Franchisees in the Grease Monkey and SpeeDee Oil Change and Auto Service network came together for the first time in April for a joint conference to celebrate plans for further growth.
The conference included social events, an awards ceremony, a trade show, and a full schedule of education sessions and breakouts in Nashville. The company is also celebrating the 45th anniversary of Grease Monkey.
In opening remarks, FullSpeed Automotive CEO Rob Lynch said that the company hopes to update the company’s image and support to franchisees to modernize the shop network.
“We have unlimited potential as partners and as one team to really grow," Lynch said.
Also during opening remarks, FullSpeed President Ron Stilwell announced a seminar on a re-image program that will be available to franchisees to remodel their buildings as part of the “Store of the Future” campaign. He said that all new units being developed are going with this design.
‘Store of the Future’ in Detail
Plans for the Store of the Future began last year with some public announcements.
“As a franchisor, we really feel it’s important that we are instantly identifiable, that we’re separated from the others, and that we provide a quality experience,” Stilwell told NOLN in August 2022.
Planning continued through the year, and by April’s conference, company leaders were ready to bring the details to franchisees. Sami Hage, FullSpeed senior director of construction and design, gave a presentation that explained the design elements, vendor support, and upgrade options available to franchisees.
Hage said that the goal underpinning the re-image campaign is to make Grease Monkey and SpeeDee locations instantly recognizable by their facades and color schemes.
“Our goal was that we have to differentiate ourselves,” Hage said. “We've got to stand out among the competition.”
He outlined focus categories of the program, which are grouped into the main areas of exterior building, interior bay area, overall site, and interior lounge.
Part of the effort is for shop owners to make basic updates to the building sites, including improvements to landscaping and directional cues for customers. But the full re-image plans go in-depth to include specific paint colors, signage, furniture, and an open-concept lobby.
Specific to the lobby, plans call for mobile POS kiosks, a snack station, and high-top table areas for customers to get a little laptop work done if they need.
“People expect that,” he said. “Your customers expect that, and their expectations are growing constantly.”
The exterior plans are defined by “the monolith,” which is the large tower area of the building that’s set off by a specific paint scheme and sign. That is intended to be the visual cue for SpeeDee and Grease Monkey branding.
Franchisees interested in pursuing the reimage program will go through processes of application and ongoing check-ins with the company. The re-image plans are somewhat adaptable to various building types, including the recognizable Grease Monkey alpine-style buildings.
