Region Developer: Miguel Cruz, Northern Virginia

Miguel Cruz, 58, was born and raised in Puerto Rico, but moved to the U.S. at the age of 18 to join the U.S. Army as an electronic technician. He served in the Army for almost 16 years before leaving to join the Civil Service in 1994, where he performed various duties including equipment management and managing contracts for automotive maintenance.  After Cruz retires from the Civil Service in January 2014 to focus on Honest-1 as the Region Developer for Northern Virginia, he will have worked for the government for close to 33 years.  

How did you learn about the brand?

In preparing for my retirement from the government, I started looking into businesses. I was going to go on my own but began looking at franchises and came across Honest-1. What appealed to me about them was their business model, which is one that I had envisioned doing had I opened my own business. It was family-friendly and honest.

Why did you decide to take up an opportunity with Honest-1?

After nearly 33 years working for the government, I thought it was time to retire and chase my dream of being a business owner. I grew up in the restaurant business and I always liked business. The automotive field appealed to me because I like working on cars. I haven’t been through formal training in automotive maintenance but I grew up repairing and working on my own cars.

Why did you decide to take on the role of Area Developer?

It was a no brainer for me to become area developer – I hope to have multiple stores and go beyond just being a franchisee.  Also, it’s basically a sales position and I’ve been in sales before. I don’t have experience as an area developer but I didn’t feel like I needed it with the training that Honest-1 provided.

 

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

The main challenge we have faced in Northern Virginia is the availability of properties in the right area. Zoning for automotive businesses is a real hurdle to overcome because it takes time, which is why it’s important that I open my own store and have something to show future franchisee prospects. One thing that I take into consideration is the convenience of a customer driving to the facility: how far do they have to drive, is there much traffic to get to the location. I try to look for convenience so I’m limiting myself to the areas that I can set the stores in. We’ve worked hard to overcome that challenge and now we have landlords calling us to offer us sites in the right locations.

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

There is a location in Alexandria that opened in 2012 before I became area developer and we are currently working on the lease for a franchisee in our Ashburn location, which we plan to open in June 2014. We have at least six sites that are available to us should we decide to move forward. Now it’s a matter of finding candidates to put on these sites. If I don’t find applicants I’m going to open them myself and turn them over to future franchisees. I plan to open around 30 stores in the Northern Virginia area within the next eight to 10 years.

Why did you decide to join the military?

When I was growing up, I always liked watching TV, in particular a program called Combat!, and for some reason, that type of life had always caught my attention. I thought it was a good opportunity to get out of the island and see other parts of the world and serve my country. So when I was almost 19, during the Vietnam era, I joined the military. I didn’t think twice about it. I learned a lot and it opened my eyes to a different world and different people.

Before I joined the military, I was a shy guy. Once I joined the military, I started moving up the ranks and inherited more responsibilities and it put me in a position where I had to stand in front of people training and teaching them. The military gave me confidence and I lost all my inhibitions when it came to standing in front of people.

Why did you decide to join the Civil Service?

After I decided to leave the U.S. Army, the job market was tough in the civilian sector. I had just finished 16 years working for the government so it didn’t make sense to throw that away, so I decided to pursue a career with Civil Service and combine my military time to total 33 years with the government. 

Honest-1 in the Minneapolis Star Tribune

Honest-1 Auto Care was featured in the Star Tribune where Master Technician Eric Schmittdiel from the Roseville, MN shop discussed the day to day work in the "On the Job" section. The article begins with Eric recalling how the auto care industry has transitioned towards more electrical and computer driven technology. Franchisee in Roseville, Peter Lee, was quoted about how good Eric is at his job, and Eric details his history with cars and background before joining Honest-1.  The article ends with a Q&A with Eric about his job, his future, and cars.

Check out the full feature here! 

Honest-1 in the Daily Local News

Our newest franchisee to the system, Jim Lehman in Malvern, Pennsylvania was recently featured in the Daily Local News! The article begins with information about how Jim decided to open up the first Honest-1 Auto Care in Pennsylvania after working for the Vanguard Group for years.  The article gives details on what Honest-1 is all about, and the focus on the environment, families, and good customer service.  The article ends with information about Jim’s desire to give back to the community that he lives in.

