Automotive Oil Change Association Hires FSB Core Strategies for Strategic Management Services
The Automotive Oil Change Association (AOCA) has contracted with FSB Core Strategies for management services effective January 1, 2018. FSB principal and executive vice president Kristy Babb will serve as AOCA’s executive director.“AOCA is pleased to begin working with Kristy and the FSB team,” said Dave Jensen, AOCA president. “We are confident that their experience in trade association management, government affairs and strategic communications will help advance the mission and strategic goals of AOCA.”
FSB Core Strategies is a full-service association management and communications firm with offices in northern and southern California. The firm has managed trade associations, developed public relations and marketing campaigns and provided strategic communications to private, public and non-profit sector clients since the early 2000s.
Babb will concurrently serve as executive director of the Western Carwash Association (WCA), a role she has held since FSB assumed management of WCA in 2015. Joining Babb in service of AOCA are the following individuals:
- David Murillo, CAE – deputy director
- Will Hixson – membership and communications
- Megan Robison – events
- Jenna Bailey – administrative and member support
- Rose Smoot, CAE, IOM – financial operations
API Announces Plans for SN Plus in Donut
Recently, at the annual meeting of the Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association (ILMA) in Orlando, Kevin Ferrick, senior manager of the API Engine Oil Program, announced that a proposed supplement to API Service Category SN dubbed SN Plus will be licensable for use in the API Service Symbol donut when SN Plus is approved by the API Lubricants Group.The SN Plus supplement to API SN is intended to identify oils that meet API SN and provide additional protection against low-speed pre-ignition in turbocharged direct injection gasoline powered engines.
Licensed marketers will be able to use the Service Symbol Donuts to help consumers identify SN Plus motor oils.
Idaho Service Center Surprises Single Mother with New Car
Victoria Williams is an Idaho, single mother of a 10-month-old girl. The Idaho Statesman reported that she brought her car into Christian Brothers Automotive in Meridian, Idaho, for a free oil change, but left with so much more.Once a year, all 168 Christian Brothers Automotive franchises give free oil changes to single parents. Christian Brothers surprised the 34-year-old by helping her leave behind her clunker and drive home in an upgrade.
Williams was released from jail in April after more than a year for possession of a controlled substance. She gave birth to her daughter, also named Victoria, in jail. Since her release earlier this year, Williams said, she has worked to get on track, according to the Idaho Statesman. She said she is sober and has a job working at a warehouse, for the sake of her daughter.
“I decided nothing is worth me going back inside and losing her,” Williams told the Idaho Statesman. “I may be a felon now, but I’m working towards a lifestyle that I’ve never had and can only dream of.”
Williams told the Idaho Statesman she saved up for four or five months and bought a $300 car. It couldn’t go more than 35 miles per hour and, in less than a month, it became so unreliable that Williams had to walk her daughter to day care and then walk to work. The Salvation Army referred her to Christian Brothers Automotive for the free oil change.
Brett Clancy, who owns the Meridian franchise, took one look at Williams’ car and knew it needed more than oil, Idaho Statesman reported. After hearing Williams’ story, he thought she deserved a better car.
“I asked her (on the phone), ‘Have you ever driven stick? And she said, ‘Yeah, but it’s been a while,” Clancy said with a chuckle. “I told her, ‘We’ll help you with that.’”
Clancy picked Williams up at work and drove her to the Division of Motor Vehicles to fill out paperwork, and took her to pick up her car, a four-door 1999 Honda Accord. It has about 200,000 miles on it, and thanks to Clancy and his employees, a new windshield, hubcaps and timing belt, the Idaho Statesman reported.
“I have every single reason to be so happy,” Williams told the Idaho Statesman. “I don’t know how long it would take me to save up for another car.”
Each Christian Brothers shop receives $2,500 from the franchiser to help customers with repairs above what is spent on the oil changes, Clancy told the Idaho Statesman. One of Clancy’s mechanics had a Honda on the market and sold it to him. New parts were donated by NAPA Auto Parts in Meridian.
“We really try to support them and what they’re doing,” Matt Dyson, the regional manager for NAPA Auto Parts told the Idaho Statesman. “I wasn’t expecting (to help build a new car) but I know Brett likes to help people out. When Brett approaches a situation, we want to be right there with him.”
