The Automotive Oil Change Association (AOCA) is once again co-locating its annual iFLEX convention and tradeshow with the International Carwash Association’s (ICA) annual The Car Wash Show.

Like much of this industry, Paul Lyons built his quick lube shop from the ground up, with determination, grit and a whole lot of work. This past weekend, Lyons pulled off a miracle. Lyons Express Oil & Lube is located in Paradise, California — or at least what’s now left of it. In one day, the Sierra Nevada foothill town of 27,000 founded in the 1800s was nearly burned to the ground by flames from a wildfire that moved so fast there was nothing firefighters could do. When he was told to evacuate, and essentially say goodbye to the

Here at NOLN, we just wrapped up our third Quick event. Quick, presented by NOLN, is the new way to get business done. Like every Quick event, we had 20 operators and 20 vendors attend. Vendors and operators were paired together and had one-on-one private meetings throughout the two days of action.

It’s about that time again, when we all get together to see the newest technology offered at AAPEX/SEMA this November. The Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week (AAIW) will take place from October 30 through November 1 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centers in Las Vegas. Whether you’re a first time attendee or a veteran on the scene, you’re sure to be delighted.

Entrepreneur Magazine recently released its list of the top 500 franchise companies in the United States, saying with more than 1,000 companies applying, the 39th annual Franchise 500 ranking was one of the most competitive ever. Several auto service franchise programs made a strong showing, with 10 making the list.

The fast oil change and automotive service industry is comprised of a diverse group of automotive professionals and businesses working every day to keep America’s cars running. Every March, we take the time to research, identify and rank the top auto service chains in the nation.

At this year's conference, Grease Monkey celebrated its 40th anniversary. The action kicked off with a golf tournament at the beautiful Campestre golf course.

Quick, presented by NOLN, is the new way to get business done. Both of NOLN's Quick events have been great successes, and we've heard awesome reports of operators who have gotten a lot of business done at Quick.

As 2018 kicked off, Jiffy Lube launched a new brand extension. It's called Jiffy Lube Multicare. With the Multicare brand extension, Jiffy Lube is focusing on rolling out brake, diagnostic - and eventually tire - services to its customers.

With widespread devastation across the country in 2017, it's no surprise that many from across the automotive aftermarket stepped up to offer a helping hand. Here's how a few of our industry partners have helped.

Late last fall, API introduced two new diesel engine oil standards — CK-4 and FA-4. First licensing of these oils was December 1, 2016. What’s the difference between the two oil standards? CK-4 engine oils are a direct replacement for CJ-4 oils. The new FA-4 engine oils are offered in lower viscosity grades and are designed primarily for next-generation engines — found primarily in over-the-road trucks — to help maximize fuel economy without sacrificing engine protection. FA-4 oils have limited backward compatibility, but won’t be widely found in our industry anyway. CK-4 and FA-4 are bright, shiny and new,

The last couple of years we have seen updates to two of the oil specification categories common in the industry — dexos and ACEA. They are staying cutting-edge, adding engine tests and advancing their motor oil requirements to provide protection for the carm anufacturers who depend on them. dexos1 Gen 2 The most current dexos1 specification (dexos1 Gen 2) was released in 2015 to provide even higher engine performance and protection, particularly low speed pre-ignition (LSPI) protection in small displacement turbo-charged engines. GM has developed four new engine tests for this updated specification: New General Motors Oxidation & Deposit

Coming soon to the USA; Poured in Japan Since the Late 1990s   The new ILSAC specification for passenger car motor oils, GF-6, is expected to have a first license date of April 1, 2018 — although, this license date has been delayed several times during the development process and some experts expect it to slip into 2019. Additive companies and oil marketers are in the process of evaluating prototype GF-6 engine oil for performance in the newly developed engine tests. According to Lubrizol, the result of this testing will aid in the setting of balanced commercially feasible performance

The Automotive Oil Change Association’s flagship event, iFLEX, presented by AOCA, will be held April 4-6 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The convention and tradeshow is once again co-locating with the International Carwash Association’s (ICA) annual The Car Wash Show. Attending iFLEX is the perfect opportunity to learn about industry trends, discover new products and services, and generate profit-enhancing ideas. It’s one of the only places you can meet with your peers and talk shop. Many testimonials have proved this to be one of attendees’ most valuable experiences. They get to discuss business ideas and problems with others

The fast oil change and automotive service industry is comprised of a diverse group of automotive professionals and businesses working every day to keep America’s cars running. Every March, we take the time to research, identify and rank the top auto service chains in the nation. Before we examine the rankings, it is important to first define the terms we use in this report. We classify a “fast lube” facility as any business that derives the majority of its sales from quick, convenient oil changes and other automotive preventive maintenance services that can be done in less than 30

After five days in Las Vegas, perusing 5,414 booths in more than 3 million square feet of trade show space with 157,961 other automotive aftermarket professionals, I can tell you things in the automotive aftermarket industry are definitely looking up. I attended the AAPEX and SEMA shows October 31 through November 4, 2016, where I walked about 32 miles (thanks FitBit!) and consumed a few too many cups of caffeine, but it was all for you — the readers — with one goal in mind — to share some cool and innovative products that might help you better your