Just Brakes opens Texas location

WHITE SETTLEMENT, Texas (May 1, 2014) —  Independent auto service chain Just Brakes will hold a grand opening May 3 for its newest  location, in White Settlement, a community of about 16,000 west of Fort Worth.

The ceremony will run 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with a ribbon cutting at noon.

The new location is the first phase of a multi-stage plan to expand Dallas-based Just Brakes in existing and new markets, the company said. This latest opening comes just four months after the chain of more than 134 automotive service outlets was acquired by a group that includes former TBC Corp. executive and Just Brakes CEO Bill Ihnken, Hicks Equity Partners of Dallas, Gemini Investors of Wellesley, Mass., and Monhegan Partners L.L.C. of Darien, Conn.

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed at the time.

“The (Dallas-Fort Worth) market is our most mature market and is where our corporate office is located,” Mr. Ihnken said. “Expansion in (this) market was a natural first step, as we prepare to fill in some of our other markets, before expanding into new markets later this year,”

In addition to brake system diagnosis and repair services, the White Settlement outlet offers oil changes, alignments, fluid exchange and basic maintenance services. The company said it “aims to provide its customers with the convenience of a one-stop shop, with the quality and value they've come to expect from the Just Brakes brand.”

Just Brakes was founded in 1980 with a single location in Bryan, Texas, and has since expanded into eight southern states and 14 major markets with about 950 employees.

The chain broadened its service offerings in 2011 in a number of key markets to include factory scheduled maintenance based on auto makers' service and maintenance recommendations and offers an array of automotive services in many stores, including: tire repair; alignments; suspension service and repair/shocks and struts; oil and coolant changes; fuel system cleaning; etc.

More information about Just Brakes is available on its website.