Around the Industry

Feb. 1, 2019

After a month-long effort, Express Oil Change & Tire Engineers has raised $10,000 for Harvest Hope during their annual giving campaign.

Express Oil Change & Tire Engineers Raised $10,000 for Harvest Hope Food Bank

After a month-long effort, Express Oil Change & Tire Engineers has raised $10,000 for Harvest Hope during their annual giving campaign. For every oil change performed in the Columbia, South Carolina area during November, Express Oil Change & Tire Engineers donated $1 and accepted customer donations.
Pictured (l. to r.) Laura Wedell, Express Oil Change & Tire Engineers; Holly Coker, Express Oil Change & Tire Engineers; and Keith Ferrell, Harvest Hope Food Bank Interim CEO.

“The holidays are one of our busiest times of the year,” said Keith Ferrell, Harvest Hope’s Interim CEO. “This donation from Express Oil Change & Tire Engineers is going to provide 50,000 meals to people in need. I just can’t say thank you enough to people of the Midlands, as well as Express Oil Change & Tire Engineers.”

“Giving back is important to us,” said Gregg Gaskins, owner and operator of Express Oil Change & Tire Engineers. “Each year we hope to raise more than the previous year. Thanks to the community, we raised $1,000 more than last year. It feels good to know families are going to have food for the holidays.”

Since the drive began in 2015, Express Oil Change & Tire Engineers has raised more than $30,000, providing over 150,000 meals to South Carolinians facing hunger.

Oil Changers Completes Acquisitions

Oil Changers recently announced the acquisition of three Royal Car Care locations in Hanford and Lemoore, California.

First opened in 1985, Rick and Rita Rocha built Royal Car Care to be a successful business that created jobs and provided an important service to the community. The Oil Changers unique merger strategy welcomes the Royal family, providing existing team members new opportunities to grow alongside 275 employees in California.

“We feel lucky to have so many great people from Royal join the Oil Changers team. The Rochas and the entire Royal team are like family, and we feel blessed to have the opportunity to embrace their culture and be part of their success” said Eric Frankenberger, president of Oil Changers.

Oil Changers also announced the acquisition of Express Oil Change in San Pablo, California. This acquisition of Express Oil Change, Inc. in San Pablo adds to the 29 San Francisco Bay Area Market and, overall, takes the company to 38 stores.

“Over the last six months, we have created significant excitement with our growth strategy,” Frankenberger said. “Our goal in 2019 is to add 15 locations through mergers and acquisitions.”

Pleasanton, California-based Oil Changers is an active member of the Automotive Oil Change Association (AOCA) and has been very supportive and involved since its conception. The Oil Changers team is excited to continue its expansion both inside and outside California.

Jiffy Lube Co-founder Named Babson College President

Stephen Spinelli, Jr.

Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, has named Jiffy Lube co-founder Stephen Spinelli Jr. as its 14thpresident. He will succeed Kerry Healy, who announced last May that she would be stepping down at the end of the academic year.

In 1979, Spinelli helped his former football coach, W. James Hindman, launch Jiffy Lube with a goal of 1,000 stores in 10 years. The company was the first in the country to use the franchising system that allowed local owners to share in the profits. Spinelli left Jiffy Lube in 1991 to pursue his academic career.

Spinelli taught entrepreneurship at Babson College for 14 years, specializing in new venture creation and growth. Babson College is regarded as a prestigious entrepreneurship college and its central focus is on entrepreneurship education. It was founded by Roger W. Babson in 1919 as an all-male business institute.

Spinelli was also the director of the Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship before becoming vice provost. In 2007, Spinelli went to Philadelphia University to serve as president. On July 1, 2017, PhilaU integrated with Thomas Jefferson University and Spinelli went on to serve as Chancellor of Thomas Jefferson University.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Spinelli said he wrote his doctoral dissertation on complex economic relationships using franchising — that he learned from his time at Jiffy Lube — as the base case. Then, he published frequently about franchising, including academic journals and trade books. He also established an MBA level course at Babson in franchising. His specialties include franchising, inter-organization forms, strategic alliances, new venture creation, business growth, entrepreneurial finance and higher education administration.

