Hennessy Industries, Inc., manufacturer of COATS tire service equipment, announced the winner of the “Lights, Camera, COATS” video contest at SEMA. Schlenker Automotive of Rockledge, Fla., was named the grand-prize winner, receiving an Extreme Shop Makeover valued at more than $30,000, as well as a trip to 2013 SEMA, for its winning entry.

“We’ve used COATS equipment for more than 10 years, so when we heard about the contest we started brainstorming ideas for a video that would go above and beyond a typical testimonial,” said Lou Schlenker, owner of Schlenker Automotive. “We hoped that the judges would appreciate our attempt at humor, while also providing a sincere testimonial about the superior quality and durability that COATS provides.”

The contest, which ran from Sept. 3 to Oct. 23, urged customers to submit video testimonials about why they use and trust COATS for their tire service needs. The grand-prize package included a new COATS tire changer and wheel balancer, an Ammco brake lathe, and a BaseLine by COATS auto lift, as well as a fully stocked floor rack of BADA wheel weights. The prize package was referred to as the COATS “Extreme Shop Makeover,” and shops from more than 20 states entered the contest to vie for it. 

“This may be the best customer outreach program we’ve conducted in my time at Hennessy because we were able to actually see and hear from our customers from all corners of the U.S.,” said Kevin Keefe, Hennessy Industries’ vice president of marketing. “The entries we received were really impressive, in terms of both storytelling and production, and there were several entries that were worthy of consideration for the grand prize.”

Every shop that entered the contest was entered into a random drawing for a chance to win the runner-up prize, a new COATS 1250 3-DV wheel balancer. Midas franchisee Joe Townshend of East Longmeadow, Mass., was identified as the winner of the random drawing.

“Our goal with this endeavor was to have our customers tell us in their own words why COATS works for them on a daily basis,” said Keefe. “The sincerity and creativity with which they told their stories was above and beyond our greatest expectations.”

Schlenker Automotive’s video is being featured on Ammcoats’ YouTube channel, along with a collection of the best videos entered into the contest.

To learn more about the “Lights, Camera, COATS” contest, visit www.ammcoats.com/coatscontest.