AAPEX has named the winners of its 2026 Service & Repair Awards, honoring a shop owner, a service advisor and a technician from independent repair shops across the country. The show announced the results on Oct. 28. Bill Nalu is the Shop Owner of the Year, Mike Austin is the Service Advisor of the Year and Matt Wagg is the Technician of the Year.
The awards are not specific to tire dealers, but we are covering them for readers who run or work with independent repair shops and tire dealerships that also do service work. The program is now in its seventh year.
How the winners were chosen
The awards recognize individual contributors for exceptional dedication in three categories: independent repair shop owners, service advisors and repair technicians. Nominations are open to anyone in the automotive aftermarket. A volunteer panel scores each application, and the highest score in each category wins.
The 2026 winners
Shop Owner of the Year: Bill Nalu
Nalu runs Interstate Auto Care, a family-owned independent repair shop in Madison Heights, Mich. AAPEX says the award recognizes him for outstanding leadership, operational excellence and a commitment to safety in automotive repair work.
In an email to AAPEX, Nalu wrote: “I am truly humbled and grateful to be recognized as a recipient of the 7th Annual AAPEX Service and Repair Awards”.
Service Advisor of the Year: Mike Austin
Austin works at Schearer’s Sales & Service, Inc., in Allentown, Pa. AAPEX says the award distinguishes him for outstanding customer communication and coordination of service.
In an email, Austin wrote: “Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined being nominated, let alone being chosen as the recipient”.
Technician of the Year: Matt Wagg
Wagg is the founder, owner and lead technician at Accelerated Diagnostic and Automotive in Bennington, Neb. AAPEX says the award recognizes technical proficiency, extraordinary diagnostic skills and strict adherence to safety requirements. He holds 19 different ASE certifications, including Master Automobile Technician, and has served as a community college faculty member and a technical trainer for Caterpillar.
In an email, Wagg wrote: “Receiving this award is one of the most prestigious honors and I feel it is a lifetime achievement for our profession”.
Why independent shops matter
Leaders of the two organizations that co-produce AAPEX spoke about the role independent shops play.
“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 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.”
Where the winners will be honored
The winners will be honored at AAPEX 2026 during the Keynote Breakfast with Coach Mike Krzyzewski. The physical awards will be presented to the winners just before the Beers and Gears Reception, from 3 to 4 p.m. The reception follows, from 4 to 6 p.m. local time on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, near Joe’s Garage (Venetian, level 2) in Las Vegas.
The show’s Service & Repair page has more on programming for shop professionals, and AAPEX has posted its own announcement of the winners. For more AAPEX 2026 coverage, see our report on the nine student teams set to compete at the show.
About AAPEX
AAPEX, the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo, is a trade-only event that is closed to the general public. It is co-produced by MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers and the Auto Care Association. AAPEX describes itself as one of the longest-running and largest automotive aftermarket events in the Western Hemisphere, with more than 60 years of history.
