Dynamic Leader
A quarter-century after shifting from the food service industry to quick lubes, Brian Morrison is thriving with 19 Grease Monkey and SpeeDee franchise locations.
RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
Brian Morrison is the 2025 NOLN Operator of the Year PAGE 18
PREPARE TO PASS THE BATON PAGE 32 PROTECT YOUR SHOP FROM MANUFACTURERS' NEGLECT
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EDITORIAL
GROUP EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Chris Jones
EDITOR Tom Valentino
ASSISTANT EDITOR Kacey Frederick
SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR Emily Kline
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Adam Tatum, Scott Hempy, Carol Badaracco Padgett, Peter Suciu, Enid Burns
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Adam Tatum, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, VIRGINIA GROUP
Scott Hempy, CEO, OILSTOP DRIVE-THRU OIL CHANGE AND HAPPY’S DRIVE-THRU CAR WASH
Aleisha Hendricks, OWNER/OPERATOR, GREASE MONKEY QUICK LUBE AND MONKEY SHINE CAR WASH
Shawn Gilfillan, OWNER, AUTOMOTIVE MAGIC AND MAGIC LUBE & RUBBER
SALES
PUBLISHER Greg Smith gsmith@endeavorb2b.com
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
Kyle Shaw kshaw@endeavorb2b.com
Diane Braden dbraden@endeavorb2b.com
Marianne Dyal mdyal@endeavorb2b.com
Chad Hjellming chjellming@endeavorb2b.com
Cortni Jones cjones@endeavorb2b.com
Lisa Mend lmend@endeavorb2b.com
Annette Planey aplaney@endeavorb2b.com
Paul Mattioli
FEATURE
18 2025 OPERATOR OF THE YEAR
Brian Morrison
As a skilled leader who is known for lifting up those around him, Brian Morrison has thrived as the operator of 19 quick lube facilities
BY TOM VALENTINO
28 2025 OPERATOR OF THE YEAR RUNNER-UP
John Malek
An emphasis on taking care of people—not taking advantage of them—has made Mr. Oil Xpress Lube a fixture in its Florida community
BY KACEY FREDERICK
COVER STORY
In Tune with His Team
A dedicated leader with strong communication skills, Brian Morrison is the 2025 NOLN Operator of the Year.
QUICK HITS
10 INDUSTRY INSIGHT
Keeping attendees coming back: The evolving landscape of AAPEX/SEMA
12 AROUND THE INDUSTRY
Driven Brands’ recent earnings call shows growth in non-oil change services
14 QUICK LUBE Q&A
Ismaila Bangura, location manager at The Lube Center in Gambrills, Maryland
SERVICE
32 PIT STOP
Prepare to pass the baton
36 CUSTOMER SERVICE
Co-owner camaraderie
39 CASE STUDY
Bring in the admin
COLUMNS
16 FROM THE SHOP
‘Grabbing the greet’: Win the guest over before you touch the car BY SCOTT HEMPY
42 FROM THE SHOP
How we can protect ourselves from neglect of a manufacturer BY ADAM TATUM
PODCAST | FAILURE ISN’T FATAL (WITH CHRIS MESSER AND MIKE JONES)
The NOLN Podcast recently launched a new monthly series, titled “Endeavor to Discover,” a collaboration to explore ideas, empower action, and fuel leadership. In the first episode of the series, Mike Jones, president and master trainer at Discover Leadership Training, joins Chris Messer, executive vice president of the Transportation Group at Endeavor Business Media, NOLN’s parent company, to talk about leadership and why failing isn’t necessarily fatal.
PODCAST | GOING ‘FULL SPEED AHEAD’ ON GROWING THE GREASE MONKEY BRAND (WITH RON STILWELL)
FullSpeed Automotive President Ron Stilwell discusses the growth of the company’s Grease Monkey brand. Stilwell shares insights on how FullSpeed is mapping the expansion of Grease Monkey into new markets and the role its “store of the future” model is playing in that development.
Head online to check out NOLN’s library of podcast interviews. Hear from quick lube leaders about new strategies, service stories, and innovative operations that push the industry forward.
Listen and subscribe at: noln.net/podcasts or subscribe to the NOLN Podcast on your favorite listening app.
NOLN NEWS
Have you subscribed to the newsletter? NOLN will send the latest industry news, strategies and profiles straight to your inbox. Sign up at: noln.net/subscribe
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BUSY SOCIAL LIVES
Quick lube operators weigh in on the social media platforms they use to promote their businesses
BY NOLN STAFF REPORTERS
SOCIAL MEDIA IS AS HOT AS EVER FOR QUICK LUBE OPERATORS LOOKING TO MARKET their shops, but their choice of platforms they are using to spread their message is evolving. Participants in the 2025 NOLN Operator Survey weighed in on both the social media channels they’re using, as well as the frequency with which they post. Overall, 58.1% of operators promote their shops on social media at least once a week. Here’s what they told us about their social media habits.
WHAT’S HOT:
More shops are maintaining Google Business Profiles this year, with 56.9% reporting that they use the platform, up from 43% last year. LinkedIn (25% in 2025 vs. 17% in 2024) and TikTok (15.3% in 2025 vs. 11% in 2024) also made gains. This year, NOLN asked readers about their use of Yelp for the first time, and 31.9% of survey participants reported they maintain a presence on the site.
WHAT’S NOT:
Usage of X (formerly Twitter) dropped significantly from 2024, with just 8.3% of survey participants, compared to 23% last year. Snapchat (2.8% in 2025 vs. 8 % in 2024) and Pinterest (1.4% in 2025 vs. 5% in 2024) also had notable declines in usage.
HOLDING STEADY:
By a wide margin, Facebook (used by 83.3% of survey respondents) remains the most popular social media platform among quick lube operators. Instagram (30.6%) saw its usage stay on par with last year’s figures as well.
The pages of NOLN are full of stories from shops that are
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⊲ 4 Top 5 Finishes
⊲ Host of “Stacking Pennies” Podcast
KEEPING ATTENDEES COMING BACK: THE EVOLVING LANDSCAPE OF AAPEX/SEMA
Tom Gattuso of SEMA and Mark Bogdansky of Auto Care Association preview everything going down at SEMA and AAPEX this November
BY KACEY FREDERICK
TWO OF THE BIGGEST
industry events of the year, AAPEX and SEMA are slated to take place Nov. 4-7, in Las Vegas. Though the shows have been going on for decades, organizers have stepped it up in the past couple of years, implementing new features and sessions with the goal of giving attendees a distinct experience each year.
Tom Gattuso, vice president of events for SEMA, and Mark Bogdansky, vice president of trade shows and community engagement for the Auto Care Association, share what changes attendees can expect to see not only this year, but in years to come.
SEMA Show
This year, SEMA will fill all five buildings at the Las Vegas
Convention Center and expand into the adjacent Westgate Hotel and Casino.
