What was once the Automotive Fellowship Society is now the Aftermarket Guild armed with a new vision for the future while making sure to honour the trailblazers of the past.
The group last met in 2019 and reunited Oct. 3 in Toronto, with major changes. With a new name, the group opened its membership to women — a group once barred since the original society was founded in 1960.
It’s an invitation-only event and admittance to the group requires 20 years of service in the aftermarket in a ‘responsible’ position.
Greg Stone, decades-long chairman of the group and sporting his Hockey Night in Canada sport coat, spoke to attendees — made up of members new and old, and members of industry press for the first time — about the group’s history and the change with the times.
He emphasized that the changeover from AFS to Aftermarket Guild isn’t a downgrade of any kind — the guild is still the important group that it always has been.
It is an area where competitors can gather together in a non-competitive setting and take in an atmosphere of fun. As the group states on its new website (more below), in the the AFS, “There would be no rules; no dues; no board of directors; no by-laws; no lofty aims; no Guests; and really, not much sense.”
Stone also announced a $10,200 cheque was being sent to Shad’s R&R, the longstanding aftermarket charitable golf tournament.
New members of the guild were also welcomed during the three-hour event, which included dinner and presentations.
Hall of Fame
The capper on the night was the start of a new tradition: The induction of 11 aftermarket visionaries to the Aftermarket Guild Hall of Fame.
Part of the mission of the group is to ensure that the names and memories of the architects of the Canadian automotive aftermarket are honoured and remembered for all time, preserving the heritage of the industry.
Members of the inaugural class were:
- Don Chase
- Don Hannah
- Ed Coates
- Emmett Grant
- George Clark
- Greg Stone
- Fred Shaddick
- John Grant Sr.
- John MacDonald Sr.
- John Vanstone
- Tom Saxton
Presentations and bios were provided for each member. For those who have passed, family members or close friends accepted the honour on their behalf.
New website
The group announced a new website: www.aftermarketguild.ca where the Hall of Fame members are commemorated so that years from now, new and young members to the industry and look back on those who built the Canadian aftermarket. The website has more information about the inductees and background on the former AFS, how it came to be, how the Guild was formed and how new members can join.
Please see the photo gallery below and Instagram reel for more highlights.
