Keith Zar Honored for Aftermarket Education
The award will be presented at the AAPEX awards ceremony in Las Vegas on Nov. 3, 2026.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Auto Parts
Auto aftermarket professionals in the Las Vegas Valley and beyond will see Schwartz Advisors' Keith Zar honored for automotive aftermarket education. Northwood University is presenting him its Automotive Aftermarket Management Education Award at the AAPEX awards ceremony in Las Vegas.
Why it matters
The award recognizes sustained commitment to education and leadership in the automotive aftermarket, an industry with a strong presence in Las Vegas this week. For those who work the aftermarket supply chain here, it highlights the people shaping how the sector trains and develops its workforce.
The award dates to 1975, when Northwood University began recognizing aftermarket leaders, and the presentation falls on Nov. 3, 2026, during AAPEX in Las Vegas. The source does not state how many awards are given each year or how many nominees are considered.
The players
Keith Zar
Managing Partner at Schwartz Advisors, recognized for his contributions to automotive aftermarket education and leadership.
Northwood University
Presents the Automotive Aftermarket Management Education Award annually, a program it established in 1975.
Schwartz Advisors
M&A advisory and strategic planning firm serving the mobility aftermarket, which announced the honor.
The details
Schwartz Advisors announced that Managing Partner Keith Zar, a lawyer by training who oversees the firm's sell-side M&A practice, will receive Northwood University's Automotive Aftermarket Management Education Award. Zar has taken part in hundreds of transactions as a legal, financial and strategic adviser. The award will be presented at an awards ceremony at AAPEX in Las Vegas, and previous Schwartz Advisors recipients include Michael C. Buzzard, Brian Cruickshank, Curtis Draper, Pete Kornafel, Mort Schwartz and Rick Schwartz.
Timeline
Nov. 3, 2026: Zar is honored at the AAPEX awards ceremony in Las Vegas.
1975: Northwood University establishes the award program.
Beyond the Strip
Zar joins a group of Schwartz Advisors leaders previously honored by Northwood, including Mort Schwartz and Rick Schwartz. The AAPEX ceremony puts the aftermarket's education honors on a Las Vegas stage that is off the Strip's usual event circuit.
If you work in auto parts or the aftermarket, AAPEX brings that trade and its visitors to Las Vegas on Nov. 3, 2026, which may affect hotel rates and traffic around the convention corridor. Expect the ceremony to draw industry crowds, so plan commutes and parking accordingly.
The takeaway
Recognition like this reflects how much of the aftermarket's future rests on training and mentorship as much as on deals. Watch the Nov. 3, 2026 AAPEX ceremony if you want to see the honorees for yourself.
Further reading
For more on the parts trade behind this honor, see the Auto Parts section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by AftermarketNews.