The expansion into the Westgate has allowed SEMA to put up an international pavilion and to reintroduce certain features. This will include the Battle of the Builders showcase.
SEMA Live, a 31-hour live broadcast, will also be moved to a different hall to reach a wider audience, including those who cannot attend in person.
SEMA Fest be in full swing again in 2025. This year, SEMA is planning to put more emphasis on its motorsports aspect. Along with motorsports activities and cars on display, three bands will perform, featuring enhanced lighting technology this year for better event flow.
The Friday Experience is a part of SEMA Show open to the public. The Experience is designed to give enthusiasts and consumers direct access to the event and for manufacturers to interact with end users as well as industry professionals.
Networking will, of course, also play a huge role in the SEMA Show, with plenty of opportunities to connect with other professionals lined up from the moment the show begins with its kickoff breakfast, which is paired with SEMA’s new product showcase winners for the week. It will also feature a keynote speaker to motivate attendees for the week ahead.
On Thursday night, SEMA will hold its banquet, which will be moved to Fontainebleau Las Vegas, and will be revamped as the SEMA Honors Program to recognize Hall of Fame members and other industry leaders.
More unstructured opportunities for networking will include the connections attendees make just from traversing the show floor, though.
“There’s people who’ve come to the SEMA Show who have friends that they’ve been associated with for 30, 40 years, who they met on the show floor,” says Gattuso. “So, I always tell people, ‘Your next best seller is right around the corner— but also, be careful who you talk to, because you may know them for the next 30 years.”
AAPEX
Around a year and a half ago, AAPEX organizers put into motion the “Future of AAPEX” project to re-evaluate the show’s direction. It consisted of discussions with regular attendees, those who never attend, exhibitors, and international/domestic participants to better understand the aftermarket’s needs.
The project resulted in two main
factors that now motivate the decision-making process for AAPEX: enhancing the attendee experience so they want to return every year, not just every few years; and increasing value for exhibitors—not by making the show cheaper, but by making it more valuable and engaging.
This has led to significant changes being made to the show, including segmenting the show floor based on broad product categories, which has challenged many exhibitors to rethink their booth design and layout. In fact, exhibitors have been encouraged by AAPEX to not just relocate their existing booths, but to make them more interactive for attendees.
“Every attendee…the first thing they say is, ‘We want booths to be more experiential.’ That’s the word,”
says Bogdansky.
Additionally, rather than having meeting rooms inside of exhibitor booths, the showroom now features dedicated meeting rooms capable of fitting six to 10 people and accommodating audio/visual presentations and lunches. Attendees also have the option to reserve a meeting room.
A booth crawl in which attendees go from booth to booth will generate more activity on the show floor.
Every day from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., a different map will highlight companies participating in the booth crawl that day. Many exhibitors on the floor will host receptions or offer drinks in their booths in the afternoon as part of the AAPEX booth crawl.
Self-improvement and training options will include hands-on transmission training in partnership
Commercial
with ATSG and live training in Joe’s Garage. There will also be many training tracks more focused on business management, covering topics such as financial classes, service advisor training, working with your spouse, intergenerational communication, and handling addiction in the workplace.
Featured as the keynote speaker for AAPEX 2025 will be none other than Wayne Gretzky. A former professional hockey player, TV personality, coach, and philanthropist, Gretzky will share his story through a moderated discussion on Nov. 4. Scan this QR code to view an extended version of NOLN’s AAPEX/SEMA preview on NOLN.net
DRIVEN BRANDS’ RECENT EARNINGS CALL SHOWS GROWTH IN NON-OIL CHANGE SERVICES
Driven Brands’ 2025 Q2 earnings call shows that Take 5 Oil Change has seen success with expanding its service offerings beyond just oil changes, as shared by AInvest. The company shared a revenue growth of 6% for its Take 5 brand, which was credited to its launch of 169 net new stores, as well as 10% adjusted EBITDA growth year-over-year.
Additionally, Take 5 saw over 20% of its total sales come from nonoil change services, marking an increase from the previous quarter. This growth was attributed to Take 5 adding new service offerings like differential fluid service.
The franchise segment also saw $45 million in adjusted EBITDA, with adjusted EBITDA margins of 61%.
RELADYNE ACQUIRES MIDWEST LUBRICANT DISTRIBUTOR, SANTIE OIL COMPANY
RelaDyne has acquired Santie Oil Company, a lubricant distributor in the Midwest, according to a press release. Founded over 85 years ago, Santie Oil Company is headquartered in Sikeston, Missouri, with an additional facility in Berkeley, Missouri, and serves a 150-mile radius across the Midwest.
With more than 3,700 SKUs, the company offers lubricants and industrial products, in addition to operating an e-commerce platform.
JIFFY LUBE AMONG SEVERAL ARIZONA AUTO SHOPS TARGETED BY ARRESTED TIKTOK PRANKSTER
A TikTok prankster has been arrested on charges related to
viral content created at the expense of several automotive service shops in Tempe, Arizona, reports People.
Heston Cobb—known as Heston James by his 1.6 million TikTok followers—was behind several incidents in which groups of men entered businesses and took over.
One video, posted on July 4, shows Cobb telling the employees of an auto repair shop that he was sent “from corporate” and had received multiple complaints about the shop. Then, a van full of men in jumpsuits enter the shop, and the group starts picking up tools and pretending to work on the cars themselves.
The businesses targeted by Cobb were largely automotive service related, including a Jiffy Lube, Pep Boys, Big Brand Tire & Service, and Hyland Auto Repair.
Cobb was arrested on July 23, and faces one count of burglary in the third degree, two counts of criminal impersonation, five counts of disorderly conduct, and five counts of criminal trespass.
PAMA HOLDING ONLINE TRAINING COURSE OVER ENGINE OIL AND TRANSMISSION LABELING LAWS
The Preventive Automotive Maintenance Association has recently launched a training course online over complying with engine oil and transmission labeling laws.
Targeted to installers, manufacturers, distributors, and retail sellers, the program teaches participants how to ensure operators and consumers are receiving the exact products they order, while protecting their fast lube assets from NIST Handbook 130 engine oil and transmission product labeling and receipt requirement violations.
The cost to participate is $50 per
individual and is only available to PAMA members.
STRICKLAND BROTHERS 10 MINUTE OIL CHANGE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER EARNS AWARD
Aaron Jansen, chief operating officer for Strickland Brothers 10 Minute Oil Change, was recently named a 2025 C-Suite Awards honoree by the Triad Business Journal, as shared in a recent press release.
The Triad Business Journal’s C-Suite Awards celebrate top-performing executives across the Piedmont Triad. This year’s awards were presented on July 24 at Peter’s Quarters Event Center in High Point, North Carolina, to a sold-out crowd of business leaders.
Jansen was recognized for his role in scaling operations at Strickland Brothers, with the organization having doubled its number of service locations since he joined.
