Since 1947, the Equipment and Tool Institute has been meeting with automakers in order to fulfill one of the association’s most important goals, which is to provide member companies an ongoing stream of current and advanced specialized technological information through planned, cooperative dialog with vehicle manufacturers.

For the past 36 years, one of the ways ETI has been meeting this goal is by conducting formal workshops held once a year with each automobile manufacturer. These meetings have been grouped together, where possible, into week-long sessions known as Tech Weeks.

This year’s Summer Tech Week will be held June 13-16 at the Marriott Troy in Troy, MI. Attendees will meet with FCA, Ford and V/W Audi at their facilities. (Companies must be a full member of the Equipment and Tool Institute to participate.) More information can be found at http://etools.org/Summer-Tech-Week and membership information can be found at https://www.etools.org/MembershipInfo.

 

Tech Week started as a joint venture between ETI and the automakers in the early 1980s. Automakers recognized the need for a forum to communicate new information and tool requirements to the manufacturers of tools and equipment that are used to service their vehicles. The main focus of Tech Week is to ensure that the proper tools, equipment and information are in automotive repair shops by the time the new models hit the streets.

ETI member engineers and product managers meet with key individuals from automakers to discuss new systems and the tools and equipment that will be needed to service them. Tech Weeks are an opportune time to ask the automakers questions about the data they provide, making these meetings a significant benefit of ETI membership.

Many member companies maintain that these meetings are just as important as the data that is provided by ETI through the TEK-NET Library. Certainly, Tech Weeks are the best time to ask the automakers questions about the data they provide and learn about new models and systems. It is also the venue to find out what new safety features and procedures as well as what ecological requirements are recommended by each automaker so that ETI members can implement these features into their tools and equipment when necessary.

Tech Week offers ETI members an opportunity to form relationships with automaker personnel that can be very valuable to their company both short and long term. Face to face networking is important in any business and Tech Week provides a unique opportunity to meet the people that directly affect your company and your job.

If you need to build or improve your company’s relationships with key automaker personnel, Tech Week is for you.