploma programs to gain unique insight into the workings and career opportunities available in Canada’s aftermarket auto care sector.

Twice the size

In 2025, a packed room of attendees witnessed AIA Canada President Jean-François Champagne take to the stage, as he discussed the current state of the aftermarket auto care sector in Canada. Champagne shared some interesting statistics with the audience, including the fact that the aftermarket is twice the size of the new vehicle sector in Canada, contributing some $44 billion annually to the economy. Additionally, Champagne noted that today, the aftermarket employs more people than the oil, gas and agricultural sectors, meaning there are multiple career options and opportunities available and not those that just focus on servicing and repairing vehicles.

Additionally, there are some ongoing trends that are playing into the hands of the aftermarket auto care sector, namely that the vehicle fleet in Canada continues to age. Currently the average car or light truck on Canadian roads is close to 11 years old and in the U.S., it’s even older, at more than 12 years. Champagne noted that this is critical for young people to understand today, that with cars lasting longer, and more consumers inclined to maintain their existing vehicle than purchase a new one, the future looks bright for the industry.

A wide range of opportunities

And because vehicles are essential to keep the Canadian economy moving, opportunities in the aftermarket span the breadth of the country, including urban, suburban and rural communities. Additionally, the aftermarket is also incredibly resilient, since people need vehicles serviced in both good times and bad. The recent COVID-19 pandemic was a prime example, where aftermarket businesses, including service centres, parts distributors and manufacturers were declared essential businesses, even as other industries grappled with shutdowns and delays due to pandemic health measures.

This resiliency, noted Champagne, has continued to draw investment meaning that over time, the aftermarket continues to grow and gain additional importance as a major driver of the overall economy.

He noted that many people have gone on to forge very successful careers in the industry, whether it be on the corporate side, or establishing their own businesses, and today with the ever-advancing pace of technology, including AI and connected vehicles, those opportunities will continue to grow. Champagne encouraged the students to attend the on-site vendor showcase and talk with industry professionals about how they got started and some of the key aspects of their careers that have enabled them to get where they are today.

Winning presentation

Each year, this event provides teams of ASBC students, the opportunity to present solutions for the aftermarket industry, with the winning team receiving recognition for their efforts in front of their peers. This year, the winning presentation went to Michael Artuso, Wyatt Brown and Colin Downey, who provided a fascinating insight into how the aftermarket can leverage technology to capture the attention of Generation Z customers.

The afternoon’s alumni panel discussion, hosted by Kari Hahn, Vice President, Specialty Sales & Marketing, brought together Stephanie Cooney-Mann from UAP (NAPA) along with Mark Potts and Vincent Montemarano from DRiV to discuss their own career paths and share advice with the gathered student audience.

Always into cars from a young age, Cooney-Mann explained that initially, she’d planned to get into the industry via the OEM route, but when she discovered the aftermarket, simply fell in love with and knew that’s where her future lay. “It was life-changing for me,” she said “knowing the opportunity was there and in many different ways [and roles] from advertising, to marketing, HR, finance, etc.” She noted that while she has changed organizations during the course of her career, she’s remained firmly in the aftermarket “and I couldn’t be happier,” she said.

Never looked back

Montemarano said that his career journey began as far back as Grade 11, when somebody came into the school and delivered a guest talk on automotive business. Later Vincent, enrolled in the ABSC degree program and after working in a collision centre for a couple of years, reached back out to the school and was able to find a position with DRiV. He hasn’t looked back since. “It’s an amazing industry,” he said, “and even though I knew it existed in school, I didn’t know the true capacity of what the aftermarket is and what it represents.”

Potts, an ASBC alumni, recalls attending Student Aftermarket Day back in 2007, and that was where he met his mentor Dean Clarke. When he graduated ASBC, Potts ended up working alongside Clarke who provided a springboard into his highly successful career at DRiV.

Engaging with others

The panelists then went on to share some valuable insights that they’ve gained from working in the industry. Cooney-Mann explained it was important to understand the market and environment you’re operating in. She stressed the importance of engaging with others and having the courage to start conversations as it can often lead to valuable insight and lasting relationships.

Potts explained that it was also important to understand the bigger picture. While he acknowledged that the essence of the aftermarket revolves around repairing and maintaining vehicles, it’s important to understand the massive ecosystem behind it. He said it was essential to not only have a grasp of skills such as accounting, math, science and computer programming, but also understand the framework and the people that make it all possible.

Montemarano said that within the aftermarket, there are so many different roles [and different opportunities]. “Even on the service and repair side, the ability to diversify your roles and learn new skills is really important.”

Auto show foundation

Each year, the Automotive Business School of Canada hosts the Georgian College Auto Show. Entirely run by students, it is one of the largest outdoor auto expos in North American and provides the teams with invaluable professional experience, giving students a solid foundation on which to build for the future. Each of the alumni gathered for Student Aftermarket Day 2025 said being part of the auto show not only enabled them to gain valuable skills and build confidence, but also make life-long friendships that continue in their professional lives to this day.

The alumni took the opportunity to answer questions from students in the audience, including what vehicles they drive, what aspirations they have and what they valued most, to which the unanimous reply was, the relationships they’ve fostered on their professional journey and the key importance of collaboration were instrumental in achieving lasting success.

The final session for the day came from Adam Malik, Editor-in-Chief at Turnkey Media Solutions, who provided a fascinating insight into the aftermarket from a journalistic perspective. Malik described how becoming part of this industry has enabled him to foster some great relationships and achieve things he never thought possible prior to getting involved with the aftermarket auto care sector.