Icahn Automotive Announces Agreement to Acquire RPM Automotive

Icahn Automotive Group LLC, which owns and operates leading auto repair and maintenance providers Pep Boys, AAMCO and Precision Tune Auto Care, recently announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire RPM Automotive. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, RPM Automotive operates 10 locations with more than 100 service bays throughout the Northeastern part of the state.

“The acquisition of RPM Automotive complements Icahn Automotive’s existing footprint in the region and will accelerate our growth in an important market for us. RPM Automotive has become a service leader in the Jacksonville area by providing a superior customer experience delivered by expertly-trained store managers and technicians. The remarkable growth of RPM Automotive over the past two decades is a testament to the quality of its team members and service model,” said Dan Ninivaggi, CEO of Icahn Automotive.

Throughout 2018, Icahn Automotive has acquired independent and franchised locations in the Northeast, Midwest and South. These additions to the Icahn Automotive portfolio have been integrated under the Pep Boys, AAMCO and Precision Tune brands. Icahn Automotive currently includes more than 2,000 owned and franchised service locations throughout the United States and parts of Canada.

“Icahn Automotive continues to increase the breadth and density of our service center coverage. We’re well positioned to capitalize on the growing demand for automotive service by individuals and fleets as vehicles become more technologically complex and the vehicle population grows,” said Brian Kaner, president of service for Icahn Automotive. “As a full-service provider under multiple, well-known brands, we can service a vehicle throughout its entire lifecycle, from tires and routine maintenance to complex repairs.”

Christian Brothers Automotive Shifts into High Gear with New Leadership Team Driving Franchise Growth

Christian Brothers Automotive Corporation is set to further steer the brand to long-term growth with the recent announcement of an expanded senior leadership team responsible for further pursuing franchise development goals.

As part of its strategic efforts to grow Christian Brothers into new target markets, eight new members have joined the senior leadership team, including a new interim CFO and new VPs of Marketing, Technology Solutions, Operations, Leadership Development and Neighborly. The recently appointed leaders are all primed to jumpstart various aspects of the brand’s franchising initiatives.

“As an organization, we have always been blessed with incredibly dedicated and motivated senior and executive level team members who set the path for our franchising growth and expansion,” said Donnie Carr, president of Christian Brothers Automotive. “We have elevated eight talented and qualified people to positions where they will truly have the ability to map the course for the next phase of our franchise expansion. Christian Brothers is extremely humbled to have such hardworking individuals leading our team.”

John Foster is the new interim CFO, building upon his previous role as Controller for Christian Brothers. Foster will be responsible for overseeing all financial statements and strategies for the brand.

Janis Jarosz has been promoted to VP of Marketing, where she is responsible for partnering with franchisees to build brand awareness, guide guests to stores and increase brand loyalty. She brings a broad background in franchise brand marketing to the role, including experience as the chief marketing officer for several national franchise brands.

Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Jiffy Lube, Due to No-Poach Clauses

In late November 2018, a class action lawsuit was filed against Jiffy Lube International, Inc. by former Jiffy Lube workers who feel they are owed unpaid wages due to no-poach clauses. The class action is accusing Jiffy Lube of including unlawful no-poach provisions in its franchise agreements, which ultimately suppressed employees’ wages.

Erin Gilmore reported on the case on ClassAction.org: “Also filed against co-defendants Royal Dutch Shell PLC, Shell Oil Company and Pennzoil-Quaker State Company, the lawsuit alleges Jiffy Lube franchise agreements contain a clause that forbids shop owners from soliciting employees from one another. In effect, the case explains, a Jiffy Lube shop cannot hire anyone who has worked at another Jiffy Lube within the previous six months. This practice effectively suppresses competition among workers, the lawsuit urges, resulting in lower pay across the board.”

“While eliminating these anticompetitive clauses will help workers going forward, current and former employees of Jiffy Lube — including [the plaintiff] — are owed antitrust damages for years of wage suppression,” the complaint reads. “This action seeks to recover these damages and obtain additional injunctive relief on behalf of [the plaintiff] and similarly situated Jiffy Lube workers.”

When asked about the class action lawsuit, a Jiffy Lube spokesperson responded, “Jiffy Lube International, Inc. is aware of the ‘no-poach’ antitrust complaint filed in federal court in Philadelphia, and we are reviewing the claim in detail. We deny that any violation of antitrust laws has occurred.”

NOLN will keep you posted on any developments in this case.