Franchisee Profile: Brad Neuman and Tim Fiedler

Franchisee Profile: Brad Neuman and Tim Fiedler

Armed with extensive experience in executive roles, Brad Neuman and Tim Fiedler are poised to successfully grow Honest-1 as regional developers for Chicagoland. Neuman, a Chicagoan since high school, came out of retirement to purchase the Chicago region territory for Honest-1. In addition to a managing broker’s real estate license, an MBA from the University of Chicago, and a CPA, Neuman has more than 40 years of experience in strategy, systems, finance and planning. Neuman served as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President at Homart Development for ten years before selling the company, what was then the largest developer of regional malls. In 2012, Neuman worked with Avaya to improve their performance. Before Avaya, Neuman served on several philanthropic boards; led projects for the Civic Consulting Alliance serving the City of Chicago and started his own management consulting company.

Fiedler, also a native Chicagoan, has a similarly impressive resume and is also coming out of retirement for this venture. Fiedler’s expertise is in sales management and territory development, which is highlighted by the numerous awards and recognitions that he has received throughout his 35-plus years in the field. He started his career as a sales representative with UNISYS, before moving on to a number of managerial and senior executive positions at EMC Corporation, Cisco Systems and finally Avaya.

How did you learn about Honest-1 and why did you choose an opportunity with the brand? 

We were looking for a business to invest in and researched various potential acquisitions. We did some due diligence on a few opportunities, but nothing excited us in terms of quality and scale. Becoming Regional developers with Honest-1 appealed to us because it granted us the opportunity to help talented people achieve their dream of owning their own business. The opportunity to scale the system in Chicago to a significant size played an important role in the decision, as did our desire to own and operate a few locations of our own. Although Brad wasn’t initially enthused by the idea of going into the automotive repair industry, we were drawn to Honest-1’s customer service values and the eco-friendly aspect. The brand has the perfect combination of being a business with a high degree of ethics while also allowing us to grow our personal wealth. 

Why do you think Honest-1 will thrive in your territory? 

We own the territory to five counties, which is home to around 4 million people. Honest-1 is a very attractive concept within a very big market. 

What are your development plans? 

Within a year, we hope to have a few franchisees signed and at least one operating by February 2015. In the next two years we want three Honest-1 locations open. 

What publications would you like us to focus our efforts on?

 

Village trustee magazines; female entrepreneur magazines (we would be willing to take an ad out), and 

real estate developer magazines.

Getting your car road trip ready

Getting your car road trip ready

2 KASA This Morning recently featured William Jones of Honest-1 Auto Care in Albuquerque. The segment starts out saying asking William what is the most vulnerable portion of the car during the heat, and William says it is the cooling system and explains that it should not be confused with the A/C, the cooling system keeps the engine cool. They go on to ask if something happens with the A/C what should viewers do, William explains that there isn’t much they can on their own and they should take it into a repair shop.  William goes on to explain that heat is the killer to pretty much anything on the car and heat means friction and friction can be bad for the tires, viewers should constantly check their tire pressure.  William continues on to show how to check the oil level in a car and cooling system. William says that you should always check a car when it is cool for safety reason. The segment ends with William providing information where Honest-1 is located in Albuquerque.

You can view the full segment here. 

Honest-1 Auto Care on WFMY News Channel 2

Honest-1 Auto Care on WFMY News Channel 2

Honest-1 Auto Care Greensboro Owner Erik Rhyne was recently featured in a segment on WFMY News Channel 2. Being that April is National Car Care month the segment beings with Eric giving simple preventative tips such as replacing your tires, what Honest-1 charges and the fluids you should change/maintain in your vehicle. The segment then transitions for a preparing your car for summer trips, Erik mentions what one should check such as, brakes or preforming a battery test. Erik also advised viewers to go to a shop that they trust and will not feel cheated after this the anchor made a the comment, “A note to self, go to Honest-1.”



Or you can view the segment here.

