For the first time in AAPEX history, distributors, manufacturers, tool and equipment providers and service professionals from around the country worked together in Joe’s Garage to service and repair a vehicle on the show floor during the 2023 AAPEX Show in Las Vegas. Now, following the show’s conclusion, a newly repaired 2013 Ford Edge will be donated to a Veteran through the Progressive Keys to Progress Veteran Vehicle Giveaway Program.

The vehicle was repaired in Bay 10, the Service Bay of the built-out shop on the show floor located on Level 1 of The Venetian Expo. ASE-certified master technicians guided their teams during show hours, working alongside students who have their eyes set on careers in the automotive aftermarket.

The vehicle will be provided by 1-800-Charity Cars, a non-profit organization that gives individuals the opportunity to donate their vehicles to a Veteran or a deserving family.

AAPEX introduced the built-out shop on Level 1 of the show floor in 2021. It has since grown to include 10 fully equipped bays, lifts, running vehicles and a source capture vehicle exhaust system for hands-on learning and product and equipment demonstrations.