Pep Boys, an Icahn Automotive Group company, today announced the winners of its annual Pep Boys ‘Tech of the Year’ award. The company recognized its top-performing automotive service technicians in each business region based on performance and customer service metrics from the prior year.
The Pep Boys Technician of the Year winners are Master Technicians Alan Bethyou, Chicago; Robert Daigle, Nashua, N.H.; John Forsythe, San Antonio, Texas; Raffi Kazanjian, Van Nuys, Calif.; Peter Madhoo, Apopka, Fla; and Rob Rathbun, Manchester, N.H.; and Technician Alexis Gonzalez-Rosario, Cauguas, Puerto Rico.
“Our automotive technicians are the backbone of our service organization. They are the hard-working members of our team who make our customers’ safety a priority every day,” said Brian Kaner, president of service at Icahn Automotive. “The ‘Tech of the Year’ winners represent the very best of our team from across the country.”
Each 2018 Pep Boys ‘Tech of the Year’ was recently given their award in presentations at regional leadership meetings. The recipients were chosen based on the quality and volume of the technician’s work; record of excellent customer service efforts; and a proven commitment to ongoing professional development and continuing education. The respective stores of each ‘Tech of the Year’ also have the distinction of being the “home” of one of the Company’s most outstanding technicians.
These awards were presented as Icahn Automotive launched its “Race to 2026” initiative, a commitment to help fill the industry-wide technician talent gap projected to be at 46,000 in seven years. The Race to 2026 program includes initiatives to attract those to the skilled trades, while supporting the Icahn Automotive Group’s own employee network through this and other, similar recognition programs, tuition assistance, an apprenticeship program and additional company-sponsored training and certifications.
Icahn Automotive Group, an Icahn Enterprises L.P. company, which owns and operates leading auto repair and maintenance providers Pep Boys, AAMCO and Precision Tune Auto Care, has invested in growing its service model through acquisition and the improvement of existing locations and a focus on people, programs, training and technology over the past several years. The Company recently announced Pep Boys Fleet, which puts a renewed focus on automotive service designed to better meet the needs of today’s growing fleets, and included an expansion of Pep Boys Mobile Crew.
About Icahn Automotive
Icahn Automotive Group LLC (Icahn Automotive) was formed by its parent, Icahn Enterprises L.P. (NASDAQ: IEP), to invest in and operate businesses involved in aftermarket parts distribution and service. Our businesses have a singular focus: provide premium automotive parts and services at a great value. Icahn Automotive today consists of Pep Boys® automotive aftermarket retail and service chain, Auto Plus® automotive aftermarket parts distributor, Precision Tune Auto Care® owned and franchised automotive service centers, and AAMCO Total Auto Care franchised service centers. The Company also is the licensor of Cottman Transmission and operates under several local brands. The businesses of Icahn Automotive total over 22,000 employees, over 2,000 company-owned and franchise locations, and 25 distribution centers throughout the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico. For more information, visit IcahnAutomotive.com.
