North American Council of Automotive Teachers - NACAT

What North American Council of Automotive Teachers - NACAT does

NACAT (North American Council of Automotive Teachers) is a Missouri-incorporated non-profit professional association founded in 1986 that supports high school and college automotive educators across the United States and Canada. The organization operates a membership-based model with three tiers — individual educator membership at $75/year, school/group membership covering up to five educators per institution, and allied membership for businesses serving the automotive education industry — supplemented by an annual Automotive Educators Conference delivering 21 hours of professional development across EV technology, ADAS, diagnostics, and emerging topics such as AI in technical education. Members gain access to a proprietary training library of educational videos, lesson plans, and EV resources, a bimonthly mentor roundtable program, the monthly NACAT News publication (Vol. 40 in 2026), and a curated set of partner discounts spanning training platforms (Garage Gurus, NAPA Autotech, RockED, Surfwrench), test preparation (ASE Test Prep, Motor Age Training), and industry sponsorships (Mitchell1, Cengage, Tomorrow's Tech, WrenchWay, VISION Hi-Tech).

NACAT is governed by a volunteer board of officers and supported by a small staff of approximately five employees, including Business Manager Heather Sebben, operating from headquarters in Gladstone, Missouri. The organization is independently member-run with no parent company, no external private equity or venture backing, and no disclosed funding rounds. Revenue mechanics are diversified across recurring membership dues, one-time conference registrations, exhibitor and sponsorship fees, and partner contributions to scholarship and award programs (e.g., the Cengage-sponsored Automotive Instructor Scholarship worth $2,000 and the Mitchell1 Educator of the Year Award).

The go-to-market motion is community-led: NACAT grows primarily through educator referrals, conference attendance, and an active digital presence across its website, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, supplemented by a monthly e-newsletter. The competitive position rests on a four-decade community of practicing automotive educators, an aggregated partner discount stack that individual providers cannot replicate, and a flagship annual conference that anchors both member acquisition and corporate sponsor engagement.

Name

North American Council of Automotive Teachers - NACAT

Legal name

North American Council of Automotive Teachers

Website

https://nacat.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The North American Council of Automotive Teachers (NACAT) is a US-based non-profit professional association, founded in 1986, that supports high school and college automotive educators across North America through tiered memberships, a member training library, mentor roundtables, and an annual educators conference.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Gladstone

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Educator Membership: Annual membership dues providing access to training library, resources, discounts, and community benefits for automotive educators.
2. School Membership: Institutional membership allowing up to five automotive education team members access to NACAT resources under one membership.
3. Allied Membership: Business membership for organizations serving the automotive education industry, enhancing customer relationships through partnership.
4. Conference Registration: Revenue from annual Automotive Educators Conference registrations, exhibitor fees, and sponsorship packages.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NACAT is a nonprofit professional association that sells annual memberships (Educator, Allied, School/Group) to automotive educators and supporting businesses, granting access to a training library of educational videos and lesson plans, bi-monthly mentor roundtables, scholarships, vendor discounts, and an annual Automotive Educators Conference delivering 21 hours of professional development.

