Get in Gear – Uncover the Future at NORTHEAST!

by Alana Quartuccio

Fasten your seatbelts! It’s time to get in gear and rev on over to AASP/NJ’s NORTHEAST® 2025 Automotive Services Show – happening March 14-16 at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus.

Automotive professionals make their way to the Garden State every March because NORTHEAST offers an elite educational slate, a first look at the latest tools and equipment and so much more. It is the go-to destination. 

With all the changes constantly coming into play in this industry, NORTHEAST is the pathway to preparing for a solid future. An exceptional educational slate (sponsored by AirPro Diagnostics) promises to deliver just that. Industry rockstars like David Luehr (Elite Body Shop Solutions), Mike Anderson (Collision Advice), Aaron Schulenburg (Society of Collision Repair Specialists) and many more are slated to headline the roster of offerings.

It will all begin with a pre-show workshop on Thursday, March 13 with Luehr who will present “Fundamentals of Operational Success.” The NORTHEAST educational schedule will officially get underway on Friday, March 14. 

Anderson is teaming up with Craig Stevens of CCC Intelligent Solutions to offer an exclusive, in-depth, one-day workshop – “Unleashing the Full Power of CCC ONE” – to kick off the NORTHEAST weekend on Friday, March 14 from 8am to 5pm. 

According to Stevens, the course “was born out of the understanding that more and more of our customers around the country enjoy these types of sessions. It gives them the ability to sit in a room with others like them, interact with Mike Anderson, who’s always a big draw, and ask questions about the product.”

The all-day session will dig deep into all there is to offer in CCC ONE, giving users access to tools and features they might not know about. “Simply put, we want to help users make the most of their investment in CCC ONE.” 

Another huge benefit is that users will have the opportunity to focus, ask questions and truly get the most out of the experience without all the distractions of the day to day when they are in the shop. “Identifying the people within your organization who may benefit most from it is number one in terms of preparation,” he recommends regarding who shop owners should consider signing up.

It’s key to come prepared to get the most out of the experience. “It’s something very tactical, very nuts and bolts, but make sure you have your username and password. You will be able to log in to your CCC ONE during the session to show us any challenges you may be encountering. Coming prepared will just make the experience go much smoother and faster.”

A native of New Jersey, Stevens is excited to present at NORTHEAST. “I came up through the industry in New Jersey, and I know and have worked with a lot of these people for many, many years. Ken Miller and I have been working together for a number of years before he became president and Jerry McNee before him. On a personal aspect, I feel indebted to New Jersey, and I always enjoy being in the room with my fellow brethren.”

He also enjoys helping customers be successful. “That’s what we want our products to do for them, and that is what we want this forum to do for them – to allow our customers to sit, talk and ask questions. They’ll get to hear from Mike and from us on how to make things work. It’s a pretty cool experience.” 

Technology is advancing at lightning speed and has made terms like ADAS, artificial intelligence (AI), electric vehicles (EVs) common utterances in the automotive and collision repair space.

Taylor Moss of OEC will set out to address how shop owners can view AI from a theoretical and practical standpoint with “Using AI Tools to Support Your Collision Repair Operations” on Saturday, March 15.

According to Moss, there are AI tools available that can be applied to one’s business, whether it’s in customer acquisition or in helping people make the best use of their time. 

“I like to call it supercharging your people or giving your people superpowers to do their job because we all know that it can be frantic in the body shop. People can be expected to do so much that it’s impossible for them to give proper attention to everything that they’re expected to do on a daily basis.”

People shouldn’t look at AI as something that will take their jobs away, says Moss. They need to see how these tools can give them a chance to do a better job by taking away some of the busy work that doesn’t actually add value to what they do but is part of their job. 

“There’s a ton of energy and great attendance at NORTHEAST,” Moss says of his past experiences with the show. The people he has interacted with “want to learn and get better; they have a great attitude about the business and a positive outlook on different things.” He hopes attendees will walk away from his discussion with new-found knowledge on how to implement AI tools into their businesses and gain value as a result. 

Preparing for the future in collision repair is one thing, but one must also be ready for their post-shop afterlife. Laura Gay (Consolidation Coach) and Matt DiFrancesco (High Lift Financial) will walk repair professionals through the process of “How to Create and Achieve Your Post Shop Life” on March 14.

Attendees will walk away from the discussion with a clear mindset of how to plan for their exit and what that process can look like. “It might be a 90-day journey, or it might be a 10-year one,” suggests Gay. “People need to start thinking about this now, so they are not hit in the head with it by not being prepared and knowledgeable.” 

“Many shop owners may get to the point where they think about the next chapter in their life, but they find they don’t have a clue about how to navigate it,” adds DiFrancesco. “We will look to arm them with some information to help guide them onto that journey, into that next phase of their life.”

Both suggest coming to the class with an open mind and being ready to learn. 

Prepare to “listen a little and think a lot,” advises DiFrancesco. 

“It’s a huge life change,” offers Gay. “You want to make the right decisions and changes because once it’s done, it’s done. You can’t back the bus up.” 

Also on March 14, attendees can get the latest on the SCRS blend study as Schulenburg will be on hand to review how conclusions made way for the information providers to conduct their own research, the results of those outcomes and changes to their systems and how that response can provide opportunities to document variations in the refinish process.

Luehr will return on Saturday, March 15 to present “REV UP Your Business” where he plans to share the secrets of the world’s best body shops while helping repair professionals build a strategy to take advantage of the incredible opportunities coming their way.

Of course, NORTHEAST offerings go above and beyond education as show-goers will have the opportunity to visit hundreds of booths along the aisles of the MEC, take part in the BodyShop Bowl competition for a chance to win prizes, meet celebrities and more!

“A new year is here, and with that comes new ideas and solutions,” states AASP/NJ Ken Miller. “NORTHEAST 2025 is where the industry gathers to obtain the newest information available on some of its most crucial concerns. We all know this industry isn’t getting easier, so the only way to truly thrive is to stay informed. What better way to do that than at NORTHEAST where one can get insights from an array of industry experts.”

Registration for the tradeshow and the educational courses are now open at aaspnjnortheast.com. 

 *All scheduled and anticipated seminars and events are subject to change. 

Want more? Check out the February 2025 issue of New Jersey Automotive!