Honest-1 Auto Care featured in the Dallas Business Journal

Honest-1 Auto Care was recently featured in the Dallas Business Journal in an article titled, "Honest-1 Auto Care Plans 10-15 Shops in DFW." The article was built from an interview with Jon Langbert, region developer for Honest-1 in North Texas, who is actively scouting out real estate and looking for franchisees in the market to help grow the franchise. Honest-1 is an environmentally friendly car care shop that provides a clean, upscale waiting room, internet cafe and a child's play area. In the next two to three years, Honest-1 is looking to add an additional 10-15 shops in the area.

Click here for full article.

Honest-1 Auto Care plans 15 to 20 shops in DFW

Honest-1 Auto Care plans 15 to 20 locations in North Texas in the next two or three years. 

Nicholas Sakelaris

Staff Writer- Dallas Business Journal

A new upscale automobile repair shop plans to launch 15 to 20 new locations in Dallas-Fort Worth in the next two or three years.

Phoenix-based Honest-1 Auto Care bills itself as an environmentally friendly shop with a clean, upscale waiting room, an internet café and children’s play area.

Jon Langbert, regional developer for Honest-1, secured his first franchise owner, who is looking for an existing building that could be remodeled.

He estimates it will take about six months to open the first shop once a location is identified.

Langbert, a Dallas native who lives in Addison, paid $150,000 for the Dallas, Denton, Collin and Tarrant County region in July. He will find the franchises, identify locations and work with lenders to secure financing.
He’ll earn 3 percent of revenue from the franchise owner while the other 3 percent will go toward Honest-1.
The first franchises will likely be remodeled from existing auto repair shops but the long-term goal is to build new locations from the ground up, Langbert said. The shops will be between 3,500 to 5,000 square feet.

"Dallas is such a car-oriented market that we’ll be leaning toward the larger end of that scale with eight to 10 bays," he said.

The company is looking for franchise owners with management experience, not necessarily with automobile expertise.

Honest-1 is 100 percent ESA (Environmentally Sustainable Actions) certified by recycling, preventing pollution, conserving resources and offering eco-friendly auto services.

To continue reading article, click here. 

Regional Developer Spotlight: Jon Langbert, North Texas

As of July, Jon Langbert, 48, has become the Region Developer for Honest-1 Auto Care in North Texas. Langbert grew up in Dallas and went to the University of Texas in Austin, where he received his BBA in finance and later received his MBA from Harvard. Langbert has always had the entrepreneurial bug and in 1995 he started his own video poker business.

Franchising has always been something that peaked Langbert’s interests. He bought a Commission Express franchise and became one of their most expansive franchisees ultimately owning seven locations. Commission Express is a small specialty financing franchise that covered the United States with 70 locations. In 2010, Langbert sold all of his units individually and explained, “I had more fun buying and selling the franchises, than I did running them. That’s how I decided to become a developer.”

“I am environmentally conscious and I wanted to be part of a brand that was in tune with my values. I met the folks at Honest-1 and saw that it was an upscale franchise. I liked the fact that they were taking a product that everyone buys and making it better,” said Langbert. “Honest-1 is doing the same thing that Starbucks did for coffee. Before, you had to go to the corner bodega or Dunkin’ Donuts. But, they turned it into an upscale cultural phenomenon. I believe that Honest-1 can do the same thing for auto repair.”

How did you learn about the brand?

I looked at a few different franchise options, but knew I wanted to be a developer which narrowed my focus. I also wanted to go into a business that was early on in its growth curve so I could help reach its potential. I started by talking to other regional developers and since there are no Honest-1’s in Texas, I made arrangements to visit a fellow developer, Steve Grimes, when I went to my brother’s wedding in Seattle. I visited four of the stores with Steve and I began to understand the way they operated within the auto care industry.

Do you have any other interesting hobbies or passions?

I am a private pilot, but only have about 200 flying hours so far. I play ice hockey as does my daughter and I also have triplets that take up a lot of my time. They are going into middle school, two girls and a boy. My family is my real passion.

