Moran Family of Brands, an aftermarket automotive pioneer, helps franchise owners build family legacies that withstand the test of time and the evolving nature of the automobile industry with its Milex Complete Auto Care and Mr. Transmission brands.
Economic Trends Help Entrepreneurship Soar
Economic uncertainty and lack of faith in the current job market are prompting more people to kick their corporate careers to the curb and pursue entrepreneurship to improve job security. Nearly 5.4 million Americans filed applications for new businesses in 2021, up 53% from the average over the last five years. By investing in a franchise, entrepreneurs have the advantage of running a business with brand recognition, training, and the support required to succeed.
Franchising also offers business owners the opportunity to diversify their income and build a legacy for their families. Uncertainty in the job market propels franchise owners to establish a business with the hope of providing employment for their family members and helping to build equity and value for the future.
Family businesses are the heart of the American economy. They employ 59% of all private sector employees and account for 83.3 million jobs in the United States, according to research supported by Family Resources USA, a Washington, D.C.-based advocate for family businesses. Family firms generate 54% of the nation’s gross domestic product and have high employee retention rates.
Success Runs in the Family at Moran
Moran franchises six different brands in the aftermarket automobile industry and window tinting, including Milex Complete Auto Care and Mr. Transmission. The company, founded in 1990, grew through acquisitions of established brands. Moran Family of Brands focuses on providing a career path for budding entrepreneurs that allows them to provide a profitable legacy solution for their families. With more than 60 years of experience in the auto industry, Moran’s founders developed a franchise model focused on helping people get in business for themselves but not by themselves. They do this through outstanding support, training and a focus on the franchisees needs with a successful co-branding strategy.
“By providing entrepreneurs with leading brands like Milex and Mr. Transmission, our franchise owners can build generational businesses positioned for sustained growth,” said Pete Baldine, President of Moran Family of Brands. “The longtime and respected franchisees in our system exemplify our core values.”
Evidence of the company’s penchant for building family legacies is scattered throughout the franchise system. John Murph, owner of the co-branded Milex/Mr. Transmission location in Mobile, Alabama, purchased his business from his father in 2021. His father had successfully operated repair shops in Birmingham and Atlanta for three decades. Since taking over, revenue is up 82%, Murph said.
Another franchise owner, Randy Whitworth, opened his first Mr. Transmission location 34 years ago. Two of Whitworth’s children manage his shops in Pelham and Riverchase, Alabama, and his third child purchased her own Franchise in Birmingham in 2019.
Susan Trumble followed in her father’s footsteps as the owner of a Milex/Mr. Transmission co-branded location in Florence, Kentucky. Trumble started working in her father’s Mr. Transmission location in 1992 when she took some time off from her job as a flight attendant before taking over management of the location.
Moran’s Founders Value Family
It’s no surprise Milex and Mr. Transmission are dedicated to creating family legacies given the rich history of its co-founders, Dennis and Cele Moran, and their daughter Barb Moran-Goodrich. Dennis Moran started in the automotive business in 1958, working in the auto repair aftermarket. He purchased an eight-store chain known across Chicagoland as Transmission America, which would later become a part of the franchise system in 1979. He purchased multiple brands over the years that built the foundation of Moran Family of Brands.
Moran-Goodrich got her start with the company as a young girl. Later, she bought the business from her parents and has helped the multi-generational company become a franchise industry leader. Moran-Goodrich and her corporate team foster a unique culture based on being a family with a shared code of values. The proof is in the fact that 16% of the franchisees have been in the system for 30 years or more and 33% of them have been in for 20 years or more.
Aftermarket Auto Industry Continues Growth
High gas prices, inflation, and economic uncertainty are helping propel the automotive aftermarket industry for family-focused entrepreneurs. The pandemic outbreak rocked the automobile industry, causing supply chain slowdowns and production delays.
Even as vehicle supply ramps up, high car prices and rising interest rates are prompting people to tighten their purse strings and hold off on trading in their car for a new model, causing the average age of cars on the road to climb. In the United States, the average age of cars on the road reached 12.2 years in 2022, a record high. Older cars require regular maintenance and repair, making it an appealing industry for franchise investment.
Co-Branding Gives Moran Franchisees Competitive Advantage
The playing field for the aftermarket auto industry is evolving as more people turn to electric and hybrid vehicles to cut costs. Ford, Cadillac, and Mercedes planned to add new battery-electric vehicles to their lineup as more customers focus on environmentally friendly solutions. Moran Family of Brands stays abreast of current trends with a strong focus on technical support to remain a one-stop solution for their customers.
Moran sets itself apart from the competition with a co-branding strategy that allows franchises to operate multiple brands under one roof. Co-branding generates higher ticket prices and provides multiple revenue streams, helping franchise owners to reach 100% of the potential market. The real key to the success for Moran Family of Brands is their focus on people – supporting their franchisees with what they need to succeed.
Moran’s Milex and Mr. Transmission founders and franchise owners agree. Opening a franchise helps build wealth and provides job opportunities for future generations in a booming industry.
Story originally published by Franchise Journal.
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