Honest-1 in Sun Thisweek

Honest-1 in Sun Thisweek

Honest-1 Auto Care was recently featured in an article in Sun Thisweek on Wednesday, March 19^th, 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."

You can view the full article here.

Women in Business: Q&A with Rissy Sutherland, COO Honest-1 Auto Care

Women in Business: Q&A with Rissy Sutherland, COO Honest-1 Auto Care

Rissy Sutherland COO of Honest-1 Auto Care was recently featured in The Huffington Post. The article features Rissy’s experiences that have helped make her a leader, how her previous employment helped her succeed in her current role, her take on issues women face in the workplace, and mentors and female leaders that have helped shape her career.

You can view the full article here. 

Honest-1 in The Mecklenburg Times

Honest-1 Auto Care in The Mecklenburg Times

Honest-1 Auto Care was recently feature in The Mecklenburg Times on Friday, February 14^th, 2014. The article features Honest-1 Auto Care Southern North Carolina Region Developer Eric Renninger and his plans for the area. 

The title of the article is “Auto repair shop scouting Charlotte: Arizona-based company plans to add up to 15 area stores once it finds locations and franchisees” and begins with information about how Eric was training at corporate headquarters for his job of developing the Charlotte area for Honest-1 and the road ahead of him finding potential franchisees. The article then goes into what makes Charlotte good for expansion and talks about the various ways in which Honest-1 builds out new locations, then gives some information about the brand. The article closes with some great info about how quickly a new location could be turned around, and the search for the right franchisee.

Franchisee Profile: Troy Garris

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.

Developer Profile- Eric Renninger

Developer Profile- Eric Renninger

Eric Renninger, 40, has more than 15 years of experience in government, commercial and environmental management. After spending four years in the Middle East on an international federal government assignment, as the director of operations for a large-scale government contractor based in Detroit, Renninger returned to the US in 2013 to implement a business plan he had been developing for two years.

  

Renninger grew up in rural Pennsylvania and joined the U.S. Air Force immediately out of high school, serving internationally and domestically from 1992-1996 before graduating from Penn State with a BS in 2000. He then relocated to Raleigh to work in the environmental engineering industry, working his way up the ranks until he was presented with the life-changing opportunity to relocate to the Middle East.

During his time abroad, Renninger had bounced business ideas back and forth with a good friend, who was also the director of entrepreneurship at a local community college. When Renninger eventually returned to the US in July 2013, his friend had met someone who worked with Honest-1, and noticed how similar Renninger’s business proposal mimicked Honest-1’s.  

 

“The model they had developed was so close to what I had been thinking about for two years; there was no reason to reinvent the wheel,” Renninger said. Within a few months, Renninger attended Discovery Day, hired a lawyer for legal advice, vetted Honest-1’s performance and signed with the brand in December 2013.

Why did you choose to sign on as a regional developer?

As a former director of operations, I am used to working with thousands of people, and I enjoy teaching and helping people become better managers and operate to their maximum potential. I succeeded previously in this type of role, so I thought it would be a good fit.

What type of people are you hoping to recruit?

Ideally, we’re looking for owners who are looking for an executive position and didn’t necessarily grow up with tools in their hands. I’m looking for a business man or woman who wants the opportunity to be their own boss and understands operations and people management.  Ideally, I’d like to have five individuals who want to develop five stores in each of the various markets. That way, we’re not re-teaching from the ground up and we can more easily move from one store to multiple stores. This strategy also allows us to devote our focus on the operational success of the store.

I also hope to tap into the military connections that I have made. The region is home to Fort Bragg, which is one of the largest military bases in the world. We want to become involved in the transition assistance program, and recruit some high level military officers who want to stay in the area in a new career.

Are you involved in charities or community outreach programs?

I’m involved with Wounded Warriors project through my affiliation with the local Trout Unlimited group.

What publications would you like us to focus on?

The Penn Stater, Alumni Magazine and trade magazines.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I’ve always had an interest in automobiles since a young age. I have a small collection of vintage cars that I like to drive in my spare time.