Independent automotive repair providers throughout the U.S. will soon be able to tap into an extensive network of technical training and product support resources designed to help enhance their competitiveness in an age of increasingly complex vehicle technologies.
“Garage Gurus,” a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive technical education platform from Federal-Mogul Motorparts, will debut in April with onsite, online and on-demand training and other support available to thousands of technicians, service writers and shop owners. A division of Federal-Mogul Holdings Corp., Federal-Mogul Motorparts is a global manufacturer and supplier of original equipment and premium branded replacement parts.
Garage Gurus is a key element of the company’s recently announced “Tech First” initiative aimed at strengthening the automotive service industry’s support of the front-line professionals who repair and maintain a majority of today’s passenger vehicles. The first four Garage Gurus regional training centers will open in April in the Bronx, N.Y., St. Louis, Mo., Skokie, Ill., and Van Nuys, Calif. Up to 15 training centers with a combined reach of more than 67,000 vehicle repair locations are expected to be in operation by the end of the year. These facilities will be staffed by more than 100 “Gurus” certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE).
“Each year, millions of consumers turn to professional automotive service providers to help restore the safety and reliability of their vehicles,” said Dan Ninivaggi, CEO, Federal-Mogul Motorparts. “Garage Gurus is an important new investment in the future of these vital local businesses and in the thousands of technicians and other professionals who help keep motorists safe behind the wheel.”
Each Garage Gurus training center will include multiple vehicle repair/training bays equipped with the latest diagnostic tools. Operating from these facilities will be Web-connected “Gurus-On-The-Go” product technology vans that will visit repair shops and technicians throughout each region.
Garage Gurus and other “Tech First” initiatives are also designed to support automotive parts distributors by servicing their customers and communicating the importance of selecting high-quality replacement parts from reputable partners. “I think every parts manufacturer and distributor would agree that well-trained technicians and successful service shops are the lifeblood of our industry,” Ninivaggi said. “In supporting the technician, service writer, shop owner and parts counterperson, we are investing in our own business and in the businesses that stock and sell our parts.”