Franchisee Spotlight: Butch Carter, Marietta, Georgia

Butch grew up in Belmont North Carolina, a small town outside Charlotte.  After high school, Butch went to college at NC State on an Air Force ROTC scholarship.  However, he returned home after one of his parents passed away and graduated from UNC Charlotte.  Upon graduation, Butch went into the Air Force and spent 4 years as an intelligence officer stationed in Denver and then Shreveport, Louisiana.  As part of his Strategic Air Command duties, he would keep a 3-star general and his staff informed of the current events taking place in the world.  He was also involved in Operation Just Cause in 1989 where U.S. forces invaded Panama. 

After leaving the Air Force and earning his MBA with a finance concentration from Louisiana Tech University, Butch entered the pharmaceutical industry with Pfizer as a pharmaceutical sales rep.  He then worked for the Japanese company, Otsuka, then Quintiles until landing at Axcan where he worked for 12 years as a regional manager and then a zone director of sales with responsibility for half of the US and Canada.  He was the top sales manager at Axcan three years in a row and won multiple sales awards during his tenure, but when Axcan went through an acquisition and changed their name to Aptalis, Butch declined to interview for a new position that would require a move to the northeast, and about a year later he was gone from the company.

During the past year Butch worked with a business coach, trying to decide what he wanted to do with the next step in his career.  He looked at several business opportunities before coming across Honest-1 and making the decision to open his own business in Marietta, Georgia.

Butch has always liked cars and appreciates the Honest-1 model and its commitment to customers and the environment.  The location of Butch’s Honest-1 was previously a Napa Auto Car Care Center that had been vacant for over a year.  They are currently remodeling the store to bring it up to Honest-1 standards, adding a children’s play area and an internet café, and painting the inside and outside.  Since it was built to be an auto shop, it already has 8 bays and is 5,000 square feet.

 

Dennis Eidson is the Honest-1 area developer and owns a location in nearby Roswell.

How did you learn about the brand?

I had a business coach and was looking for what I wanted to do with my life after leaving Aptalis.  We went through a process where we evaluated my strengths and looked at what I like to do.  We talked about franchise ownership and other types of business ownership.  I looked into several business models and always came back to Honest-1.  They provide good service at good prices, and I thought I could be successful working within their business model that puts the customer first and cares about the environment.

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

I like the eco-friendly part of the package, with is very important these days.  This isn’t an industry where you would think of eco-friendly, so we’ve carved a good niche there.  More and more you are seeing aging cars on the street, and I knew that people are keeping their cars longer. On top of that, cars are being built better now, so there’s an opportunity there since people can keep a car longer by keeping it properly maintained.

I think in general, people distrust auto mechanics because they don’t know enough about auto care.  Honest-1 does a great job of making customers feel like they aren’t being lied to and that their best interests are being taken to heart.  If you take care of customers and treat them right, then you can be successful in this business.  I’ve always worked for companies that prided themselves in treating the customer right and having a lot of integrity.  That lines up with my own personal philosophy in business that if you treat your customers’ right, you’re going to be successful.

Tell me about your love of cars.

I’ve always been a car guy.  Right now I have a Corvette and I have always tried to have a sports car.  I had a family member growing up who owned the gas station at the cross roads by the train tracks in our small town and he was the mechanic that everyone took their car to.  Everybody loved him and I liked just hanging out there and what he did.

While I was in the Air Force they rented bays and had all the tools available so that we could do our own car repair and maintenance.  So I’d go over and do my own oil changes and brake jobs on my own.  I’ve always enjoyed working on cars.

What is the area like that you’ll be located in and serving?  Do you have ties to the area, or family in the area?

We call the area East Cobb.  The address is Marietta but it’s really in East Cobb, and it’s close to Roswell.  Where we’re located is a really great area with a lot of great businesses around.  There’s a Chucky Cheese nearby, a dollar movie theater, a regular movie theater, a big shopping center, and a bunch of other things right there.

My great grandfather lived in Atlanta for a long time and is buried there.  I’ve had family in the area for as long as I can remember so I’d visit a lot growing up.  My son lives in Atlanta too.

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

We are definitely going to get involved with the community. We just haven’t gotten that far yet.  We’ll start working on a marketing plan as part of the process too.

There is an Air Force Base in Marietta called Dobbins AFB and I’m planning to work on a discount for them and see what might be possible with them.  I’ve done some work with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and have been looking to get more involved.