JIFFY LUBE FRANCHISEE STONEBRIAR AUTO SERVICE ENTERS AGREEMENT WITH QIK-FIT FILTER SYSTEMS
Groove Technologies, LLC has secured an adoption deal with Stonebriar Auto Services, LLC for its Qik-FIT Premium Universal Cabin Air Filter System, according to a press release. The product is designed to allow auto service operators to consolidate dozens of filter SKUs into a single, rip-to-fit solution. Currently, it’s available exclusively through a Groove Technologies partnership with aftermarket distributor Service Champ.
Stonebriar, which owns and operates 120 Jiffy Lube locations nationwide, will roll out Qik-FIT to its network of stores across the South, Midwest, and East Coast.
STRICKLAND BROTHERS 10 MINUTE OIL CHANGE ACQUIRES LOF XPRESS OF IOWA
Strickland Brothers 10 Minute Oil Change has acquired all three of LOF Xpress’ stores in Iowa, according to a press release.
The brand was first founded by Ted Sage, and most recently was led by Aaron Sage as CEO.
Along with LOF Xpress’ stores in Ames, Ankeny, and Waukee, Strickland Brothers will absorb the company’s corporate staff and leadership team.
The LOF Xpress locations will continue operating under their current name and branding through the end of the year, with plans for future integration into the Strickland Brothers brand.
ASE DISCONTINUING FIVE CERTIFICATION TESTS BY END OF 2025
The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence will discontinue five of its certification tests at the end of 2025, as shared in a recent press release.
The following tests will be affected by the decision:
• Test E1: Truck Equipment Installation and Repair
• Test E2: Electrical/Electronic Systems Installation and Repair
• Test E3: Auxiliary Power Systems Installation and Repair
• Test P4: General Motors Parts Consultant
• Test X1: Undercar Specialist Exhaust Systems
Certifications and recertifica-
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tions for these tests will no longer be available after Dec. 31, 2025. ASE has said it will ensure all impacted users and systems are notified accordingly.
OILSTOP DRIVE THRU OIL CHANGE
ACQUIRES TWO STORES IN OREGON
Oilstop Drive Thru Oil Change has acquired two new stores in Oregon, as shared in a recent press release. Both stores underwent extensive renovations, consisting of new equipment, building remodels, and the introduction of amenities like free beverages and window cleaning. Additionally, customers will be offered a complimentary car wash from Happy’s Car Wash, Oilstop’s sister company.
Idemitsu is the official OE supplier of engine oils and transmission fluids to leading Japanese vehicle manufacturers such as:
QUICK LUBE Q&A: ISMAILA BANGURA
Since rising to the role of location manager at The Lube Center in Gambrills, Maryland, the shop’s annual sales, ticket averages, and customer satisfaction scores have soared under his leadership
BY TOM VALENTINO
ISMAILA BANGURA MAY NOT HAVE envisioned one day becoming a store manager in the quick lube industry when he joined WLR Automotive Group as a lube technician nearly a decade ago. But discovering he had found the right organizational fit inspired him to begin climbing the ranks, and WLR has reaped the rewards of Bangura’s progress along the way. After stints as a supervisor and assistant manager, Bangura was named location manager for The Lube Center in Gambrills, Maryland, in June
2020. Under Bangura’s leadership, the shop has achieved annual average sales of $4 million. In 2024, the shop recorded an average ticket of $150, and customers leave happy, reporting an average satisfaction score of 4.73 out of 5.
Recently, NOLN caught up with Bangura to discuss his ascent with WLR, his advice for rising stars in the quick lube industry who want to follow in his footsteps, and The Lube Center’s keys for driving up car counts and increasing ticket averages.
Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
NOLN: After starting with WLR as a lube technician in 2016, you worked your way up to become a supervisor and then an assistant manager before becoming a manager. Was it always your goal to make that climb?
Ismaila Bangura: Initially, it was not. I did come from another quick lube—a
PHOTO: BRICE PERKINS
different business, but a quick lube. When I came to WLR Automotive Group, I saw the drastic change of the business, and honestly, that’s what really intrigued me to want to keep going up. I didn’t have aspirations of being a manager, but once I got with this company and I’ve seen how great and family-oriented it is, and all the support that everybody has, that became my ultimate goal— to run a location one day.
NOLN: If there is someone reading this who now is in the same position you found yourself in 10 years ago, what advice would you have for them if they want to follow in your footsteps and work their way up to a leadership position?
Ismaila Bangura: I would definitely tell them to look, listen, and learn. Always keep your eyes open. Make sure you listen more than you talk, because in this industry, we deal with different changes all the time. Cars change. There may be a new procedure on something, and you always want to make sure that your skill set is always up to date with the new changes that are coming out in the automotive field. Be a student, no matter what. Every day I’m still a student, even at this age. I’m trying to learn new things every day, going on close to 10 years being in the industry. Things aren’t the same as they were 10 years ago, so always be a student, always be willing to learn.
NOLN: Let’s talk a little bit about your shop. What services do you offer in addition to basic oil changes? As you talk about things changing over time, have the service offerings that your location offers changed as well?
Ismaila Bangura: Yes, we do preventive maintenance here. Beyond oil changes, we offer fluid flushes,
air filter services, wiper blades, pipe services—anything preventive maintenance on the vehicles. A lot of the service that we do with these vehicles, it takes different fluids over the years. A lot of these manufacturers have changed the specifications on a lot of these fluids, so we always have to make sure that we have what we need to service those vehicles so that our customers don’t have to go anywhere else. If it’s grabbing the fluid from the manufacturer, then that’s what we have to do. But we want to make sure that we have all the necessary products to service these vehicles.
NOLN: Your shop has become pretty notable for not only having a high volume of customers, but also a high ticket average your very high customer satisfaction scores. For shop operators in other markets who are hoping to increase their car counts and ticket averages, what should they be focusing on to achieve the kind of success you have?
Ismaila Bangura: What I started doing that really was the turning point for us to start getting better and better was I had to take a step back and look at exactly what changes can be made. The No. 1 thing that I learned is if you take care of your employees, they will take care of your customers. … When you come into our shop, you don’t see too many different faces. You see those same people who have been there for a while, and they love the environment. I like to tell my employees that these four walls are our safe space. This is our safe space for you to be yourself. Feel safe here, and have a fun, fun day at work. If you take care of your employees, give them the proper training, and guide them throughout the day and everything, it’s only going
to reflect on your customer because they will learn to trust you. They will take your advice. It’s a good business relationship. A lot of our customers have been coming to us for over 10 years, so they already know exactly a lot of our procedures. Creating a very honest relationship with our customers is what really helps and contributes to our success.
NOLN: Are there any other keys that you have to building those good relationships with your customers?
Ismaila Bangura: Yes, so many different things. Just talk with them. With my customers, of course we offer service, but I’ve seen their kids grow up. They have seen me grow up as well. Just having those real conversations with them and whatnot, and just taking away the job side of it … It’s just being on a level basis with your customers. That is my No. 1 thing.
