Midas Awards Franchise to Veteran Shop Manager

(Franchise Buy) - By . Updated Feb 20, 2011

Midas Awards Franchise to Veteran Shop Manager

Brand evolution from mufflers to full service auto care draws franchisee

(WATERTOWN, MASS.) – Chris Oldford, Massachusetts native and 15-year Midas (NYSE: MDS] veteran is a former shop manager who has been awarded a Midas franchise. Oldford began as a Midas technician in 1994 and after five years, was promoted to manager, a position which he held for 10 years. He celebrated the opening of his first Midas shop in Watertown, Mass., in April 2009.

When the opportunity came up to own his own shop, Oldford chose to purchase a Midas franchise because of the high brand recognition, comprehensive training programs for technicians and management and strong support systems for franchisees.

“Chris exemplifies the strong leadership and unwavering dedication to customer service that we value at Midas,” said Tom Scott, Director of Franchise Recruitment for Midas International “Midas has a 50-year history of supporting entrepreneurial spirit and we’re always thrilled when one of our strong managers can become a Midas franchisee.”

More than 100 franchise agreements were signed with Midas in 2008, a direct result of the company’s reputation as the #1 Auto Repair Maintenance Franchise. The company has evolved over 50+ years from a muffler shop to full service auto care, offering brake, maintenance, tires, exhaust, steering and suspension services. Oldford capitalized on the Watertown franchise opportunity an existing Midas franchised location in New England.

“Going above and beyond for our customers is what it’s all about,” Oldford said. “Midas is in the car care business but we’re essentially in the people business and at the end of the day it all comes back to great customer service.” Oldford personally manages his Midas shop because he believes that being both an owner and an operator helps him not only stay close to customers’ needs but it keeps his thumb on the business.

“This store has been a home run out of the gate because we aim to make car care convenient and stress free for our customers,” said Oldford. “Our qualified technicians provide honest service evaluations and we have customer extras like free shuttle rides, Wi-Fi and satellite TV in the waiting room. We want to be Watertown’s one stop shop for total car care,” said Oldford.

About Midas:

Midas is one of the world's largest providers of automotive service, offering brake, maintenance, tires, exhaust, steering and suspension services at more than 2,500 franchised, licensed and company-owned Midas shops in 16 countries, including 1,650 in the United States and Canada. Midas also owns the SpeeDee Oil Change business, which franchises 171 auto service centers in the United States and Mexico.