Akebono won the Supplier of the Year Award at Worldpac’s 2026 Supplier and Training Expo, the highest of nine supplier honors presented at an event that drew more than 2,500 aftermarket professionals. Worldpac says the brake supplier excelled across every dimension of supplier performance it tracks, citing fill rate, year-over-year growth, operational excellence, warranty performance, and product quality. The distributor’s leadership team presented the nine supplier awards at a brunch on the third day of the conference, which ran August 19–23.
Highlights
- Akebono received the Supplier of the Year Award, described by Worldpac as the highest honor presented at STX 2026
- Nine suppliers were recognized in total, including chassis and braking-adjacent names Bosch, DENSO, Delphi, KYB, and Aisin
- More than 2,500 attendees collectively completed 43,200 hours of training courses
- Exhibits from more than 100 international parts manufacturers filled the exhibition hall
What Earned Akebono the Top Award?
Worldpac’s citation for Akebono spans five performance measures rather than a single category: fill rate, year-over-year growth, operational excellence, warranty performance, and product quality. The other eight awards each recognize a narrower dimension — digital catalog data, on-time delivery, training delivery, product coverage.
Worldpac states that all nine honorees were hand-selected by the company for demonstrating business growth, operational excellence, and innovation within their respective categories.
John Hamilton, President and CEO at Worldpac, framed the awards as part of the event’s purpose. “STX is meant to create meaningful networking connections, offer unique training experiences, and expose aftermarket professionals to the latest and greatest,” Hamilton said. “It’s also meant to recognize the suppliers who make it all possible. We’re proud to celebrate the work these brands have done, and we look forward to seeing what they accomplish next.”
The Full 2026 Supplier Award Slate
| Award | Recipient | Basis Cited by Worldpac |
|---|---|---|
| Supplier of the Year | Akebono | Fill rate, year-over-year growth, operational excellence, warranty performance, product quality |
| Legacy Partner | Bosch | Multidecade partnership with Worldpac and STX |
| Customer Commitment | DENSO | Service, training support, proactive field engagement |
| Digital Partnership | KYB | Product data accuracy, e-catalogs, imagery, responsiveness |
| Technical & Training Excellence | Delphi | 57 rated classes delivered in 2026; feedback implementation |
| Operational & Supply Chain Excellence | Arnott | On-time delivery performance and supply chain flexibility |
| Quality | Aisin | Warranty rates and consistently low return rates |
| Product Excellence | Febi Bilstein | Product coverage, parts availability, speed to market |
| Rising Star | Castrol | Growth rate and early performance as an emerging partner |
Several honorees carry braking or chassis relevance beyond Akebono. Aisin’s Quality Award citation rests on warranty and return-rate data, the same performance category that anchors Akebono’s top honor. Delphi’s Technical & Training Excellence Award is tied to a specific figure: 57 classes delivered in 2026.
Training Volume Behind the Event
The training numbers give the award slate its commercial context. Attendees at STX 2026 completed 43,200 hours of coursework across the week, and exhibits from more than 100 international parts manufacturers filled the exhibition hall. Worldpac positions technical and business training as a core part of its distribution model alongside parts supply.
Keynote programming came from Terry Bradshaw and Siri Lindley, who appeared at the Dinner and Keynote Speaker Program and the Women’s Luncheon respectively.
STX 2028 Moves to Colorado
Worldpac used the opening session of STX 2026 to announce the next biennial expo. STX 2028 will take place at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in Aurora, Colorado, from March 29 to April 2, 2028. Registration opens in December.
“We’re excited to announce the next STX and look forward to welcoming our customers, suppliers, and industry partners,” said Hamilton. “STX brings automotive aftermarket professionals together to experience world-class training, meaningful networking and an inside look at the latest industry advancements. We can’t wait to build on the momentum of STX 2026 and deliver another exceptional conference in 2028.”
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