‘Grabbing the Greet’: Win the Guest Over Before You Touch the Car
A prompt, friendly welcome from your team shows guests you value their business
Scott Hempy leads the team at Oilstop Drive-Thru Oil Change and Happy’s Drive-Thru Car Wash. Oilstop and Happy’s are rapidly growing their footprint of oil change and express car wash locations across the West Coast, combining convenience with an outstanding emphasis on guest experience. Prior to Oilstop & Happy’s, Scott was the founder and CEO at Filld, a SaaS-based software solution for last-mile oil and gas delivery companies. He was recognized as a member of the Forbes 30 Under 30 class of 2016 for starting Filld.
.COM
IN THE QUICK LUBE INDUSTRY, WE SPEND hours training technical execution: fluid specs, torque values, proper inspections, and so much more. And rightfully so. But one of the most overlooked moments in the entire service center experience happens before the technician ever touches the car: the greeting. Experts have found that an impression is made within the first seven seconds of meeting someone. And your guests begin forming impressions right away when they pull up to your service center. Long before you check a dipstick or sell an air filter, your service center and team’s appearance, language, body language, and a itude are already telling them a story.
When a guest rolls into your bay, they’re sizing things up fast. Are things organized? Friendly? Rushed? Welcoming? They’re taking it all in. Energy and attitude matter most here. They will notice if your team is all sitting around or working hard. A team member approaching the vehicle with a slow, lazy walk (or worse, no greeting) is noticed and impacts a guest differently than a brisk jog and friendly wave. There are many terms for this in the industry: a strong greet, a warm welcome, a wheel stop greet, or as we prefer at Oilstop, “Grabbing the Greet.” We challenge our team to run to greet every guest the second they hear the bell ring. It shows guests that we value their time and appreciate them coming to our service center that day.
The appearance of your service center and body language of your team are on display. Is your team member wearing a professional uniform? Are their hands wiped off? Do they make eye contact? A confident, welcoming posture sets the tone. You’re not just greeting a car. You’re greeting a person. We want our guests to feel an immediate sense of trust, and we build trust through our professional appearance and communication.
The words you choose to greet a guest should be intentional, thoughtful, and welcoming. If there is one thing to require that your team says the same way by every team member to every guest, make it the greeting. We welcome guests by saying “Welcome to Oilstop, my name is Scott. Are you here for our drive-through oil change today?” Most guests are. But we immediately start the conversation with a warm greet and then establish why they have decided to visit us that day. And our introduction often ends with a positive response. “Yes, I am here for an oil change.” Another simple way to build instant rapport in your greeting is using a guest’s name. Ask for it early, and naturally weave it into the conversation. “Welcome back, Ms. Martinez. We are so glad you chose to trust us again.” Using someone’s name doesn’t just personalize the experience, it humanizes it. And in a world where everything feels automated, this goes a long way.
We drill torque specs and drain plug etiquette, but how do you train a great greet? Start small: Dedicate five minutes in your next team meeting to greeting roleplays. Challenge your team to deliver a warm, confident, guest-first greet. Then observe your team’s greetings as guests arrive over the next few hours. Celebrate strong greetings from your team, and note areas for improvement. Practice and accountability will drive perfection. Hospitality isn’t a script, but it is a discipline. And it’s worth training for.
In today’s world of changing oil, there are always other service centers a guest can try if they don’t like yours. Anyone can check oil. Not everyone makes a guest feel seen. When your team delivers strong greetings, you create an emotional connection to your guests. Which is the starting place for trust. So, the next time a vehicle pulls into your bay, don’t just greet the car. Grab the greet—and connect with your guest.
SCOTT @OILSTOPINC
SCOTT HEMPY
PHOTO: SCOTT HEMPY
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2025 OPERATOR OF THE YEAR
Brian Morrison
As a skilled leader who is known for lifting up those around him, Brian Morrison has thrived as the operator of 19 quick lube facilities
by Tom Valentino
Ask his colleagues to outline what a franchisee should do to taste success, and they will tell you Brian Morrison has the perfect recipe.
Once an executive in the food service industry, Morrison now oversees a burgeoning network of franchise locations for FullSpeed Automotive’s SpeeDee Oil Change & Automotive Service and Grease Monkey brands.
A skilled business leader, a charitable boss, and a proud family man, Morrison is the NOLN Operator of the Year for 2025.
Morrison’s entry into the quick lube industry came 25 years ago. After serving in the U.S. Army as a food service specialist, he transitioned back to civilian life by putting
In the Lead
Brian and Denise Morrison operate six SpeeDee locations and 13 Grease Monkey shops.
his culinary skills to use in the food service industry. He took on management-level roles with multiple fast food chains, but within a couple years, he began to feel burned out by long hours, late nights, and high employee turnover rates.
In 2000, Morrison traded french fry grease for motor oil. While he was out shopping, Morrison noticed a rack with job finder magazines at the front of the store. Jiffy Lube had an ad touting a manager-in-training program for $500 per week.
“I called my years at Jiffy Lube kind of like fast food for your car. You know, it’s like a drive-through. When customers pull in, they want to get in and out as easy as possible."
Quick Study
Brian Morrison's experience in the fastpaced world of fast food has translated to the quick lube industry.
Despite not having any automotive industry experience, his skills in managing costs and P&Ls, as well as staffing and customer service for a fast-paced industry earned him an opportunity.
“I think people in the automotive industry are nervous to hire people from outside of automotive or people with just fast food experience, but it really translated,” Morrison said. “I called my years at Jiffy Lube kind of like fast food for your car. You know, it’s like a drive-through. When customers pull in, they want to get in and out as easy as possible. … The oil and the filters don’t typically expire as fast as the lettuce and tomatoes, but the customer’s expectations to get in and get out and get it right are similar.”
Over the next 19 years, Morrison climbed the ranks at Jiffy Lube, becoming a regional manager and eventually the organization’s director of operations. Toward the end of his tenure, he began to explore the possibility of owning his own store, and it was then that he discovered a potential fit with FullSpeed Automotive and its SpeeDee and Grease Monkey brands.
Morrison gained approval to become a franchisee, and in 2019, he purchased a SpeeDee location in Spartanburg, South Carolina, that had gone up for sale. Since then, Morrison has steadily built a network of shops across the Carolinas. Morrison now oversees 19 stores— six SpeeDee locations and 13 Grease Monkey shops. Morrison owns the property on which seven of his shops reside. His latest location—a Grease Monkey in Denver, North Carolina, that opened in July—was his first new build-to-suit facility.
ACTIVELY LISTENING
In May 2021, John McCloskey was hired by FullSpeed Automotive for
the position of franchise support director. McCloskey describes his job as “a Swiss army knife” type of role, as he helps franchisees at 58 locations across the Mid-Atlantic region with everything from training new hires on Grease Monkey and SpeeDee processes to navigating the red tape of a new shop launch to offering a helping hand with Christmas parties.
