TOTOWA, NJ – February 13, 2024 – Empire Auto Parts, a leading distributor of high-quality aftermarket collision parts for automotive repair shops, announces the creation of the Empire Auto Parts Scholarship Fund. Initially, each year the fund will award two scholarships to two students enrolled in a post-secondary school collision repair program in an underserved community within Empire’s geographic market. The scholarship fund has been created as part of Empire’s celebration of Black History Month and will be administered by the TechForce Foundation.

For the last several years, the collision repair industry has been hit hard by a shortage of technicians, which ultimately affects all sectors of the industry, as well as those that rely on it. TechForce, along with other organizations, is committed to closing this resource gap by facilitating entry of the next generation of workers into an increasingly technology-driven collision repair workplace.

“Empire Auto Parts is proud to join with other market leaders to provide the resources necessary to enable talented students the opportunity to pursue their passion in this exciting and rapidly changing industry,” said Empire’s Chief Executive Officer, Christopher Siebert. “We look forward to participating
in the hard work necessary to find, develop and retain the people who will be the future leaders of the industry.”

The Empire Auto Parts Scholarship Fund will award two $2,000 scholarships. In total, TechForce Foundation will be awarding $4 million in scholarships in 2024. To learn more about TechForce Foundation and apply for scholarship opportunities, visit https://techforce.org/our-work/#scholarships.

The scholarships are part of a larger, multi-year financial commitment that Empire has made in support of TechForce Foundation’s mission to champion students to and through their education into technical careers, including developing the next wave of collision industry professionals. In addition to these two scholarships, Empire will also donate parts to be used in schools that participate in TechForce’s skill development programs.

About Empire Auto Parts – Empire Auto Parts has been a leader in the aftermarket auto parts industry since its founding in 1985. With over 48,000 SKUs in inventory across 39 locations, Empire offers broad
part availability, top-quality brands, and fast, reliable deliveries processed by friendly and knowledgeable staff members. With its own proprietary technology and integrations with third party software estimation and procurement systems, Empire provides a better buying experience for collision
repair shops. For more information on Empire Auto Parts, contact Dale Sailer at 312-613-3032, or visit www.empireautoparts.com.

About TechForce Foundation – TechForce Foundation is a national nonprofit, 501(c)(3) with the mission to champion all students to and through their education and into careers as professional technicians. TechForce powers the technician workforce by awarding more than $4 million in scholarships and grants annually to financially disadvantaged students; changes perceptions towards this evolving, ‘new collar’ STEM career; and provides local career exploration and workforce development programming. TechForce’s online network of students, working technicians, instructors, employers, industry
professionals and enthusiasts is the conduit through which the charity delivers its free resources for the benefit of aspiring technicians. For more information, visit techforce.org. Follow us on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.