You’ve got a good thing going when you’re working with a leader in the quick lube field, like Jiffy Lube. No doubt that’s what Marc Fanticola, president of M.C., LLC, feels about his second-generation Jiffy Lube franchise. Immersed in the quick lube industry since 1989, the Fanticola family has melded a passion for maintaining cars with a strong business sense that has garnered them success for more than 25 years.
Marc Fanticola’s father, Tony, started his relationship with Jiffy Lube when he opened his first Jiffy Lube franchise store in Pasadena, California, in 1989. It didn’t take long before Tony Fanticola was able to expand his business to the greater Los Angeles area, Tucson and Seattle. By the time he sold his business in 2003, he had expanded his company into 88 stores.
Tony Fanticola’s family took up the business. His three sons — Marc, Dru and Christian — and his son-in-law — Scott Knode — teamed together to form their own quick lube business — known as M.C., LLC. They acquired their first Jiffy Lube shop in Huntington Beach, California, in March 2005.
Their motor oil expertise and quick lube sensibilities had begun long before that. The Fanticola boys had been working for Tony throughout the ’90s, taking a turn in each position in the company gaining experience. By the time they acquired their first Jiffy Lube franchise in 2005, they were more than ready for the challenge.
Mirroring the patriarch’s approach, the Fanticolas of M.C., LLC quickly acquired 10 more quick lubes — seven in Rhode Island and three in Massachusetts in July 2005. The following year, they added four more New England stores. In 2007, they added another four on the East and West Coasts. Today, M.C., LLC operates 95 Jiffy Lube franchise stores and continues to grow steadily. They’ve done so well, in fact, this year Jiffy Lube named M.C., LLC its Franchisee of the Year.
Marc Fanticola and his family enjoy a lot of benefits as franchisees of Jiffy Lube.
“Working with Jiffy Lube International as a franchisor is equivalent to having a true partner in our business,” he said. “Our goals and aspirations are in alignment, and this demonstrates itself in the tremendous support and resources provided to our company by Jiffy Lube, such as an award-winning employee training program, continuous [Jiffy Lube International] district manager store support and a coordinated national advertising program.”
Jiffy Lube offers comprehensive training programs and a network of support to help existing business owners bring their businesses up to the next level, as well as preparing new business owners to get a shop successfully off the ground. Jiffy Lube brings the added benefit of brand recognition — as the No. 1 brand in the quick lube market. Their name and logo promise excellence to customers all across the country.
For people like the Fanticolas, that partnership is an instant win-win. The success of Jiffy Lube overall is proof the system works for those who love the quick lube business.
The Jiffy Lube system is made up of approximately 250 franchisees like the Fanticola family, for a total of more than 2,000 independently owned and operated service centers across the U.S. and Canada. Over 21 million customers pass through Jiffy Lube’s doors each year — an impressive indicator of just how powerful the Jiffy Lube brand is in the marketplace. They bring serious muscle to their franchises, and that’s good for local businesses.
One thing of value Jiffy Lube brings to the table, Marc Fanticola said, is their partnership with Pennzoil. Jiffy Lube carries the complete line of Pennzoil products.
Customers also benefit from Jiffy Lube’s robust point-of-sale system, which Marc Fanticola praised highly.
“With access to the nationally integrated system, Jiffy Lube service centers can retrieve a history database of customer records,” Marc Fanticola said. “Customers can visit any Jiffy Lube service center and have access to their vehicle history and vehicle manufacturer service recommendations.”
If you’re looking to boost your business through a franchise partnership, try the training program, Jiffy Lube University. It’s received numerous accolades and awards, Marc Fanticola said, including recognition by Training Magazine in 2014 as the No. 1 program in its annual Training Top 125 list.
“Training is critical to ensuring Jiffy Lube delivers on its consumer value proposition,” Marc Fanticola pointed out. “Every customer has an outstanding quality experience, regardless of which service center they visit.”
Jiffy Lube University offers service center technicians a comprehensive computer-based curriculum and hands-on training as well as a wide range of options for franchisees, no matter where they are located. Service center employees can even earn college credit through the American Council on Education, something not every franchise can say. Business owners, employees and customers all benefit from Jiffy Lube’s high-quality training program.
Of course, like many U.S. businesses, Jiffy Lube and its franchise partners like giving back to the community. Marc Fanticola is no different. He has a powerful reason to connect his business with charity work. In 2001, his infant son lost an eye to a rare cancer called Retinoblastoma. Five years later, Marc Fanticola started a charity in conjunction with USC Children’s Hospital Los Angeles called Matthew’s Sight Fight to raise awareness about the disease.
From 2007 through 2011, over 20 percent of the Jiffy Lube Franchise family rallied around Matthew’s Sight Fight, Marc Fanticola said. That support has been meaningful to him and his family. And in 2008, Marc Fanticola was recognized by Jiffy Lube International with the Arlene Karlson Heart and Soul Award for his work with this charity.
Marc Fanticola is committed to giving back in other ways as well. In 2014, M.C., LLC held a Veterans Day campaign.
“On Veterans Day, all M.C. LLC locations gave away a free conventional oil change to active and inactive military as a thank you for their contribution to this great nation,” he said.
In addition to working individually with franchise owners like Marc Fanticola, Jiffy Lube as an organization conducts an annual cause marketing campaign. Over the past four years, participating franchisees have raised money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. To date, Jiffy Lube has raised more than $4 million to help send kids to MDA summer camp.
“M.C., LLC is extremely focused on the customer experience and taking excellent care of our guests,” Marc Fanticola said. “But in addition to this, M.C., LLC is a family business, and these principles of family resonate throughout the employees of our company. We treat every employee as a family member, which has helped us to recruit and develop the best employees in the industry. This is one of the biggest secrets for our success.”
Working with Jiffy Lube has been an excellent experience for Marc Fanticola and his family, and their future growth is promising.