A month into the job, McCloskey was dispatched to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to help Morrison on the opening of a SpeeDee location. It didn’t take long for Morrison’s leadership qualities to shine through.
“He’s an interesting person. He listens,” McCloskey says of Morrison. “He really thinks about what he’s going to say before he says it. … One of the other things that really stuck out to me is that he goes out of his way to find out what’s going on with the people who work for him. That first project I was on, the way he talked was just, ‘How’s everything going? Do you have any problems coming to work? How’s your family doing?’ That kind of thing. And he’s genuinely interested in the answer.
“I’ve seen a lot of people go through the motions on that. But it’s just one of those things that proves he really does care.”
BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE
Upon starting out at his first SpeeDee location in Spartanburg, Morrison served as a de facto store manager. As his network has grown, though, a leadership team has been put in place. Today, Morrison’s operations include three district managers and a regional manager.
“Now that we have 19 locations, I’m not as heavily involved in the day-to-day operations as I used to be,” Morrison said. “I’m not the guy placing the oil order or
CONGRATULATIONS
Brian Morrison
2025 NOLN Operator of the Year Award Winner
Thank you for your unwavering passion for excellence in your business and service to your community.
Chevron values your loyalty and thanks you for installing Havoline® motor oil in your award-winning operations.
2025 OPERATOR OF THE YEAR
It's About People
Brian Morrison says any quick lube location can be a highperforming facility with the right staff members in place.
handling every customer situation with the skid plate falling off or a dipstick breaking, as I used to be.”
The organizational structure developed by Morrison is similar to what he had grown accustomed to with Jiffy Lube.
“We’ve tried to keep the market small and tight, where a district manager is only overseeing three
to five locations, and they’re all relatively close to one another,” he says.
This arrangement has freed him up to stay better connected with franchise locations across his network and dive into bigger projects, such as the launch of the build-tosuit location in Denver.
“In (the Denver shop’s) first week, it did $7,000, so we’re excited about that location,” he says. “That might be a way that we grow in the future—through build-to-suits. You’re not buying the land or buying the building or buying the business. You’re just signing a lease, so your capital outlay initially is just for the (furniture, fixtures, and equipment), the signage and the equipment. We were able to do that for about $150,000, so it’s an inexpensive way to grow.”
As an operator of both SpeeDee and Grease Monkey franchises, Morrison explains the thought process behind choosing the appropriate brand for each location.
“When we find locations that have pits and drive-through bay doors in the front and back, they typically become Grease
Dynamic Leader
Monkeys,” Morrison says. “When they only have a solid concrete slab with no basement and no back bay door, where you have to pull in and back out, we’ve chosen to go the SpeeDee route. There, we use four-post lifts for the oil changes and two-post lifts for repairs, brakes, and tires.”
While Morrison’s portfolio of franchise locations has grown by about three to four shops per year, he says he anticipates future growth will be executed at a more deliberate pace.
“We’ll look at any opportunities to continue to grow, maybe not as aggressively as I have up until now, probably a little more selective,” he says. “There were a couple of years where I would jump on just about any opportunity to grow. We’re still looking to grow, just maybe not as fast.”
Geographically, Morrison says he has had opportunities to expand into nearby states, such as Georgia and Florida, but he has preferred to keep a tighter network, which allows for easier borrowing of inventory, equipment, and staff members between locations as needed.
PEOPLE PERSON
Morrison attributes much of his success to his team.
“I would say people are the most important ingredient,” Morrison says. “There’s not really a bad location. If you put your best people in a location, it’s going to significantly improve. If you take your best people out of your best location, it’s going to significantly decline.
2025 Award winner
Brian Morrison takes a vested interest in the success of his employees.
“That’s something I learned a long time ago: The location’s only as good as the people you put in it.”
To that end, Morrison has made a point of taking care of those who take care of his franchises.
“I’m extremely grateful for the opportunities I’ve had and the situation I’m in. I’ve just tried to help others in any way we can,” he says.
That includes a holiday tradition
of giving away four to five reconditioned cars to employees who have transportation challenges.
“(The vehicles) might need brakes, tires, or a tune-up, so we recondition them and make sure they’re safe,” Morrison says. “Anything we can do…I mean, it’s hard to see a need and not try to help if you can. We have 150 employees, and the need is pretty great. To be able to help is awesome, and so we do when we can.”
Throughout the year, Morrison finds ways to keep employees engaged and eager to excel in their jobs, offering performance incentives through programs that create a level playing field for all team members.
“He has a very creative mind with his employee promotions,” McCloskey says. “He just does things for employees that, with a lot of employers, it just doesn’t occur to them.”
Working with FullSpeed Automotive, Morrison and his team also help organize a backpack drive to provide the children of his employees with supplies for the school year, as well.
Away from work, Morrison enjoys riding a motorcycle. He recently ventured to South Dakota for the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, a trip that included a visit to the nearby Mount Rushmore.
When he is off the clock and off his motorcycle, you’re likely to find Morrison surrounded by family. He and his wife, Denise, have four children and are the proud grandparents of nine grandchildren.
“Those nine grandkids are probably my best friends, so I like to hang out with them as much as possible,” he says.
For Morrison, it’s a winning recipe.
Throttle is proud to work with standout operators like Brian Morrison, recognized for excellence, innovation and leadership across his SpeeDee and Grease Monkey Franchises. Celebrating
Year.
John Malek
Malek
An emphasis on taking care of people—not taking advantage of them—has made Mr. Oil Xpress Lube a fixture in its Florida community by Kacey Frederick
Transparency is tantamount in the fast oil change industry. It’s what customers seek from their auto service providers to keep their vehicles safe for the road. While some shops take this for granted, with a focus solely on how much they can make off each customer, long-term success comes from nurturing a healthy relationship with each guest.
This philosophy is what enabled John Malek to take a struggling quick lube in Sebastian, Florida, and convert it to Mr. Oil Xpress Lube. Having opened in 2015, its success has only grown with each year.
Because of his extensive experience as an entrepreneur, Malek knew that focus could not lie only with the customer, but with staff as well: encouraging them, taking care of them, and inspiring them. When Vernon Ohler first joined the team in 2015, this is exactly what he found. Having advanced from a
PHOTOS: ASHLEE OHLER
“Customers. It’s always about the customers."
technician to general manager, Ohler nominated his mentor for the NOLN Operator of the Year Award.
As this year’s runner-up, Malek shares what a customer-centric shop means to him—along with Ohler’s
experience of how he found a career in Malek’s shop.
A MAN OF MANY TRADES
Mr. Oil Xpress may be Malek’s first quick lube, but it’s far from his first
business. His path as an entrepreneur began when he was young and started working at a gas station where he grew up. Eventually, due to health complications, the station’s owner would hand the business off to Malek, who received much encouragement from a mentor at school to pursue the opportunity.
