RESEARCH TRIANGLE, N.C. — Get Spiffy Inc.'s plan to add franchising to its business model has taken wing, with the first five franchisees up and running in California, Delaware, North Carolina, Ohio and South Carolina.
The first five franchisee partners represent a broad spectrum of experienced business owners with backgrounds spanning automotive finance, tech angel investing, aviation and other franchises, Spiffy CEO Scott Wingo said, noting that "validates our business model and makes us even more excited about the momentum we've built bringing mobile vehicle care to fleets and individuals nationwide."
Get Spiffy disclosed plans for franchising the seven-year-old mobile automotive repair business model in August 2020.
The first five franchisees have set up operation in seven metro areas in five states: San Jose, Calif.; Wilmington, Del.; Cincinnati, Ohio; Greensboro/Winston-Salem, N.C.; and Charleston, Columbia and Greenville, S.C.
"Our goal has always been to bring mobile car care to the 50 largest U.S. cities through company-owned and -operated units," Mr. Wingo said, "with franchising propelling us beyond the most populated metropolitan areas and into smaller regions."
Tapping into the "well of passionate entrepreneurs" eager for the right franchising opportunity, Mr. Wingo said Get Spiffy will be able to employ a hybrid approach to geographic expansion.
The company operates more than 200 mobile service vans in 17 major cities in the U.S., offering car wash, detail, disinfection, oil changes, tires and fleet fueling.
Rick Crook, the franchise owner in Wilmington, said, "The key difference between Spiffy and my previous franchise experience is corporate structure and support. It's much easier for me to feel confident in joining a business that has jumped over hurdles and learned to avoid pitfalls.
"At the end of the day, I know my best interests as a franchise are the same for Spiffy as a whole."
In South Carolina, entrepreneurs Paul Clark, Dan Haight and Steve and Connie Lanzi came together in January to form the franchise group there and have opened operations in two cities in the Palmetto State, in Columbia and Greenville, with Charleston on tap before year-end.
Mr. Clark also is managing director at VentureSouth, which invested in Spiffy during a fundraising round back in July 2018.
"Given our group's relationship with Spiffy from VentureSouth, it was a no-brainer to climb aboard as a franchisee in South Carolina," Ms. Lanzi said.
"In our experience so far, the incredible attention to detail has driven home that this is a well-researched and well-executed business. The team takes such pride and passion in what they do at Spiffy, and we're eager to work alongside them with these new locations."
In Ohio, the new franchisees are long-time Cincinnati residents Brian and Bethany Hinson, who said they were attracted to Spiffy's blend of convenience and eco-friendly maintenance services.
"Launching this franchise has been an amazing experience," Mr. Hinson said. "Bethany and I are both born and raised in Cincy. We've wanted to start our own business and be a part of that different aspect of the region.
"Now, we don't just live and work here, but actively employ people in the area and help offer some convenience to local residents."
The Hinsons had reached out to Get Spiffy in early 2019 about the business, but franchising wasn't part of the business model yet. When they ramped up a search in January for franchise opportunities, they discovered Spiffy was now an option.
"We've always felt passionate about mobile oil change, which initially drew us to Spiffy back in 2019." Ms. Hinson said, noting that Spiffy's focus on quality and environmental consciousness was the "most compelling point."
"As someone with a background in biology and a career in quality assurance, it seemed like a match made in heaven. No other franchise opportunities could match that."
Mr. Wingo lauded the Hinsons as business owners whose high level of local knowledge and passion make them a "perfect fit for leading this market."
In particular, the Hinsons pointed to the business' Spiffy Green system, which uses significantly less water than the average wash, eco-friendly products from start to finish, and proprietary wash mats to reclaim all water and supplies.
Get Spiffy claims this approach has saved over 10 million gallons of water to date and 50,000 gallons of oil per month.
Launched in 2014 offering mobile car wash and detailing business since 2014, Get Spiffy branched into maintenance services is 2017 with oil changes and added the possibility of tire installation in early 2021.
The Spiffy Tires service offers mobile and fixed-site tire installation for fleets and features a number of brands, including Michelin, Continental and BF Goodrich.
