New Keys, New Energy: Couple Finds Success in First Months as Owners of Performance Fast Lube

Many quick lube operators enter the industry by taking over an existing shop. It can be a great way to take the reins of an already successful business, but it comes with its own unique obstacles, with owners needing to carefully balance the existing order and their vision for change.

Having been working in the automotive sector for decades, Ron and Jodi Gathercole realized this same fact themselves when they decided to take over Performance Fast Lube in Moncks Corner, South Carolina, this past September. The couple managed to boost the shop’s reputation and client base within just months, all while retaining the original staff—and even bringing on new team members.

It was the result of Ron and Jodi’s strong bond, consistent communication, and a pure motivation to serve their community.

Figuring Out What Matters

In 1999, Ron had been managing bowling alley centers, and decided to pivot to a new career. He wanted something with fewer late nights and weekends, in a more family-friendly environment. It prompted a period of reflection, and Ron thought back to memories of his uncles competing in races, realizing he was drawn to the idea of working in the automotive sector.

Ron wasn’t entirely sure where to begin. He knew he didn’t want to be a car salesman, but didn’t know what other opportunities were available for someone entering the field. He took a shot in the dark on a warranty administrator opening at a Lexus dealership in his hometown of Des Moines, Iowa, with no prior automotive experience.

“The service manager—after about three different interviews, he said, ‘Look, I'm going to give you a chance. There's nothing on your resume that says that you can do this, but talking with you, I know that you can do it,’” recalls Ron. “And so that was my first jump into the automotive industry.”

Jodi had slightly more firsthand experience working in and around independent shops, solely through her family upbringing.

“My grandfathers both owned auto body repair facilities when I was just a little girl,” tells Jodi. “I just remember how amazing that feeling was, and how proud my grandfathers were running those shops. My father would work in those shops when he was in high school, and worked there all the way up until he got married. Those shops always kind of held a special place in my heart.”

Being raised around business owners filled Jodi with a drive she has carried with her since. After high school, she worked her way from an executive assistant role to working in operations, in addition to earning her MBA.

Though she found success in the corporate world, it wasn’t exactly what Jodi wanted. She, too, had her own self reflection, recalling memories of her grandfathers’ shops and realizing she wanted to do the same for herself. 

“It was at that point that I said, ‘I want us to own a business together.’ Not a bowling business, but something that we were good at—something that was in our blood, so to speak,” says Jodi. “I knew he’d (Ron) been in automotive for 20-plus years and was so good at it, and I had the operations and marketing experience from my corporate job.”

The decision to pursue their own business was further spurred by the birth of their first grandchild on the East Coast. At the time, Ron and Jodi had been living in Houston, and decided to move to be closer to their family. So, after 27 years of working in various leadership roles for dealerships, Ron stepped back and began looking at where he and Jodi could open the doors to their own place.

From the Bustle of Houston, to the Calm of Moncks Corner

Jodi and Ron started deep diving into available options along the East Coast, mainly in either Georgia or South Carolina. The couple went through five or six places before finding a spot in Moncks Corner, South Carolina—the shop they now operate.

“The community, the area here, the growth, the shop itself...it had been open for 29 years. The more I looked at it, I said, ‘Okay,’” tells Ron. “So I showed it to my wife, and once she looked at it, we started talking. We’d go on walks every morning for about an hour, and it seemed like it was all consumed by talking about the shop. And the more we thought about it and talked, the more we said, ‘This will be a good thing.’”

Ron and Jodi arranged to come out during the summer to look at the shop in person and meet with the existing team. At the time, the shop had two employees who met with Jodi and Ron, and had the opportunity to share what their motivations were and what they needed to succeed. They were both nervous, unsure of what the transition would mean for them—but after speaking with Ron and Jodi, everyone was on the same page. Ron learned that one employee preferred to do routine jobs like oil changes, while the other had an interest in picking up other tasks like alignments, tires, brakes, and other back-shop work. The conversation and visit went a long way in solidifying the foundation of the shop’s transition, and ultimately confirmed the decision for Jodi and Ron.

“They were, of course, very nervous about the future at that time, but once we sat down and talked with him, we got a really, really good feeling from them,” shares Ron. “When my wife and I went back to the hotel that night, we both looked each other and basically said ‘green light.’ There was no stopping us then. I always say, I'm not sure who was more excited to take over the shop, us or them, because we were both just equally excited about it.”

When it came time to step in and take over, Jodi and Ron went about the process slowly and thoughtfully. Coming from Houston, there was a clear change in tempo within the town of Moncks Corner—a welcome change, but one that Jodi and Ron were taking time to learn. 

There were some changes that needed to be made more urgently. Mainly, updating old equipment and modernizing the shop with tools like shop management software. Beyond that, Jodi and Ron stood back and observed how the shop was already functioning, with a clear goal of not overwhelming the staff with a barrage of changes. They watched how team members interacted with customers and how vehicles were flowing through the shop. 

From there, improvements were implemented gradually, beginning with the introduction of vehicle inspection services. Previously, the shop had simply performed oil changes and nothing else, with the goal of getting a car in and out as quick as possible. But that isn’t necessarily what a customer is wanting.

“We started adding just inspections, just kind of looking the vehicle over a little bit more, because, quite honestly, they were just doing oil changes and trying to get them out and as fast as possible,” says Ron. “And I said, ‘Well, let's slow it down just a little bit.’ They were getting done so fast, the customers would walk in and didn't get a chance to sip their coffee. They were like, ‘Oh, it's done already.’ So it was almost looking like they were trying to relax, and we were throwing them out as fast as they came in.”

Additionally, a new emphasis was placed on communicating to customers the status of their vehicle, providing them with a report card on the health of their car. Customers are appreciative of the change, with some having already thanked the shop for bringing certain items to their attention.

Let Your Team Understand the ‘Why’

During Jodi and Ron’s first week of running the shop, they were closed on Monday for Labor Day, but there was a steady flow of business throughout the week regardless. At the end of the week, around 5 p.m. on Friday, the whole crew gathered in the waiting room to recap the week they’ve had and talk about the future. As the employees were leaving, Ron and Jodi heard something that confirmed they were on the right track.

“We heard them in the shop as they were leaving, and one of them said: ‘For the first time since I can remember, I'm looking forward to coming back to work on Monday,’” says Ron. “So that made us feel really good, that we're having a positive impact on them. And sure enough, they were excited to come back in on the very next week.”

The consideration Jodi and Ron have put into maintaining the shop through its new ownership has come back tenfold through the success they’ve had. Since Jodi and Ron took over in September 2025, the shop managed to jump from a lower four‑star rating on Google to a 4.9 in less than six months. Their technicians see more and more new cars come through each day, alongside growing word-of-mouth referrals.

Performance Fast Lube did transition right—but it wasn’t easy. As Jodi notes, it was something that could only be accomplished through working with the shop’s existing processes, rather than coming in and tearing everything down from the get-go.

“When people understand the ‘why’ behind something, then they'll get on board, they get aligned, and they lean in, because they want to know what's next. It's exciting,” says Jodi.