Throughout the years, Malek would go on to own several different businesses—driving a tow truck, rolling pretzels, painting cars, and operating a mobile gas station—all while holding a passion for automotive he’s had since high school. These endeavors would take him all the way to Florida, where he moved in the 1990s.
In 2015, the tenant of a property Malek owned had been running a quick lube, but not very well. In addition to the shop having consistently poor numbers, Malek could see that the staff and customers at the shop were treated poorly. That was when he saw his next—and biggest—business idea yet.
After taking over the quick lube, Malek sold off his existing storage unit business and rebranded the shop as Mr. Oil Xpress Lube. The rebrand helped a great deal with convincing customers in the area to return to the shop, but there was much more Malek would have to work on improving.
Malek was met with inadequate equipment and cheap tools upon taking over the shop. He had those replaced with high quality, up-to-date products. In addition to the shop having slow service times before Malek came in, the previous owner had also pressured his staff into selling things to customers that they didn’t need.
“We’re not about that, we’re about the customers,” says Ohler. “We will recommend it, if you need something, but we never try to push a sale down someone’s throat. It’s always up to the customer.”
The shop actively encourages transparency and communication with its clients. Ohler has driven nearly an hour away to address a concern with a customer, who mistook their A/C water for an oil leak.
A STAPLE OF SEBASTIAN
The emphasis on customer care has had a clear impact. After Malek took over the shop, its numbers only continued to climb with each year. Investing in advertising helped, as well as word of mouth from those who had come into the shop.
Now in the twilight of his career, Malek still comes into the shop every day out of a pure love for the business he’s created, and takes pride in the new customers they continue to gain. He still maintains a practice of collecting old oil change stickers from cars that come in to see all of the places they’re coming to Mr. Oil Xpress from.
It isn’t only the customers who benefited from the changes implemented by Malek, but the staff as well. For Ohler, he was motivated to nominate Malek as Operator of the Year because of the role he’s played in Ohler’s own professional development. Having moved to Florida from Ohio, Ohler learned of Mr. Oil Xpress Lube shortly after it opened in 2015. After leaving a job application with the front desk, he received a phone call just 10 minutes later from Malek, asking him to come and join the team.
Working his way up from a technician to the current general manager, Ohler has learned a lot just from working alongside Malek for the past decade. He set a standard that Ohler didn’t see from shops he worked for back in Ohio, which inspired him.
“The key thing that he drilled in my head is, ‘Customers. It’s always about the customers.’ And I see that firsthand: Customers come in, they love us,” shares Ohler. “I worked at a shop
before, up in Ohio, and we didn’t have the best customer turnaround. We were an upsell shop—and I knew in my head, after I sold that customer something, they weren’t coming back.
“Coming here, John has always been like: ‘Listen, if the customer wants it, they want it; if they don’t, it’s up to them. Leave that option up to the customer. You don’t make that option.’ And that’s what I admire about it so much. It’s such an honest shop. We do everything 100% here.”
Many shops say they’re like family, but at Mr. Oil Xpress Lube, they mean it literally. Not only does Ohler work there, but his wife now handles the business’ social media, and his brother and cousin both work in the shop. The family-like bond extends beyond them to the whole team.
“We all treat each other like family. I know a lot of places say that, but we really are like family here,” says Ohler.
Ohler chose Mr. Oil Xpress Lube as the place for his career for the same reason customers have made it a staple in the Sebastian region—because of its high-quality, trustworthy services. It’s the result of careful work from Malek, who decided to forego his other entrepreneurial pursuits once he found his calling in quick lube services. For others looking to follow the same path, it’s important to not only make the business your primary focus, but to gain firsthand experience as both a customer and a worker in the field as well.
“If you’re going to do this—if you want to do this business—go in there and learn first, and see what you know,” says Malek.
“One hundred percent. Because a lot of people think, ‘It’s an oil change business. Anybody can pull a filter,’ is what they think,” adds Ohler.
“But there’s a lot more to it than that.”
PREPARE TO PASS THE BATON
Although the transfer of ownership of a Maryland shop was accelerated by the unexpected passing of its owner, smart planning made the transfer relatively seamless
BY CAROL BADARACCO PADGETT
TRANSITIONS IN OWNERSHIP
of a quick lube shop usually come on the heels of a turning point of some sort. An owner is retiring or moving on to another opportunity. Or maybe they’re making a geographical move. There are countless reasons for owners to exit a business. In some instances, the transition in ownership is anticipated. But in others, it’s due to a random curve ball thrown by life.
It was a little of both at a Maryland Jiffy Lube in 2023, but it was still a transition that came crashing down out of the blue.
In January 2025, Jason Russ became his own boss as a Jiffy Lube franchisee in Maryland and Virginia. His new role as owner followed 25 years of working at the company CB Squared Services, a Jiffy Lube franchise based in Fairfax, Virginia.
At the time, the move to ownership was a change he was expecting—just not so quickly.
“We had a five-year-wind-down plan from the previous owner who’d been with the company for 35 years himself. And he wanted to transition out when he turned 60,” Russ explains.
But in 2024, the owner was diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer, and he passed away in October of that same year.
Long-Term Planning
Despite the tragedy, Russ says the previous owner had done some incredibly insightful things that many never do, and he had created and enacted a five-year plan for a changeover in ownership.
In essence, he had created a roadmap for his leadership team, and he was checking off the list: banking, accountants, attorneys, and even the business’ utilities.
“So, while his passing was unexpected, everything was already mapped out for his retirement,” Russ says. “There were some speed bumps, but we were able to jumpstart his plan.”
Based on living through the transition in ownership firsthand, Russ knows full well what an owner needs to do to plan for someone else taking the wheel, in as trouble-free a way as possible.
As he notes, “It’s preparing for the unexpected, the little things, like having the correct signatures on bank accounts.”
Other critical advice from Russ: “Having someone on the payroll who’s a notary always comes in handy at the 11th hour. And make sure there are no secrets, regardless if you’re an LLC or a corporation, so that someone else can guide the ship. Have things in place in advance.”
Then Russ notes, “In our situation (with the CB Squared Jiffy Lube
franchise), although it was unfortunate, we were also fortunate. We were able to flip off one switch and flip on another.”
A Foundation for Growth
Thanks to the previous owner’s foresight and due diligence, everyone in his business benefited. And that smooth-sailing transition can be credited for helping CB Squared grow to 31 locations today throughout Maryland and Virginia.
“We had known his intentions as senior managers,” Russ says. “When you make your intentions (as an owner) known, people really don’t have to get into the weeds. It’s like, ‘Hey, this person is getting older and we have a succession plan in place.’”
What about with the public—and what do customers need to know
when there’s a change of ownership at a quick maintenance facility in their area? According to Russ, it depends.
“If it’s a single operator with a personal touch, then maybe a handwritten note or a phone call is called for,” he says. “With a message something like, ‘Hey, I’m moving on, but you’re in good hands.’”