Cleveland-Akron Lube Stop Locations Rebranded as Take 5 Oil Change
Drivers across Northeast Ohio, including the Cleveland, Akron and Canton region, can now relax and take five — literally — with the opening of 36 Take 5 Oil Change locations.Last fall, Take 5 Oil Change acquired Lube Stop, with 51 locations across the Midwest, including the 36 facilities in the Northeast Ohio area. Now, they have re-opened the Cleveland-Akron locations under the Take 5 Oil change brand, with brightly renovated facilities, new service offerings and highly-trained technicians.
The revamped Take 5 locations are now under Take 5 corporate management to ensure the highest levels of customer satisfaction and mechanical service.
“I’m thrilled to bring the speed and efficiency of Take 5 Oil Change to Cleveland-area drivers,” said Brannan Lahoda, division vice president, Take 5 Oil Change. “The opening of 36 locations in the Cleveland-Akron region is significant and a great compliment to our other locations in the Midwest, ensuring drivers in the entire region can experience an efficient, friendly, high-quality oil change with low pressure sales.”
SpillVak Executives Teach Business Principles to Emerging Entrepreneurs in the Philippines
Two executives from the Las Vegas, Nevada-based fluid absorbent company SpillVak joined leadership from the Academy for Creating Enterprise (ACE) in Angeles, Pampanga, Philippines at the Enterprises Academy Awards to teach business principles to the ACE graduates in attendance. Kyle Bybee, CEO, taught “Count the Cost,” which covered basic accounting principles that can help necessity entrepreneurs run their businesses as lean as possible.Trent Whatcott, director of Marketing, presented on “Be Nice Later,” focusing on the importance of building a business that generates income first, supporting self and immediate family and then giving to others once the business and personal needs are secure. He emphasized that giving to others can also mean providing someone with the opportunity to earn money as opposed to receiving a handout.
Bybee and Whatcott were also joined by Johann Buck, PhD., CCA, director of Sales and Product Development for sister company RainSoil, who delivered a presentation entitled “Make a Profit Every Day,” where he touched on the importance of each small step that leads to making a sale every day. Buck derived much of his presentation from “The Greatest Salesman in the World” by Og Mandino, and the team presented each attendee with a copy of the book at the end of the meeting. Buck challenged the attendees to follow the principles taught in the book and take the 10 months required to appropriately consume the material.
The following day, Bybee, Whatcott and Buck led a panel discussion on integrity, leading the panel discussion within their areas of expertise.
Along with presenting, Bybee, Whatcott and Buck, along with team member Tomo Ishida, judged the business plans of entrepreneurs in various markets and were able to announce the winners at the Academy Awards gala held the final evening.
“We were able to listen to some incredible entrepreneurs share the success of their businesses thus far and hear their goals and dreams for the future of their businesses,” Bybee said. “It was humbling to hear the great things they have developed out of necessity. We heard business plans from agribusiness, food and beverage, laundry services, graphic design, prosthetics, technology services, catering, childcare and more. The Philippines has some serious untapped human capabilities that we will be seeing implemented throughout the world in the future.”
“Your teaching moments with both the ACE alumni graduates were not only informational, but they were also motivational,” James Fantone, executive director of the ACE-Philippines, told SpillVak. “Thank you for making your presentations as basic as you could because the audience grasped the lessons more fully. Many who received your book tokens are now motivated to get a hand on other great books — you have started them on the road to a great reading journey. From the bottom of our hearts, the staff of the ACE-Philippines would like to thank Trent, Kyle, Johann and Tomo for celebrating and being with us during one of the milestones of the Academy’s mission.”
The ACE was opened in Cebu City, Mactan, Philippines 17 years ago by Stephen and Bette Gibson, former successful business owners from Littleton, Colorado. While touring the Philippines, Steve and Bette saw the need to teach necessity entrepreneurship to individuals who were at the height of poverty and unable to find unemployment. Today, ACE has had 11,000 graduates complete their program in the Philippines, Mexico, Peru and Colombia, with more than half from the Philippines.
