Episodes
91
Latest episode
May 2026
Language
EN
The AMN Drivetime podcast will entertain and educate listeners, conversing with today’s top aftermarket drivers and industry leaders who are having an impact on the automotive aftermarket industry. This bi-monthly podcast offers candid, one-on-one conversations between Babcox Media CEO Bill Babcox and notable figures in the automotive aftermarket, sharing their experiences and life lessons as they have traveled the aftermarket.
In this episode of DriveTime, Tom Pitstick, president, Americas, Gates Corporation talks about the company’s “Driven by Possibility” motto that influences not only his leadership approach and strategic direction with the aftermarket, but also how his teams are driven to support customers from the shop level all the way up to its big distribution partners.
In this episode of DriveTime, Mike DeWitt, president and managing director, FORVIA HELLA, explains that the combination of HELLA with Faurecia under the FORVIA umbrella represents a strategic evolution that brings together two highly regarded Tier 1 suppliers with complementary strengths in innovation, engineering and quality.
D-A Lubricant’s John Noal discusses synthetic shortages, rising costs and how supply chain issues are impacting service and inventory decisions.
In this episode of DriveTime, Emily Poladian, president of MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers, talks about her admiration for the aftermarket after a successful 27-year career at Bridgestone where she led two different business units. Despite its size and influence, she says the industry maintains a close-knit, relationship-driven culture that makes her feel right at home.On Right-to-Repair legislation, Poladian is seeing stronger momentum than at any point in recent years, though outcomes remain uncertain given competing priorities in Congress. She emphasizes that the issue ultimately centers on consumer choice and affordability. Poladian notes that meaningful progress will require alignment across the aftermarket ecosystem—including suppliers, distributors, retailers and repair shops—to present a unified voice and find a common ground.
In this episode of DriveTime, Ron Aparicio, vice president of sales, Motorcar Parts of America (MPA) discusses how the company is reinforcing its position in the aftermarket by focusing on relationship-driven sales, customer alignment and product quality rooted in both new and remanufactured offerings. He said success in today’s environment depends on “honoring the sales cycle,” meaning respecting customers’ time, understanding their business pressures and bringing meaningful solutions rather than simply pushing products.
In this episode of DriveTime, Tom Mohrdieck, president and CEO, NTN Bearing Corporation of America, discusses how the company is leveraging the OEM pedigree it built over 108 years in OEM and industrial markets, according to Tom Mohrdieck. He said the company has spent the last decade investing in aftermarket growth, with a global goal of generating 40% of turnover from the aftermarket by 2035.
In this episode of DriveTime, Rick Schwartz, Co-Founder and CEO, Schwartz Advisors, talks about Schwartz Advisors’ new VIO forecast report, the SA Mobility Aftermarket Report, is designed to give the industry a clearer picture of where the vehicle fleet is headed by analyzing the VIO by powertrain rather than relying only on total vehicle count.Schwartz said simply citing a U.S. parc nearing 290 million vehicles can be misleading without understanding the mix of internal combustion vehicles, hybrids, EVs and eventually autonomous vehicles. While total VIO growth remains modest, the average age of vehicles continues to climb, supporting aftermarket demand. With projections extending to 2050, the report is intended to help executives and investors plan for long-term structural change.
In this episode of DriveTime, Robert Roos, president and CEO of the Pronto Network, as well as president of NEXUS North America, and Thierry Mugnier, the co-founder and chief finance and innovation officer at Nexus Automotive International, discuss the Nexus Business Forum in Lausanne, Switzerland, and the growing importance of global collaboration across the automotive aftermarket.The event brought together hundreds of leaders from around the world, including a larger-than-usual North American presence, allowing distributors and manufacturers to build relationships, compare market challenges and prepare for the future of vehicle service.
Advance Auto Parts President & CEO Shane O'Kelly on Saying 'Yes' to CustomersIn this episode of DriveTime, Shane O’Kelly, president and CEO of Advance Auto Parts, discusses how the company's blended box strategy remains central to the company’s direction, serving both professional installers and DIY customers. He said the model is built around three pillars: right parts, right place and right service. The top customer question, he noted, is whether the needed part is in stock, followed by how quickly it can be delivered. Price often becomes secondary to availability and speed.
Sen. Bernie Moreno, a native of Colombia, and former owner of 15 Mercedes-Benz dealerships, shared his thoughts on the importance of Right to Repair legislation to the automotive aftermarket and how the REPAIR Act (H.R. 1566) could gain more traction. He believes progress will depend on broad agreement across the entire industry and stressed that any policy must prioritize vehicle safety and ensure consumers remain at the center of the conversation.
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