Autopromotec, the international biennial exhibition of automotive equipment and aftermarket products, hosted yesterday the 15th edition of “Trofei GiPA dell’Eccellenza,” organized by GiPA Italia.

The GiPA Excellence Awards recognize the outstanding people, companies and projects in the Italian automotive aftermarket.

This year, GiPA Italia presented 10 Awards, each for a specific category. The GiPA awards were given based on several interviews, including telephone surveys, face-to-face interviews, CAWI surveys and the votes of the GiPA committee or trade media.

For the category Contribution to the Environment: The Missing Link, GiPA Italia awarded GPS Motori for its program “Guasti Gravi” (major failures), which allowed the company to act as a “missing link” between the needs of the circular economy and the service requirements of new mobility paradigms.

The award for the category Supporting the Supply Chain and Managing the Workshop in the Digital Age was given to Robert Bosch, known among automotive repair professionals for its contribution to boosting the repair digitization process.

For the category OES Network Satisfaction, the opinion expressed by Italian drivers gave the award to OPEL Italia for the General Brands subcategory and BMW Italia for Premium Brands.

For IAM Development Strategy:

• Experica was awarded for embodying the ability of Italian independent distribution to grow relying solely on its own strengths and resources (category: IAM Development Strategy – Distribution)\
• Magneti Marelli Aftermarket received the award for revamping a traditional Italian brand with “clear goals” and “maximum flexibility,” which it reached with an eye on the innovative “hybrid company” concept (category: IAM Development Strategy – The Hybrid Company)
• The purchase group GROUPAUTO Italia was awarded for being able to diversify its offering, involving other organizations in keeping with its identity while remaining open to all opportunities for further growth (category: IAM Development Strategy – Distribution)

AIRP – Italian Tyre Retreaders Association – won the GiPA award in the category Circular Economy, thanks to its commitment in supporting the tire-retreading supply chain, a long-time pillar of sustainable economy.

Coup de Coeur, the award the GiPA committee gives to aftermarket professionals who stood out for their winning choices and their contribution to the growth of this industry, was given to Lucio Bartiromo, for his “extraordinary, unblemished and incredibly successful career.”

Finally, the evening closed with the Press Award, an award trade journalists gave to Marco Marlia of MotorK for the establishment of an innovative automotive startup, completely made in Italy and growing fast.

The next edition of the GiPA Excellence Award will be held in 2021, again as part of the Autopromotec program.