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

I felt like I’ve overcome challenges my entire life.  I was raised by my grandparents and adopted by them.  They sacrificed a lot to make sure I got a good education and got into school. 

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

I want to do the first one right and ensure that we’re successful in East Cobb.  Ultimately I’d like to open 2 or 3 more in the Atlanta area.  I’d like to open 3 within 5 years, but that will depend on how things play out. 

Do you have any other interesting hobbies or passions?

I’m a member of a local country club in the area and love to play golf.  I have to split that time with my girlfriend of course.  I still stay in touch with a ton of friends from the North Carolina area where I grew up, so we get together fairly often.  I’ve also done work with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and am looking to do more with them.

Honest-1 Auto Care Appoints Braden Poole Operations Director

Promotion Part of Auto Care Company’s Increased Growth Plans

SCOTTSDALE, AZ – Honest-1 Auto Care, the nation’s only full-service auto care company that is 100 percent ESA® Certified Eco-Friendly, is proud to announce the promotion of Braden Poole to Operations Director. The promotion is part of a departmental expansion that will include the hiring of more field managers and support staff to provide training and operational support to existing franchisees, as well as support the growth the brand is undergoing now and plans to continue in the immediate future.

“We are happy about Braden’s new position and excited about the opportunities this promotion creates for both Braden and the entire Honest-1 family,” Rissy Sutherland, COO of Honest-1 Auto Care said. “Braden has been an incredible asset to the company since he joined us one year ago and as we continue to grow and expand our franchise base he will play an important role in our continued success.”

Poole joined the Honest-1 team with over 25 years in the automotive industry, beginning his career at the age of 16 working for Yamaha as an installer. His past professional experiences include AC Delco, CSK Automotive and Pep Boys. Poole brings his incredible knowledge of the automotive industry to his new position and will utilize it to elevate and support the Honest-1 brand.

“I immediately got excited about the opportunity to work for a company like Honest-1,” says Poole. “I can’t say enough about the positive experience I’ve had so far from the owners that I’ve met and the programs we have in place, including the commitment to honesty with our certified technicians, professional and informative service mangers,  the eco-friendly approach and the welcoming environment we create with our centers. I’m excited to aid in Honest-1’s progress and watch the company continue to grow.”

Poole’s duties as Honest-1 Operations Director will be to take new franchisees, current franchisees and their staff through training, work with franchisees during their openings, and serve in a supportive role to staff in both new and current locations. Poole will also work with the corporate team and area developers on numerous future projects.

“There are so many opportunities to create relationships with our customers and to provide honest feedback regarding their vehicle’s service needs all in a straightforward, non-pressure, family-friendly and ecofriendly environment,” Poole said. “We’re really doing a lot to change the old perception of automotive repair centers and really build lasting relationships with our customers and in our communities.”

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. The brand initiates proactive steps for protecting the environment by employing responsible care standards in pollution prevention, recycling, resource conservation and offering and promotion of Eco-Friday Auto Care® services. 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. 

ABOUT HONEST-1 AUTO CARE
Honest-1 Auto Care is the only national full-service auto care company that is 100% ESA® Certified Eco-Friendly. Honest-1 leads the industry in numerous eco-friendly initiatives including strict recycling of automotive materials, pollution prevention, resource conservation and offering Eco-Friendly Auto Care services such as their eco-friendly fluid lines,  ECO TuneUp® and ECO Oil Change® options. In addition to its high environmental standards, Honest-1 has a very unique customer-centric approach to the auto care industry providing centers that are family-friendly, characterized by clean and upscale waiting areas, Internet cafes, children's play areas, comfortable leather chairs and couches, an HD TV and complimentary beverage stations. Honest-1 was ranked 321 in Entrepreneur magazine's 2013 "Franchise 500" and ranked 338 in the magazine's 2011 "Franchise 500" list. Additionally, Honest-1 ranked as one of the top companies in the 2011 and 2012 Lube and Oil News "Top Oil Change-Plus Chains" and in the 2013 “HOT 100 FRANCHISE LIST” by RedHotFranchises.com. For more information, visit http://www.honest-1.com. For franchise information please visit, http://www.h1franchise.com.

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