Honest-1 Featured on ABCNewspapers.com

Honest-1 was recently featured on ABCNewspapers.com in an article titled, "Honest-1 Auto Care business in Blaine expanding".

The article discusses the success of the location in Blaine, Minnesota and why owner Evan Staples decided to open a secondary business in the auto-care industry.  As a semi-absentee business owner, Evan discusses his background in finance and how opening Honest-1 has been a rewarding and lucrative opportunity for him and his family. 

Click HERE for the full article or begin reading below:

Honest-1 Auto Care business in Blaine expanding

By: Eric Hagen

The business owner overseeing the expansion of the Honest-1 Auto Care facility in Blaine on University Avenue has very diverse experiences so he can better support his family.

Evan Staples of Brooklyn Park continues to work full-time helping people invest in mutual funds at Nuveen Investments, but he chose to purchase the Honest-1 Auto Care business at 10705 University Ave. NE Feb. 20, 2012 because he wanted another stable income to support his family. His wife Jessica and he have an 18-month-old daughter, Brynn, and another baby is on the way.

Franchisee Spotlight: Erik Rhyne

Erik Rhyne, age 30, was born and raised in Greensboro and had high hopes of becoming a NASCAR Race official. After graduating high school, Rhyne went to NASCAR Technical Institute and graduated in 2006 at the top of his class. BMW corporate saw Rhyne’s potential and recruited him to train as a master technician on scholarship in Roanoke, VA.  After graduating, Rhyne worked at various auto bodies as a master technician, and then received a call from his mother who sat next to Rissy Sutherland, president of Honest-1, on a flight. Rhyne moved back to his hometown of Greensboro and opened his own Honest-1 AutoCare at the age of 29.

How did you learn about the brand?

My mom was on a flight and happened to have a seat next to Rissy Sutherland, the president of Honest-1. They began talking and my mom told her I was a mechanic and Rissy provided more information about the franchise. She said the Greensboro location was open and it’s the first and only Honest-1 in the state of North Carolina.

Why did you choose an opportunity with Honest-1 Auto Care?

I love auto repair and my wife and I are very eco-friendly, which Honest-1 spotlights. I don’t want to do anything just to generate profit; I want to be proud of my work on a daily basis. Their environment was comforting to me. They have everything I require.  

What makes your business unique in the community?

There are plenty of automotive repair shops in the area but we are clean, attractive, and nice. The eco-friendly services we offer are very unique and the fact that we can give people a pleasant experience in a stereotypically unpleasant business speaks volumes about the brand.

Are you involved with any charities or do any community outreach with your business?

We partner with Wheels for Hope where we repair donated cars and sell them to needy families at an extremely low cost. We donate our labor and parts at no cost. We are also well connected with the University of North Carolina – Greensboro. We work closely with students with autism or Asperger’s who work in the auto shop and learn how automotive repair works. I give my employees PTO to volunteer in the community, which isn't a norm for most businesses.

What challenges have you overcome to get where you are now?

Being in management as a young person is something I've had to learn how to do. During the recession, it was also difficult to get a bank on board, and in addition to having two young kids and working full- time, my experiences have definitely been challenging.

What are your expansion or development plans? What is your end goal with Honest-1 Auto Care?

We would like to open more locations in Greensboro and the surrounding area within the next 2-3 years.

Honest-1 Featured in The Glendale Star

Honest-1 was recently featured in The Glendale Star in an article titled, "Local auto shop holds true to being 'honest'".

The article details Glendale owner Thomas Young's military background and passion for the auto care industry. The article notes that Honest-1 is extremely eco-friendly, citing recycling efforts, and also welcoming to female clients.

Click HERE for the full article or begin reading below:

Glendale auto care shop holds true to being ‘honest’

By: Kathryn Stafford and Ayla Hopper

Anyone who drives knows the feeling of putting the key in the ignition and coming to find their car won’t start. Many thoughts run through their head, including a car service provider. Car owners want the best service for their car, and not to mention, an “honest” mechanic. Honest 1 Auto Care really does live up to their name.

