Mitch Schneider is coming back to Motor Age and the rest of the SearchAutoParts.com brands.
An award-winning journalist and ASE-certified Master Automotive Technician, Schneider will become a contributing editor for Motor Age, Aftermarket Business World and ABRN on Jan. 1, 2011.
Schneider will reprise his popular "Schneider's World" column for Motor Age and will add a new monthly column for Aftermarket Business World. In addition, he will blog for readers of both publications and host a regular, live streaming video program at SearchAutoParts.com.
Jim Savas, vice president, Advanstar Automotive Group, says the addition of Schneider is the latest effort by Advanstar to engage readers online in a daily interactive dialogue to help manufacturers, distributors, shop owners and technicians deal with the important issues that changing technology brings to the market both now and into the future.
"We believe the service repair market is going to be a positive place for the foreseeable future," says Savas, "and we are grateful to have a respected industry veteran like Mitch on board to help guide the way. We believe sponsors will want to ride along with Mitch's views to reach a huge audience of his followers.”
“Combined with our group technical editor, Pete Meier, also an ASE Master Technician and the 2006 recipient of MACS Technician of the Year award, we feel the addition of Mitch provides us with the best brand in the business that reaches technicians and repair shop owners," he adds.
Savas explained that the combination of Schneider and Meier brings Advanstar additional "street credibility" in its efforts to connect with shop owners and technicians every day. "Mitch and Pete speak the language of technicians and shop owners and provide great insights," says Savas.
Schneider is a fourth generation mechanic/technician recognized as a champion of service dealer and technician causes. For more than 30 years, he has operated Schneider’s Automotive, a successful six-bay, family-owned and operated service facility in Simi Valley, Calif. Schneider’s Automotive has won recognition throughout the area, including being twice ranked among Los Angeles magazine’s annual list of 100 best repair facilities.
"I started my professional 'training' reading technical articles and taking the quizzes that filled the pages of Motor Age," says Schneider. "I was a Motor Age CARS Certified (the Certified Automotive Repairman’s Society –I still have the patches!) before I became N.I.A.S.E. certified: now ASE. I grew up with Motor Age, spent more than a decade of my life here, celebrated the magazine’s 100th birthday together and now have the opportunity to come home again!"
Schneider says it feels phenomenal to return to Motor Age and the rest of the publications and websites, adding, "It’s only going to get better with the great stuff we are about to create together. We’re going to have a great time bringing this industry the information and change it needs to stay relevant, competitive and moving forward."
The author of the eight-volume Automotive Service Management Series published by Cengage Learning, for the past twenty-five years Schneider has shared his knowledge, insight and experience through Mitch Schneider's Future-Tech. He was the first director of AAIA's Car Care Professionals Network and was event chairman for CARS 2010.
