Before you head out for your summer road trip, Mr. Transmission/Milex Complete Auto Care recommends making sure your tires are ready to hit the pavement.   Prior to packing your bags and stocking up on road trip snacks, it’s important to make sure your tires are ready for the trip. The condition of your tires will impact your car's performance and safety. The experts at Mr. Transmission/Milex Complete Auto Care compiled a checklist you can use to get your tires ready to travel.   All-Weather Tires. If you put snow tires on to provide traction during the winter months, replace them with all-season tires that will handle well during a summer downpour.   Tire Pressure. Check the PSI on your tires. As the temperature goes up, the PSI in your tires increase. For every 10-degree rise in temperature, the tire pressure goes up by one PSI. Over-inflated tires can cause blowouts or overheat.   Tread. Do a vi ... read more

Mr. Transmission, a 94-unit chain of auto repair specialists, earned a spot on the Franchise Times’ annual ranking of the 400 largest franchise systems in the United States by global systemwide sales.   The Franchise Times Top 400 is one of the most comprehensive rankings of franchise systems in the United States. A team of seven researchers and reporters spent five months collecting, verifying, and analyzing the numbers to generate the Franchise Times Top 400 ranking of the 400 largest U.S. franchise systems. The research team pores over voluntary reports and publicly available data, including the franchises’ most recent franchise disclosure documents and Securities and Exchange Commission filings to determine the lineup.   "We are very proud of the recognition Mr. Transmission received in the franchising community," said Peter Baldine, President of Moran Family of Brands, the franchisor of ... read more

Argentinian native Armando Tavani took a leap of faith to achieve his dream of business ownership when he opened his co-branded Milex Complete Auto Care/Mr. Transmission franchise in South Florida in May. Opening a business is never easy, but tackling a new endeavor during a pandemic and as an immigrant proved to be challenging. During his early career in Buenos Aires, Tavani dreamed of opening a business in the United States. Prior to coming to this country, Tavani spent 10 years working in real estate, where he bought, sold, and rented properties. His real estate tenure solidified his resolve to pursue business ownership in America. He believed operating a business in Buenos Aires and facing the possibility of losing all of his money was far too risky. Tavani achieved his dream when he opened his Milex/Mr. Transmission location in Margate, Florida on May 3. The new auto repair shop is located in a refurbished facility. The 3,000 squ ... read more

Seattle transplants Matt and Debra Boily are settling into life in the Midwest as they open their first Mr. Transmission/Milex Complete Auto Care store in Columbus, Ohio.   In addition to their new location, the pair signed a franchise agreement with Moran Family of Brands to add two additional units in the area in 2022 and 2024.   Matt Boily spent the first 10 years of his career as an auto mechanic before joining Cessna Aircraft Company. During his more than 18-year tenure at Cessna, Boily held numerous roles in executive management. He also served for nearly five years as director of operations at Aerospace AMT, where he ran a $165 million revenue company. The couple, who made the move to the Midwest to be closer to their family, is committed to establishing a successful business in the Columbus, Ohio, area while creating a family-friendly atmosphere at their locations.   “Columbus is a market we have ta ... read more

Learning How to Run a Successful Business from From Father to Son This Father’s Day presents a great opportunity to showcase two of the most successful franchise owners in the Mr. Transmission system and tell the story of how wisdom and understanding is passed down from father to son. Scott Hester has owned the Mr. Transmission store in Decatur, Georgia since 2006.  His father, Lowell, is the franchise owner of the same brand in nearby Sandy Springs. The business connections between the two were formed through caring communication, patient lessons and sage advice. Like his father, Scott selected by his peers as the Mr. Transmission Franchisee of the Year in 2019; Lowell won the same honor twice before. But Lowell didn’t just give his son a franchise. Scott bought one on his own—after absorbing h ... read more

Performing an Essential Service In today’s society, there is a lot of discussion as to what constitutes an “essential” vs. “non-essential” business. Barber shops, gyms, and retail stores make up a portion of the latest closures around the country, while grocery stores, pharmacies, and gas stations remain open. As more and more businesses around the country are temporarily shuttered due to COVID-19 concerns, all Mr. Transmission and Milex Complete Auto Care stores remain open for business to serve our customers in need. On March 19, The Department of Homeland Security issued a memorandum to state and local governments to include the vehicle service and repair industry in the definition of essential services for the purposes of emergency ... read more

Moran Franchisee of the Year: Scott Hester Scott Hester was recently named as one of Moran Family of Brands’ Franchisees of the Year, as selected by his peers from the system.  He has owned the Mr. Transmission in Decatur, Georgia, since 2006. If a Hester from Georgia winning the Mr. Transmission Franchisee of the Year sounds familiar, that would be correct.  Scott’s father, Lowell, owns the Mr. Transmission in nearby Sandy Springs and has won one the award twice. If there is a franchise gene, Lowell apparently passed it onto Scott. In any case, for those franchise owners wondering if they might want to sell or pass on their franchise to their offspring, that’s one way to go. But if you aren’t in the mindset of retiring any time soon, you still might be able to use your franchise to help your kids build their own future. For those people, Scott’s story m ... read more

Mother’s Day has always had a very special meaning to one franchise owner in the Moran Family of Brands franchise system. Susan Trumble owns the Mr. Transmission/Milex Complete Auto Care store in Florence, Kentucky and has raised her son, Wyatt, around the business all his life.  In fact, she clearly remembers when the challenges of impending motherhood and running the business crossed paths hours before Wyatt was born in 2000. Susan went into labor at the store, but before leaving for the hospital, she told her staff what needed to be done while she would be away.  Susan admitted it was an overwhelming time but credits her dedicated staff that has been there for a long time in helping her get through. Without a center manager, Susan needed to return to the store just two weeks after delivering Wyatt and she brought him with her each day.  She was later able to get assistance from her parents before placing him in daycare when he was six weeks old.  Althou ... read more

Sometimes, franchises will be referred to as turn-key businesses.  An established system is already in place and all you need to do is turn the key and open the door, and you can start work. Most franchise owners know that that’s hardly true and kind of an insult to the process. There’s a lot involved in buying a franchise, and often, you’re looking for a location and then going through the process of getting a building constructed. Then you hire and train a quality staff. It isn’t as if somebody just hands you keys to a business. The exception to this is when you buy an existing franchise, particularly when it has been around for some time and been very successful.  Jason Shastri did exactly that late last year, when he bought the Mr. Transmission/Milex franchise in Stafford, Texas, which had been in business for about 30 years. “One of the things I liked about the store is that it had a good reputation with its customers.  It didn&rsquo ... read more

Opportunity is everywhere. You hear that sentiment a lot, but if there is a lesson to be learned in the story of Michael Rucker and LeRoy Holland, that’s it: opportunity is everywhere. You never know what doors might open, simply because of where you go and who you meet. Rucker and Holland are co-owners of the new Mr. Transmission/Milex franchise in Las Vegas, Nevada, which opened in December. We recently spoke with the new owners about the start of their business and this history of their partnership. The two first met six years ago when Rucker brought his car in for repair.  He was impressed by Holland’s approach to car care and he quickly became Rucker’s go-to mechanic whenever his car had problems.  They developed a friendship over the years, and Rucker kept Holland in mind when he explored purchasing a Mr. Transmission/Milex franchise. “One of the main reasons why I wanted to go into business with LeRoy is that I have never seen someone so hone ... read more