ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Monro Inc. has agreed to become a sponsor of the U.S. Auto Tech National Championship (USATNC), an annual event that tests automotive service technicians' skills, now in its fifth season.
Monro joins the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), Yokohama Tire Corp. and AutoZone as sponsors of the USATNC.
Automotive service technicians from across the U.S., both professionals and students, compete in a series of qualifying rounds culminating at the USATNC finals in Tampa, Fla., in October. One round features a quiz with questions from the ASE, the top certification organization in the country for automotive technicians.
"Technicians are the heartbeat of the auto industry," Monro President and CEO Mike Broderick said, while also announcing Monro will hold a separate event for just Monro technicians in tandem with the USATNC.
"They are true professionals, and we are proud to support both the National Championship as well as our own Monro Top Tech competition to showcase their expertise and dedication to the trade."
The top-placing professionals are competing for a top prize of $40,000, with $20,000 for second place and $10,000 for third. The top student tech will take home $25,000, with $15,000 set aside for second and $5,000 for third.
The Monro Top Tech competition will mirror the USATNC initial round with a digital quiz and then hold an in-person second round where a tech from each of Monro's geographic zones will compete to be named Top Tech. The winner will join the USATNC champion in Tampa for a television broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
Monro said this initiative is being undertaken as it marks its 66th year in business. Financial terms of the sponsorship deal were not disclosed.
The competition is owned and organized by Ideal Industries Inc., a Sycamore, Ill.-based global enterprise active in a wide range of industries, that goes to market under the Trades Nation identity.
