Auto Super Shoppes Academy 1 and

Auto Super Shoppes founders David Storey and Geoff Harper with Kellie Tremayne

The new head office and academy in Piermark Drive, Albany

The next generation: academy students ready to get down to business

the founders of Auto Super Shoppes, David Storey and Geoff Harper, with input and feedback from the group.

Kellie says every graduate who leaves the course can, among other things, service a car, load it on and off a hoist safely, rotate wheels, fix tyres, identify every component type, and order parts. In other words, the students are work ready and will be useful from day one.

On Fridays, the students go out into workshops for on-site training, and that is when the academy’s classrooms are available for in-house training for Auto Super Shoppe members. These training days keep them up with the play on latest developments in the industry and expand individual skill sets.

PRACTICAL SUPPORT

Kellie said industry sponsor Bapcor made a generous contribution to the new academy premises in Piermark Drive. Bapcor has supplied the three hoists and a modern Volkswagen car for students to work on, and it will provide each graduate with a starter pack of tools to help them launch their new career.

The Auto Super Shoppes organisation began 14 years ago when two workshop owners decided to get together to establish a brand that would signify a higher level of service and professionalism to customers.

Kellie says the reasons workshops want to join the group often aren’t the reasons they stay. She says they might get a fleet car in for servicing only to learn the fleet stipulates Auto Super Shoppes only, or they have seen marketing online they like.

However, she says, what members value is the chance to talk with other workshop operators at regional zone meetings or the annual conference. Marketing and promotion opportunities are all optional.

“It’s not one size fits all, and we don’t tell people how to run their business.”

However, the training opportunities held at least every quarter, and exclusive to Auto Super Shoppes, are well attended, especially the new service manager courses. New higher level courses for managers who don’t touch the tools are also in development.

For more information on Auto Super Shoppes, call 09 985 0663, email admin@supershoppes. co.nz, or see autosupershoppes.co.nz.