When his boss passed away and he took over, Russ says he notified entities like local police and even the plumbers. “We reached out to tell them what happened and that they wouldn’t notice anything different, just that their primary point of contact had changed,” he says.
For long-term large accounts that the quick lube had dealt with— businesses that came into the shop regularly—Russ says he and his team told them what happened and let
them know that their needs would continue to be serviced.
“Don’t just cold call them and say the past owner is gone,” Russ advises. Handle each interaction involving the ownership change in a thoughtful manner, whether it’s due to a simple changeover or a surprise and difficult one, like Russ and his team faced.
Open lines of communication and honesty with employees are also critical in ensuring a smooth changeover in ownership.
“You don’t necessarily need point-level detail with everyone, but make your intentions known,” Russ emphasizes to owners who are transitioning out of a business.
Then he adds, “Let them know that if something happens, the doors will still be open tomorrow.”
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CO-OWNER CAMARADERIE
Business partners show benefits of co-ownership with their success running Nebraska quick
BY ENID BURNS
THERE IS AN OLD SAYING THAT too many cooks spoils the broth. That adage is disproven by three co-owners of Grease Monkey in Omaha, Nebraska.
A partnership was formed when owner Marc Riewer brought in a new manager and associate 27 years ago. The sole owner offered his new employees the incentive of becoming part owners. The continued success of the shop shows it was a sound decision.
Turning Around a Troubled Shop
Marc Riewer bought an existing shop in Omaha. As a business owner, he became interested in the quick lube industry when he visited a Grease Monkey location near the restaurant he ran with his wife. After negotiations, he purchased the Omaha location, which had previously been shut down and was then run by corporate.
“At the time, an insurance executive had opened the franchise location,” Riewer says. “He didn’t
lube
make it a year.”
Grease Monkey reopened the shop, but soon sought a buyer. After negotiations, Riewer purchased the shop, along with significant inventory and funds for marketing. He kept the staff for a time, until he discovered theft.
“On a Sunday, I randomly picked up invoices on the desk,” Riewer tells NOLN. “I went in and this very first one was not on the system.”
He soon discovered the cash sales were not being recorded, and the money was being pocketed. Riewer let the manager and some employees go and began searching for a new manager. He called a competing shop and spoke to the manager, who had just given notice a er becoming unhappy with the way that shop was run.
A Partnership is Forged
“In the early ’90s, I started managing another business,” says Monte Thurston. “It got to the point I didn’t feel like I was working for a caring company. It went from a seven-store business to a 600-store business.
I didn’t feel like I had a name but a number.”
Soon a er pu ing in his two weeks’ notice, Thurston answered the phone and found an opportunity. Riewer was on the other end of the call.
“I said you can earn ownership with your sweat if you’re the right guy,” Riewer says.
Thurston came for the opportunity and brought Doug Rushing and another employee with him. The three worked together to turn the shop around.
“We pretty much fell into our strengths,” Rushing remembers. “Each of us has different personalities and strengths.
“There was a learning curve growing up and understanding each person’s strengths and weaknesses,” Rushing states.
No Monkey Business
As the largest stakeholder, Riewer operates remotely, holding monthly in-person meetings, although the three communicate daily through text messages and other means.
Rushing handles many administrative roles, including payroll, taxes, bills, hiring, and day-to-day operations. Thurston ensures the business runs smoothly. Riewer brings the ideas and facilitates growth.
When it comes to making decisions, each owner has a say.
“Usually with decisions, we collaborate over the problem at hand and each puts in our own input,” says Thurston. “The person most involved in that situation ends up with the final decision.”
That means if it is a payroll issue, Thurston takes the lead on the decision.
Making a Better Business Through Employees
The franchise location has received recognition from Grease Monkey,
Carfax, NAPA, and other organizations for top-rated service. The efforts go beyond the confines of the shop. The partners seek ways to support the shop’s 20 employees. This comes in the form of training, as many shops offer, and also by helping employees where they need it.
Rushing conducted the phone interview for this article from the bank, where he was assisting an employee in opening a line of credit. The part owner has cosigned for loans and opened credit cards with a $1,000 limit to help employees build credit.
“We want to help employees become the best version of themselves,” says Riewer. “Our goal is that when you leave us, you leave a better person and worker.”
Of course, Riewer and partners hope those employees will remain
part of the family, but they also understand opportunities emerge.
Although the shop does not prioritize DEI in its hiring process, the Grease Monkey location has a diverse workforce of skilled workers. Included in their shop is a deaf mechanic, as well as staff from Africa, Afghanistan, Mexico, and other countries. In the latter case, Thurston says employees can speak with customers who come in from other countries and struggle to communicate the problems they have with their cars.
The Nebraska-based Grease Monkey has seen expansion, including the acquisition of a neighboring car wash and an increase in the number of bays following its merger with the car wash. The partners discuss opportunities and are open to growth. Riewer may present the opportunities, but he
listens to his partners.
“We’ve talked for a long time,” he says. “I’ve always said we’re never going to expand unless I hear from you guys.”
The partners do seek opportunities. “We also think Omaha is ripe for a couple more locations,” Riewer says.
A partnership lends itself to discussion, allowing decisions to be made with the perspective of multiple viewpoints.
“There’s less stress, you have other people to communicate with,” says Rushing. “You’re able to use more people’s strength, not one person doing everything.”
Partnerships can offer a business more potential when the parties involved work well together.
“We all hit it off really well with our own strengths,” says Thurston.
BRING IN THE ADMIN
Hiring an administrator can free up managers to get back to focusing on big-picture tasks
BY PETER SUCIU
ACROSS THE SERVICE industry, a “manager” often wears too many hats these days. Part of the problem is that the position spans a range from lower-level supervisor to upper-level executive, with varying responsibilities. In the quick lube industry, managers typically oversee daily operations and are responsible for ensuring efficient and accurate service delivery, directing staff, handling customer interactions, and maintaining inventory.
In some cases, the owner can also act as the manager, which only adds to the individual’s responsibilities; however, even when a shop owner or franchisee hires a dedicated manager, that can put too much on the shoulders of that person.
The Challenge
Trying to be a jack-of-all-trades often means you’re the master of none,
and in the world of automotive service, it can be overwhelming.
“There is an abundance of items that need to get done in the workday, and if you don’t have individuals in the positions to address it, you can get buried very quickly,” warns Dustin Olde, owner of multiple Lube and Latte locations in Colorado.
As his staff grew with expansion, it was more than Olde was able to take on. It was more than he or the managers could handle, Olde says.
“Unfortunately, many managers and business owners try to do it all, and it keeps them from maximizing their productivity because they end up spending time on tasks or busy work,” adds Matt Webb, president of Premier Oil Change. “A manager should be spending 80% of his/her time training staff, driving bay time, and creating an excellent experience for the guests and 20% on lower
impact things that need to be done but don’t move the needle.”
