Kim Brant, an automotive technician at Joe’s Tire and Auto Service in St. Joseph, Mo., was selected as the 2012 Best Tech.

The second annual Best Tech contest is sponsored by Wix Filters, part of the Affinia Group, and the Babcox Media Tech Group, which includes Brake & Front End, ImportCar and Underhood Service magazines.
Brant was announced as the winner during the annual Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association (AWDA) Meeting and Conference in Las Vegas on Oct. 29. As part of his award, Brant and a guest traveled all-expenses paid to AAPEX in Las Vegas.

Runners-up in the 2012 award contest were Kevin Dietz from BTS Tire and Service in Providence, Rhode Island, and Travis Luscomb from Larson’s Service Inc. in Pea­body, Mass.

“From the diagnosis of electrical problems to evaluating exhaust systems to recommending the best parts – technicians play a major role in enhancing a vehicle’s performance,” said Mike Harvey, brand manager for Wix Filters. “We are thrilled to recognize Kim Brant as the 2012 Best Tech.

Harvey specifically pointed out Brant’s “distinguished career built on outstanding customer service as a committed advisor and resource, and for his dedication to learning as vehicles become more sophisticated with a wider range of repairs and maintenance work.”

Brant, an ASE Certified Master Technician and a Wix Expert-Level certified tech, said he was thrilled and humbled to receive the honor of being named Best Tech.

“With complicated systems that make up automobiles today, it is imperative that technicians provide the highest-quality service to ensure that drivers and passengers are safe on roadways,” said Brant. “I am truly delighted to win this award not only for myself, but for everyone at Joe’s Tire & Auto Service. From our technicians, owners to service writers, we hold the shop to the highest standards by encouraging ongoing education, implementing top-level industry standards and providing excellent customer service, which drives returning customers.”

Brant, who has been in the automotive and repair service industry for 28 years, was a runner-up in the 2011 Best Tech program. He has worked at Joe’s Tire and Auto (stjoeautoservice.com) for about four years, and before that served as a technician in a few local car dealers and tire stores.

Besides his exceptional customer service, Brant has been active in his community’s youth organizations and local technical school. He was especially recognized for community involvement that includes raising money for Habitat for Humanity, assisting in fundraising efforts to support the Special Olympics, and participating in neighborhood beautification programs and recycling efforts.

He also is credited for his penchant to go the extra mile to gain a new customer for Joe’s Tire and Auto Service, an independent tire dealership that has been servicing the St. Joseph area since 1984.

“My biggest enjoyment is from the challenge of determining the vehicle failure and taking that process clear through to returning the vehicle to the customer, properly repaired,” he said.

Brant’s love of vehicles developed at an early age through his father’s business. “My father owned a Mobil service station from my infancy to my teenage years,” Brant said. “Without his involvement in the automotive world, I’m sure that I would not be involved myself.”

One of the most unique jobs Brant had seen as a technician had to be the servicing of an A/C system on a local Life Flight helicopter that had been grounded. The law requires the A/C system to be in working order for the helicopter to be used for medical purposes, but the company that previously serviced the system was no longer in business. So the owner of Joe’s Tire asked Brant to see if he could fix the helicopter’s system.

Although he had never repaired a vehicle designed to leave the ground, Brant hit the Internet to do some research, grabbed his tools and headed out to Rosecrans Memorial Airport, where he was greeted by a grateful Life Flight crew.

 Brant said he was happy to be of assistance in the Life Flight’s return to the skies, and that today’s shops can find business “outside the box.”

“I’ve worked on a lot of unique vehicles – from Ferraris to Lamborghinis to Prowlers – but not many techs in this business can say they have worked on a helicopter.”

And not just any helicopter, but a Life Flight helicopter.