Franchisee Profile: Troy Garris
Troy Garris, 43, will be returning to his home state
of Iowa to open an Honest-1 in the metropolitan Des Moines area.
Garris, a born and bred Iowan, joins Honest-1 with
extensive management and business experience. He graduated from the University
of Northern Iowa with a degree in management in 1992 and then a MBA and JD from
the University of Iowa in 1996 and 1997 respectively.
After completing his studies, Garris relocated to the
bustling city of Chicago to work in the finance department at CNA, an insurance
company. He spent the past 15 years at the company, making his way up to a
Director for Worldwide Operations. Garris determined it was a good time to
become his own boss and open his own business.
Garris is currently looking at real estate in the Des
Moines area, and is eager to return with his family to a community with a
better quality of life.
How did you learn about Honest-1?
I connected with a franchise consultant while searching
for business opportunities. I wasn’t initially looking at franchises
in particular, but the concept appealed to me because of the proven business
model and support.
Why did you choose an opportunity with Honest-1 Auto Care?
My family has a history in the automotive industry; they
owned the first Ford dealership west of the Mississippi. I basically grew up
there and loved hanging out in the shop. I also learned to work on my own cars.
So when looking for franchises, Honest-1 came up and it was something I was
interested in. Auto care is a strong market and it’s also a
needed service.
The other reason is that Honest-1 is a pioneer in the
industry at being extreme
ly customer-centric; teaching customers about what is
being serviced and building trust. I also think it’s important
that Honest-1 is focused on being as environmentally-friendly as possible.
Customers are provided with options and ways to be “green”,
which is something I’m an advocate for and firmly
believe that most people are looking to reduce their impact on the environment.
Are you involved with any charities or community outreach
programs?
I work with Annie’s Legacy, which is a women’s
resource center in Chicago that supports victims of domestic violence. I
provide operational support and help with technical issues such as their
website and created an operational database to help them be able to focus on
their mission.
Honest-1 Auto Care was recently featured in an article in Sun Thisweek on Wednesday, March 19th, 2014 about the Eagan Honest-1 Auto Care team winning the company’s Excellence Award. In the text of the article: "The Eagan Honest-1 Auto Care team recently was awarded the company’s Excellence Award for its
service. The award was for the team’s contribution to improvements in
customer service, operations, sales growth increase in 2013, 27.5
percent increase in car count, improved gross profit management and
results, and top quality level of service. Team members, from left, are
Robert Moehnke, Robert Whitehead, Miguel Mitchell, Collin Brown, Harold
Pearson, Ben Bromen and Vince Lanz."