The Solution
The most direct way to resolve the issue is to hire the right help. It might seem that promoting someone to the position of “assistant manager” would alleviate some of the workload, but selecting a go-getter from the shop floor just creates a new problem. Instead, it may be wiser to hire someone to handle the tasks that get in the way of the day-to-day tasks that pile up on the manager’s desk.
“Having someone who is flexible and can do a wide variety of tasks is invaluable,” says Webb.
“We currently have two admins,” says Olde. “One is more HR-centric, while the other is more centered on the financials.”
For Lube and Latte, Olde says this allows those individuals to focus on the “stuff that falls outside the purview of the manager.”
It has freed up time for managers, while also allowing issues to be addressed quickly.
“Our admins are also there to carry out the outreach to customers if there is a problem with the service,” Olde adds. “That makes sure people don’t fall through the cracks.”
The Aftermath
One key point with admins is that they’re not managers, and that needs to be clear to the staff. Similarly, the role that admins are to play within an organization is also essential. One important consideration is that an admin isn’t a manager, even if that individual takes on some of the manager’s responsibilities. The admin should be directed to handle tasks and jobs that do not require key decision-making or planning, and instead, clear the load by taking on tasks that can otherwise bog down a manager.
“We have discovered pretty quickly that we needed to create pretty expansive job descriptions, because we’ve had some confusion in the past as to who handles what,” Olde explains. It has enabled promotions, including identifying who can step up and assume additional responsibilities.
“I have some people that are so good at their jobs that they want to do more, and an admin can help make sure to determine who may want to do more,” Olde continues. “We use the admins to reallocate some of the duties, but if they don’t want to take on more, we can make that work.”
This allows the manager to ensure that work is delegated correctly, the staff know what they are responsible for, and the shop can function smoothly.
“Looking back, I waited too long to hire someone to fill this role,” Webb suggests. “I was operating five locations with 40 employees and doing everything myself. That was a mistake. When I finally hired the right person to fill the role, it was life-changing for me, as I could spend time doing things to grow the
• Designed
business and serve our guests and staff at a higher level.”
The Takeaway
A primary consideration is knowing it is time to step up and hire an admin. That can add to operating costs, and in some cases, that individual can’t (or at least shouldn’t) take on other duties. Someone hired to handle HR issues can’t put on overalls and head to the shop floor when someone calls in sick, for example.
“Shops need to be aware of the admin costs,” suggests Olde. “You need to understand that this is someone who isn’t involved in service, but in our case, we allocate a percentage of the revenue to supporting that position. You have to make sure you can take that percentage out of the business to pay for it, but if you do it right, it pays off.”
Knowing when to hire an admin can be tricky.
“I’m quite certain I wouldn’t need it if we were a single storefront, but then again, if you have 10 or 15 bays and a steady flow of customers, you might need an admin,” says Olde.
“If you are a one- to two-store operator, I think you can get away
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with doing most admin tasks yourself,” admits Webb. “If you have three or more locations, I recommend considering hiring a support person.”
You can start by making a list of all the things you do that you can easily train someone else to do, and also all the things that you wish you were doing better, or even items that you struggle to get done.
Webb tells NOLN that it can even serve as the foundation for the job description and duties.
“If it’s not a full-time position, you can start with maybe a few hours a day,” says Webb. “There are people who drop their kids off at school who could use a part-time job with flexible hours. This could be the perfect person to fill that role.”
Having an admin, along with a capable manager, can allow the shop to run itself. That can be attractive for owners who can’t be involved in the day-to-day running of the shop.
“That is also a selling point when the time comes to retire,” Olde explains. “Many people who are looking to buy a business don’t want to think about that part of it. Having an admin helps remove you from those duties.”
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How We Can Protect Ourselves from Neglect of a Manufacturer
Make investments in equipment and documentation to minimize your exposure to risks associated with failure-prone parts
Adam Tatum is director of operations for the Virginia Group, a Jiffy Lube franchisee with 11 locations.
He has over a decade of experience in the industry with a proven track record of building customer counts and sales, as well as using innovative ways to bring a new look to the automotive field for both the customer and the employee. Performance comes from growing your business through people.
WE ALL HAVE HAD THAT PHONE CALL. A customer has a car at a dealership or on the side of the road with a plug out. Did you make a mistake and not tighten the plug? Were there any comments on the invoice for pre-existing issues? Unfortunately, how many of us have had to pay the price of an engine repair for bad design? Regardless of what the manufacturers’ heads like to say, there is plenty of evidence to support the problems with these cars, especially the drain plug.
In October 2022, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced it had launched an investigation into Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Motor Company for problems with their oil pans and oil drain plugs. Specifically, consumers and aftermarket service facilities have filed complaints that their engine’s oil drain plug falls out, causing all the oil to drain out of their engine while driving.
In multiple tests, the oil drain plug was tightened according to factory torque specifications, and the tightening was well documented. Yet, testing shows in multiple cases that while driving, the oil drain plug falls within a few thousand miles after the service. In those cases, the crankcase drained completely.
The testing and investigations appear to show that the oil drain plans are made with thin metal and the drain plug mounting port is poorly reinforced. In addition, the oil pan has a thick paint coating that bonds the gasket to the pan, so the gasket does not come off when the drain plug is removed. That gasket issue alone is not why the oil drain plug falls out, but it is a factor in the chain of events.
The thin metal, along with engine vibrations and expansion/contraction, tend to loosen the drain plug without any other intervention. NHTSA is investigating this as a factory defect issue.
The problem is two-fold. First, even if the repair shop properly torques the drain plug, the oil drain plug falls out on its own. The customer
then blames the shop for shoddy workmanship. Second, Hyundai and Kia dealers are telling customers that servicing their vehicle at an aftermarket shop automatically voids their factory warranty. This is false and illegal under the terms of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.
This is the most common issue that we know about from our side of the fence. However, there are reports and diagnostic evidence of bad bolts on the heads, allowing gaskets to fail, a bad fuel delivery system that consistently needs to run cleaner through to operate effectively and ECU issues documented. In other words, you better protect yourself from the process of a bad design.
Consider purchasing an oil extractor, which works by removing oil from the top so that you never have to touch the dreaded plug. They are readily available through online retailers, and I have found one that takes the oil out just as fast as a lower bay technician can draining it.
Make sure to document your use of the extractor and that the plug was not removed.
Here is why this is important. Recently, we had a long-time customer to one of our locations have a drain plug back out of her Kia vehicle. The dealership immediately said that we did not tighten the plug properly when we performed an oil change in June. However, since we have these machines in the shop, we never touched that plug. We used the extractor and documented it as such on the invoice. Shop cameras that showed our work verified this.
We began using an oil extractor in December 2024, so we had used the machine for three oil changes on the vehicle in question without touching the plug that came out.
At the end of the day, know that there are issues with these two engine designs. The best way to save yourself from the headache of a warranty claim and hit to the bottom line is to spend a little bit of money to equip yourself with the right deterrents.
PHOTO: LUCAS MOORE
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