EDITOR’S LETTER

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WELL-EARNED AWARD IN 2021

This year’s winner highlights the community service and giving spirit of operators

IN INTERVIEWS WITH OPERATORS, I often have to ask them to brag a bit about themselves. It’s a way to get them to open up about the successful steps they’ve taken to make it in the industry. When interviewing Jason Berry, this year’s Operator of the Year, I had to ask a few different times.

Berry runs two Havoline xpress lube shops in Alabama. He is a very humble man. He didn’t take the bait when I asked him to brag about his processes, his leadership, or the impressive numbers his shops produce. He explained that his staff, his mentors, and his faith are guiding forces in his success.

That says a lot about the character of this year’s award winner, of course. But it’s also true that Berry has the temperament and vision within himself to set up his shops for years of continued prosperity. I know this because those who nominated Berry for the award weren’t shy about extolling his talents.

There were many nominators, as far as NOLN awards go. Some talked about Berry as a leader (“...an extremely humble business owner who is not only highly regarded by his customers but also highly regarded by his employees.”), while others talked about the growth in car counts, premium oil sales, and customer satisfaction scores.

After speaking with Berry for the first time, it was clear that he’s an operator who wants to find success the right way. That means being responsive to employee needs, taking extra time and attention for customers, and putting in a lot of his own sweat equity into the business. As a young operator, Berry represents a bright future for quick lube ownership. But make no mistake, he’s not new to the field. Years ago, he helped his father’s metal fabrication business to weld the underground tanks in the shop that he ultimately ended up owning.

All those reasons and more led the NOLN editorial team and me to choose Berry for this year’s award, and we’re excited to share his story this month (page 26). Berry is the 31st winner of the award in this magazine’s history.

For 2021, we’ve also chosen to recognize two runners up who have demonstrated excellence in their own circles. One runner up is Costa Kapothanasis (page 42), who has had a big year growing his company-owned network as well as launching a brand new franchise program—no small undertaking.

We’re also recognizing Shane Burton, a Jiffy Lube franchisee out of Twin Falls, Idaho (page 40). Burton shows a strong commitment to being a positive influence in his business and community. That was apparent in the strong endorsement from Burton’s general manager, Devan Lyman. “I would never leave his stores because of the level of care he provides,” he told me.

The awards issue is always a big event for us at NOLN, and I’m grateful for all of the thoughtful nominations and stories that we received as part of the process. In this and every issue, we hope that our stories shine a light on the hard work and success that operators in this industry display.

Of course, this issue isn’t all awards. I hope you’ll enjoy the story of Lee Christianson (page 62), who wanted to make his small-town shop more accessible to his neighbors, for whom English is a second language.

We’re also sharing the story of two sisters whose grand opening collided with a global pandemic (page 66).

And if all that isn’t enough, we’ve got strategy stories help you improve social media language (page 68) and keeping staff on task (page 60).

Stay tuned to the magazine and our website, as we’ve got great things planned for the remainder of this eventful year.

MATT HUDSON