The car service is a national franchise and the Glendale location, 15420 N. 59th Ave., is owned and operated by Thomas Young.

Young grew up in Georgia, and went to the Citadel on a NROTC military scholarship in 1975. He received an active duty commission in the U.S. Marine’s in 1979 as a Second Lieutenant. After Young left the Marine Cops, he joined the Georgia Air National Guard, 128th Tactical Fighter Squadron. Young continued his journey by becoming an FBI agent in 1987. After Young retired, he cumulated more than 30 years of government service. Young’s loyal service doesn’t stop there. After retirement he wanted to do something a little different. Using his knack of helping the public and by using loyalty, honesty, Young opened Honest 1 Auto Care in Glendale. A car care community holding true to being honest.

Honest-1 Auto Care Continues to Receive Accolades and is Listed on Franchise Business Review’s Top 50 Brand of 2013

Growing Auto Care Company Garners Second Award of the Year from Well-Known Industry Publication

Honest-1 Auto Care, the nation’s only full-service auto care company that is 100 percent ESA® Certified Eco-Friendly, announced a major recognition as an auto care company but also as a top franchisor. Clocking in as one of eight automotive brands, Honest-1 was acknowledged in the “Best of 2013: Guide to Today's Top Franchises,” by FranchiseBusinessReview.com.

The ranking marks the publication’s second award honored to Honest-1 in 2013. Earlier this year, the auto-care company was also featured in their Franchise Satisfaction Awards (FBR50), an awards program that ranks companies based solely on actual franchise satisfaction.

“We are thrilled and honored to be chosen as one of Franchise Business Review’s top automotive brands,” said Rissy Sutherland, COO of Honest-1 Auto Care. “Since we put all of our effort into ensuring our customers and franchisees are happy and successful by providing not only top of the line experiences and service to our retail customers but also to our franchisees as well. We are eager to continue growing and providing top quality service to our customers and growing as a system.”

Looking at industries across several categories, the guide aims to explore emerging trends to determine which franchise concepts are the most popular and those that are working the best in their respective categories, as well as to explore from an investment and financing standpoint.

Based on a survey of more than 26,000 franchisees representing over 350 franchise brands and 125,000 franchise units/locations, Franchise Business Review acknowledged many of Honest-1’s strengths superior training, support and a vast array of franchise offerings to fit most investment levels and situations.

“Coming off a successful Q1 where our actions directly led to these honors from Franchise Business Review, we look forward to continuing the momentum,” said Chip Baranowski, Vice President of Franchise Development for Honest-1 Auto Care.  “There are many exciting things on the horizon for the brand including new territory areas we have never been in before. Our goal remains the same – to expand and prove we are a difference-maker in the industry.”

The brand recently announced a 31 percent revenue increase from quarter one of 2012 to quarter one of 2013. This continued growth comes on the heels of the 33.4 percent system-wide sales increase Honest-1 experienced in 2012 over 2011, the best increase in the company’s history. Marked by two new region developer deals signed in quarter one to further anchor the growing company in the Midwest and East Coast, Honest-1 is slated for significant location expansion this year.

Aiming to fix the auto care customer experience, H-1 also took the time to re-define how the entire experience should look and feel, from the customer service members at the front desk to the waiting areas and top-quality amenities available while customers wait. Plus, Honest-1 utilizes top of the line technology to review repairs with their customers by showing the customer their vehicle and service issues in a 3D interface to visually see their vehicle needs, and not just hear it from their customer service manager. These, in addition to their consistent and trusting social media voice, demonstrate why Honest-1 “gets” their customer more than any other auto care company.

Honest-1 Auto Care plans to expand into additional markets around the country including, Phoenix, Atlanta, Nashville, Indianapolis, Miami, Orlando, Raleigh, Charlotte, Michigan, Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Denver, and many others. For more information about Honest-1 franchising, visit www.h1franchise.com.