Product overview

NACAT offers a membership-based professional organization serving automotive educators across North America. The core offering is the Educator Membership ($75/year) providing access to training resources, mentorship programs, and networking. Allied and School/Group memberships serve businesses and institutions. Members receive access to the Training Library (videos, lesson plans, EV resources), the bimonthly Mentor Program, monthly NACAT News publication, scholarship opportunities, and discounts on third-party training platforms (Garage Gurus, ASE Test Prep, NAPA Autotech, RockED, Surfwrench). The flagship event is the annual Automotive Educators Conference featuring 21 hours of professional development across automotive technology topics including EV systems, diagnostics, ADAS, and AI applications in technical education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NACAT Educator Membership Annual individual membership for automotive educators at $75 per year, providing access to the training library, roundtable discussions, lesson plans, vendor discounts, and professional development resources.
• NACAT Allied Membership Business or organization membership for companies serving the automotive education industry, offering enhanced customer relationships and marketing visibility through partnership with NACAT.
• NACAT School/Group Membership Institutional membership allowing up to five automotive education team members to access NACAT's resources, professional development opportunities, and collaborative network under one membership.
• Automotive Educators Conference (AEC) Annual conference offering 21 hours of professional development sessions, hands-on workshops, exhibitor access, and networking for automotive educators, covering EV technology, diagnostics, ADAS, AI in education, and traditional automotive systems.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CengagecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCengage sponsors the Automotive Instructor Scholarship worth $2,000, funding a 1-year NACAT membership and attendance to the annual NACAT Conference. This partnership supports professional development for automotive educators.
• Mitchell1coreGTM or Marketing PartnerMitchell1 sponsors the Educator of the Year Award presented at the NACAT Conference, recognizing outstanding automotive educators based on ASE test performance.
• Garage GurusminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGarage Gurus provides GURUS+ online training platform to NACAT members at 10% discount. The platform offers 24/7 access to digital courses and new video content monthly for $2,000/year.
• WrenchWayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWrenchWay's School Assist program provides free resources for schools including tool donations, advisory committee connections, shop tours, speakers, and internship opportunities with local shops and dealerships.
• NAPA AutotechminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNACAT members receive access to NAPA Autotech's Online eLearning Training Course Catalog featuring automotive technical, self-development, and business management courses.
• Motor Age TrainingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNACAT members receive 20% discount on Motor Age Training products, supporting continuing education for automotive educators.
• RockEDminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRockED offers NACAT members free access to Tech School Preview Plan with around 200 short interactive lessons and 7 hours of training content, plus 50% off Full Subscription discount.
• SurfwrenchminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSurfwrench provides 50% discount on Modernize Your Automotive Curriculum with Video MPI Training Program, helping instructors teach modern communication skills for automotive careers.
• ASE Test PrepminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNACAT members receive $40 discount on ASE Test Prep materials and access to 30-day professional account valued at $49, supporting student certification preparation.
• VISION Hi-Tech Training & ExpominorGTM or Marketing PartnerNACAT members receive $20 off VISION Hi-Tech Training & Expo Weekend or 4-Day Power Pass Registration, expanding professional development opportunities.
• Tomorrow's TechcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTomorrow's Tech partners with NACAT for the Instructor of the Year Award program (B'laster Instructor of the Year), featuring six instructors and naming an annual winner with video production, school funding, and classroom prizes.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SkillsUSA: National nonprofit serving middle-school, high-school, and college students and instructors in skilled trades, including automotive. Comparable to NACAT as a membership-based professional association that supports CTE educators through conferences, curriculum, and recognition programs.
• VISION Hi-Tech Training & Expo: Annual training and expo event for automotive service professionals. Comparable to NACAT as a competing/adjacent professional development channel for instructors and technicians, with NACAT offering member discounts on VISION registrations.
• Automotive Service Association (ASA): National trade association for the automotive repair industry. Comparable to NACAT as a membership-based association in the automotive ecosystem, with overlap in educating and connecting professionals in the service trade.
• Tomorrow's Tech: Industry publication and partner that co-hosts the Instructor of the Year Award with NACAT. Comparable as a content and recognition platform serving automotive educators and students.

Broad incumbents

• National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE): The dominant certification body for automotive technicians in the U.S. Comparable to NACAT as an industry-aligned organization serving automotive instructors and students, with NACAT members benefitting from ASE test prep discounts and ASE-driven curriculum standards.
• NAPA Autotech: NAPA's online training platform for automotive technicians. Comparable to NACAT as a partner training platform offering free elearning course access to NACAT members, addressing the same instructor and technician audience.
• Garage Gurus (DRiV / Tenneco): Major aftermarket training platform offering in-person and online automotive courses. Comparable to NACAT as a corporate-backed training provider that partners with NACAT to access its educator audience via a 10% member discount.
• Cengage (Automotive Trade Titles): Major educational publisher with automotive curriculum titles that sponsors NACAT's $2,000 scholarship. Comparable to NACAT as a curriculum and content provider serving automotive instructors, with a commercial publishing model alongside NACAT's association model.

Emerging players

• Motor Age Training: Provider of automotive technician training products and content. Comparable to NACAT as a training content partner (NACAT members get 20% off) and adjacent education provider for the same audience of automotive professionals and instructors.
• WrenchWay: Workforce / recruitment platform connecting automotive students, schools, and shops. Comparable to NACAT as a partner addressing the same automotive education ecosystem, with WrenchWay's School Assist program providing free resources to schools in NACAT's network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/NACAT4autoteachers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/north-american-council-of-automotive-teachers-nacat
• Instagraminstagram.com/nacat_automotive

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

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