Gates Corp. is set to conclude its Century Bucks promotional program at AAPEX this year. Three finalists have won a trip to AAPEX 2015 to compete for cash prizes in the “Deal of the Century” final event with a chance to win $100,000.

Designed to encourage professional service centers to make the right system repair recommendations for their customers, the Gates Century Bucks promotion ran from May 1 to July 31. Participants earned contest entries by installing Gates belts, tensioners and accessory component kits.

At 4 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4, the three finalists will take the stage at the Gates AAPEX booth No. 4038 for a shot at winning $100,000. Each contestant will receive a set of 20 envelopes containing one playing card apiece. After selecting five envelopes to make up their official hand, they will open the envelopes. Audience members will be able to watch the contestants pick their cards and see what hand turns up for each of these lucky shop owners. Prizes will be awarded based on the cards in their hand. A Royal Flush winning hand will be worth $100,000. The event will be emceed by Scott Howat, director of marketing and product management for Gates.

Contestant No. 1 is 59-year old John Welker, the owner of Texoma Fleet and Auto Repair in Wichita Falls, Texas. He has operated his shop for 20 years and has been at his current location since 2002.

Contestant No. 2, Marc Mondich, is the manager/owner of K.M. Auto Care in Kennesaw, Georgia. The 32-year old has worked at K.M. Auto Care all his life. Labor Day 2015 marked the 25th anniversary for the shop since its opening in 1990 by Mondich’s father, Kent. Auto Care is a member of the Automotive Distribution Network.

The final contestant, Charles Forehand, is the 58-year old owner of Forehand’s Garage in Ada, Oklahoma. Forehand’s Garage was founded in 1987.

“Since we are in Las Vegas, we thought this would be a memorable way to conclude our promotion,” said Todd Hack, vice president of automotive aftermarket. “Though this is a fun event, the underlying message is an important safety reminder to the auto care industry about systematic inspection and repair. We want to encourage technicians to inspect and replace all worn components in a system, not just a belt. Since all components in a system wear at about the same rate, this program urges techs and shop owners to think about the system as a whole and replace all worn components at the same time.”

The Gates booth at AAPEX 2015 will offer include information on the company’s ongoing “Be System Smart” initiative launched last year that emphasizes a systematic approach to auto care and subsequently drove the Century Bucks promotion. Visit Gates at AAPEX booth No. 4038 for more information.