The NOLN Podcast

After recently celebrating the opening of the company’s 500th franchise location, Take 5 President Tim Austin joins the NOLN Podcast to discuss the fast lube chain’s rapid growth. He also breaks down the factors Take 5 considers when evaluating new markets, the traits the company looks for in ideal franchisees, and the ways in which Take 5 will define success in 2026 and beyond. *** Subscribe to T...

National Oil and Lube News recently spoke with representatives from two national distributors that serve the automotive aftermarket, who pointed to gains in market share for synthetic oils versus their conventional counterparts, as well as a growing demand for lighter viscosity motor oils. The representatives say new motor oil formulations offer improved efficiency and longer drain intervals, but...

In this episode of the Endeavor to Discover series, Chris Messer and Mike Jones are joined by Chris Jones, editorial director for Endeavor Business Media’s Vehicle Service Repair Group, to discuss the concept of “fighting forward” at the start of a new year. The conversation centers on the idea that people and organizations often focus on what they don’t want, which creates negative mental picture...

With quick lube operators getting settled into the new year, the NOLN Podcast is catching up on industry headlines you may have missed over the past few weeks. Here are the stories discussed in this episode: Shop Marketing Pros Reports Google Ads Breach Castrol Sold by BP to Stonepeak in $10.1 Billion Deal Sayle Oil Company Acquires Car Care Clinic/Jet Lube of Central Mississippi Real Estate Inves...

From utilities and shop supplies to staffing and labor, little inefficiencies can quickly add up to big expenditures for quick lube operators. Victory Lane Executive Vice President Jim Harrington, who has worked in the industry for 30 years and been with Victory Lane since 2014, has become an ace in finding opportunities to fine-tune quick lube operations to keep costs in check.   This article ori...

Steer Senior VP Gregg Rainville returns to the NOLN Podcast to discuss how his company his putting a new spin on an old standby: the oil change reminder sticker placed on windshields. Rainville explains how Steer is enhancing window stickers with QR codes that can help customers check service wait times at their favorite quick lube shop, keep track of services performed on their vehicles, and more...

Whether it’s a vacation resort or a quick lube shop, a service-oriented business’ ticket to happy guests starts with establishing—and sustaining—a healthy workplace culture. HR expert Chuck Simikian explains why building a healthy workplace culture is vital, and he offers advice on how shop owners can keep their employees engaged.   This article originally appeared on NOLN.net on Oct. 20, 2025. Re...

NOLN sat down with Anan Bishara, CEO of Premium Guard Inc., at AAPEX last month in Las Vegas to discuss navigating the challenges of global supply chain issues and tariffs. Bishara also explained how PGI’s acquisition of the Ecogard brand five years ago has helped the company expand its presence in the quick lube industry, and he provided insights on the use of machine learning to support inventor...

In this Endeavor to Discover series episode, Chris Messer talks with Mike Jones of Discover Leadership at AAPEX. Jones previews his SEMA Show presentation “Mind Your Business,” which focuses on mindset awareness and how individual attitudes shape workplace culture and results. He emphasizes surrounding yourself with positive, growth-minded people and creating—not reacting to—your environment. Jone...

This year has brought many headwinds for the auto service field—particularly with regard to tariffs. From independent shops and suppliers to dealerships and automakers, the entire automotive field has been affected, as have several other sectors that rely on imported materials and goods. Girlington Garage, a small shop based in South Burlington, Vermont, is doing the work to protect itself and its...

In the second of three interviews recorded at AAPEX, NOLN catches up with Noel Peña, senior executive director of sales and business development at DRN. Peña explains how the company uses license plate reader technology to help automotive businesses—including quick lubes—target highly qualified customers by collecting data on vehicles passing by their shops. *** Subscribe to The NOLN Podcast on yo...

Whether they’re working on the shop floor or keeping tabs from afar, quick lube leaders put in the hours guiding their teams to success. This article, written by NOLN Editor Tom Valentino, takes readers through a day on the job for two shop leaders—a manager for a Valvoline Instant Oil Change location in Lexington, Kentucky, and a Costa Oil 10-Minute Oil Change shop in Perry, Ohio. This article or...

Victory Lane CEO Justin Cialella stopped by the EndeavorB2B podcast booth at AAPEX 2025 to offer his takeaways from the big industry trade show in Las Vegas and also discuss developments with Victory Lane. The company recently relaunched a location in Farmington Hills, Michigan—formerly its oldest franchise—after acquiring it as a corporate store. To re-introduce the shop to its community, Victory...

In this edition of our Endeavor to Discover series, