AASPMN 2026 Leadership Conference and Annual Meeting Full Agenda
Wednesday, April 29
8:00am – 6:30pm Registration Open
9:00am – 9:30am Coffee with Vendors
9:30am – 9:40am Opening Remarks
9:40am – 10:45am Opening Keynote & Panel Discussion: Adaptability and Accountability
Presented by Melissa Furman, CEO, Career Potential, LLC;
Panel Members: Shannon Christian, Jesse Jacobson, Tom Archambault and
Ashlan Kaplan
10:45am – 11:00am Morning Break
11:00am – Noon BREAKOUT SESSION 1
A. Is There a Talent Shortage for Mid-Level Automotive Technicians in Minnesota?
Presented by Melinda Fierro, Research Strategist, RealTime Talent
B. Grow or Go
Presented by Chris Jones, CEO, Sunbelt Business Advisors
C. Unlocking Advisor Performance: The Leadership Blueprint for Higher Sales
Presented by Doris Barnes, Director of Strategic Growth, Transformers Institute
Noon – 1:30pm Lunch with Annual Meeting
1:45pm – 2:45pm BREAKOUT SESSION 2
A. Information Data Strategies for Today
Presented by Donny Seyfer, Executive Director, National Automotive Service Task Force
B. Adaptability and Accountability in Practice
Presented by Melissa Furman, CEO, Career Potential, LLC
C. The Evolving Technician
Presented by Bill Haas, Auto Ignite Management
2:45pm – 3:00pm Afternoon Break
3:00pm – 5:00pm Roundtable Discussions
5:00pm – 6:30pm Happy Hour & Vendor Showcase
Thursday, April 30
8:00am – 11:00am Registration Open
8:30am – 9:00am Coffee & Networking
9:00am – 11:30am WORKSHOPS
A. Unlocking Growth with Custom ChatGPT Agents in Your Auto Shop
Presented by Seth Thorson, Owner, Eurotech Auto
B. Speed of Service – Time is Crucial!
Presented by Bill Haas, Auto Ignite Management
C. Body Shop Communications to Improve Your Bottom Line
Presented by Scott Miller, Estimating Manager, Collision Specialists Inc., Aaron Rolfsrud, Owner, Elevated Luxury Services, Linden Wicklund, Executive Director, AASPMN
D. Profitable Expansion: The Systems, Strategy, and Mindset Required to Scale
Presented by Greg Bunch, CEO & Founder, Transformers Institute
10:15am – 10:30am Workshop Break
WEDNESDAY, april 29:
Coffee with Vendors
9:00am – 9:30am
The day will kick off with a caffeine boost and a slightly later start, so those who drive in from a distance or had too much fun the night before, will have time. Vendors from across the state and country will be showcasing the latest they have to offer with their local experts there to meet with you. This is an opportunity to connect and network without the high-pressure speed of big trade shows. We know good suppliers make all the difference in the quality, speed and profitability of your repairs
Adaptability and Accountability
9:40am – 10:45am
Presented by Melissa Furman, CEO,
Career Potential, LLC
Panel Members: Shannon Christian, Jesse Jacobson, Tom Archambault and Ashlan Kaplan
In today’s fast-paced, ever-changing workplace, change isn’t optional—it’s constant. To survive and thrive as a business, you can’t avoid challenges, you need to embrace them with adaptability and accountability. This dynamic, interactive session includes a thought-provoking presentation followed by recommendations shared by a panel of industry professionals. This session will equip you with the mindset and tools to not just survive disruption, but to turn it into opportunity.
Morning Break
10:45am – 11:00am
Breakout Session 1 (Choose One)
11:00am – Noon
A. Is There a Talent Shortage for Mid-Level Automotive Technicians in Minnesota?
Presented by Melinda Fierro, Research Strategist, RealTime Talent
This session will explore the themes of labor market supply and demand for the Automotive Technician Occupation and the challenges involved in filling entry and mid-level roles in Minnesota. MNCARS has partnered with RealTime talent to provide labor market information and develop an interview guide. RealTime Talent will present the labor market research findings related to supply and demand for the Automotive Technician Occupation with a focus on the mid-level career statistics
B. Grow or Go
Presented by Chris Jones, CEO,
Sunbelt Business Advisors
This session is designed to help business owners determine if they are ready to grow the business or exit it. If someone is ready to grow there are typically a couple of paths – they can grow organically or they can grow through acquisition. If it’s time to Go, what are the optional Exit Paths and how to prepare your business to exit. Chris will talk through what to do to make a business more attractive to buyers and how to increase the value.
C. Unlocking Advisor Performance: The Leadership Blueprint for Higher Sales
Presented by Doris Barnes, Director of Strategic Growth, Transformers Institute
Strong advisor performance starts with strong leadership. In this session, Doris will teach shop owners and managers how to coach service advisors to confidently present recommendations, handle objections, and close more work while maintaining trust with customers. Attendees will learn practical leadership strategies, coaching techniques, and systems that help advisors move from order takers to trusted professionals—driving higher sales and stronger shop performance.
Lunch with Annual Meeting
Noon – 1:30pm
Enjoy a three-course lunch while honoring departing Board Members and swearing in new ones. Updates on member benefits, legislative efforts, and upcoming events will be followed by additional networking time.
Breakout Session 2 (Choose One)
1:45pm – 2:45pm
A. Information and Data Strategies to Save Time
and Increase Accuracy
Presented by Donny Seyfer, Executive Director, National Automotive Service Task Force
Information availability has evolved since it became widely available in the early 2000s.
If you do not have a plan to find what you need quickly and accurately it will have a direct impact on how much of your time you convert to money.
NASTF fields more than 40,000 support questions and tens of thousands of hits on our information systems related to information, tool applications and vehicle security. Let us show you some best practices to create the best strategy for you.
Donny Seyfer is the executive officer for the National Automotive Service Task Force but also a technician with over 35 years of experience as a diagnostician, industry educator and finder of information in servicing over 100-year span of vehicles at his family business.
B. Adaptability and Accountability in Practice
Presented by Melissa Furman, CEO,
Career Potential, LLC
This session is a continuation of the keynote session and will provide practical tools and resources to develop adaptability and accountability in your business.
C. The Evolving Technician
Presented by Bill Haas, Auto Ignite Management
Based on the Voice of the Technician survey. This session presents the perspective of over 4,700 automotive professionals across the U.S. Learn what technicians value the most. Is your shop providing what they are seeking; compensation, training, equipment, career paths, work-life balance, etc.
Is the technician shortage real or are you short on providing the leadership, environment, and culture to attract and retain the best talent. Technicians are telling us what we need to hear.
Afternoon Break
2:45pm – 3:00pm
Roundtable Discussions
3:00pm – 5:00pm
Attendees will participate in 4 roundtable discussions for 25 minutes each. Each discussion is moderated by AASPMN member experts. Choose from the following topics:
1) How to Prepare for an OSHA Inspection,
moderated by Carol Keys & Ann Oelrich
2) The Multi Shop Business,
moderated by Brad Peterson
3) Customer Communications & Relationships,
moderated by Aaron Rolfsrud
4) AI Training in Auto Shops,
presented by Matt Boudinot & Jeff Copeland
5) Tech School Partnerships & Internships,
presented by Shawn Haag
6) ADAS Repairs: OEM versus Aftermarket,
moderated by Paul Bostel
7) Blacklist Steering, moderated by Josh Shaw
8) Desk Appraisals & Third-Party Diminished Value,
moderated by Jordan Fara
9) Retention Marketing, moderated by Max Gamm
10) Online Scheduling for Increase Sales,
moderated by Jim May
Happy Hour & Vendor Showcase
5:00pm – 6:30pm
Continue the conversations you started during the roundtables while enjoying happy hour refreshments.
