Kicking off with its annual Student Day, the 58th KOI Auto Parts-Federated Cavalcade of Customs and Training Expo, set new records, according to Dave Wesselman, president of KOI Auto Parts. The event was held Jan. 5-7 at the Duke Energy Convention Center in Cincinnati.

“Despite the harsh winter temperatures, this year’s Cavalcade was a huge success by all accounts, including the record number of attendees and suppliers taking part in the training sessions and participating in the vendor show,” said Wesselman. “The team from Federated was especially helpful as they conducted some of our most popular training sessions. I want to thank all participants including customers, employees and vendors who made this the best event ever.”

Prior to the start of the Cavalcade of Customs, KOI and Federated hosted an informative Student Day event where approximately 300 students from local high schools, adult education programs and colleges had the opportunity to learn more about the auto care industry, hear from successful aftermarket professionals, interact with other attendees and tour the car show before it opened to the public.

“Each year Dave Wesselman and his team do an incredible job planning and conducting what is considered one of the best training events in the industry,” said Phil Moore, senior vice president for Federated. “The fact that so many braved the freezing temperatures to attend Student Day and the Training Expo is a testament to the quality of the event and valuable training provided. In fact, many attendees signed up for The Group Training Academy so they could receive more training all year long.”