Thursday, april 30:
Coffee & Networking
8:30am – 9:00am
Day two begins with some more coffee and catching up from yesterday’s sessions before you kick into gear for today’s workshops!
Workshops (Choose One)
9:00am – 11:30am
A. Unlocking Growth with Custom ChatGPT Agents in Your Auto Shop
Presented by Seth Thorson, Owner, Eurotech Auto
Ready to put AI to work in your shop? This hands-on course will show you how custom ChatGPT agents can automate tasks, streamline operations, and improve both employee and customer experiences in your automotive repair business. You’ll explore real-world applications—from service writer tools that handle customer communication to internal bots trained on your own SOPs and HR policies. Learn how one shop, Eurotech, built and deployed their own GPT agents to save time, reduce errors, and improve shop efficiency.
You’ll walk away knowing how to create and train your own AI assistant to help with day-to-day operations, get hands-on experience uploading your own documents, and develop a roadmap to integrate these tools with platforms like Tekmetric, Google Drive, and more. If you’re looking for a smarter, faster, and more consistent way to run your shop, this is the class that puts AI in your toolbox.
B. Speed of Service – Time is Crucial!
Presented by Bill Haas, Auto Ignite Management
Time isn’t just a metric. It’s the make-or-break factor in how your shop is judged. Today’s guests expect quick callbacks, same-day updates, and a workflow that doesn’t keep them waiting. They aren’t comparing you to the shop down the street. They’re comparing you to Amazon, DoorDash, and every other service that runs like clockwork. If your processes aren’t keeping up, your reputation and revenue are taking the hit.
This course dives into the systems and habits that slow shops down. From scheduling and workflow to parts, communication, and leadership, you’ll uncover what’s stealing your time and how to take it back. You’ll explore where breakdowns happen, how to prevent them, and what it takes to build momentum that lasts. Learn how to tighten up operations without sacrificing quality or culture. These are real strategies you can take back and implement immediately, changes your team will feel and your customers will notice.
C. Body Shop Communications to Improve
Your Bottom Line
Presented by Scott Miller, Estimating Manager,
Collision Specialists Inc., Aaron Rolfsrud, Owner, Elevated Luxury Services, Linden Wicklund, Executive Director, AASPMN
The communication strategies shops need to win go well beyond a strong estimate. This class will cover three main areas of focus:
Scott Miller will talk about estimating from the perspective of a high performing DRP shop that produces estimates that look more like a non-DRP with well-organized documentation and shop processes to guide what to prioritize.
Aaron’s presentation will focus on the changing landscape of strong customer communications, which are increasingly critical for happy return customers and not being left with a short pay.
Linden will share how to reference Minnesota’s statutes for improved outcomes and to know when to stand your ground with strong back-up.
D. Profitable Expansion: The Systems, Strategy, and Mindset Required to Scale
Presented by Greg Bunch, CEO & Founder, Transformers Institute
Expanding beyond a single location can create tremendous opportunity, but many shop owners discover that growth simply multiplies chaos instead of profit. True expansion requires more than adding locations. It requires the right systems, financial strategy, and leadership mindset.
In this session, Greg Bunch explains what it actually takes to scale an independent auto repair business successfully. You will learn how to remove yourself as the operational bottleneck, build repeatable systems, understand the financial upside of acquisitions, and create a business that grows in revenue, profitability, consistency, and control.
Workshop Break
10:15am – 10:30am
Our Host Hotel
Mystic Lake Center & Casino Hotel
2400 Mystic Lake Blvd. NW
Prior Lake, MN 55372
952-445-9000 or 800-262-7799
RESERVATION DETAILS:
If booking online please follow this link to make your reservation: bit.ly/MysticLakeHotel.
In addition to booking online, you may also call the Reservation Center 24/7 at 952-445-9000. Be sure to tell them you are with the AASP Annual Conference.
Want more? Check out the April 2026 issue of AASP-MN News!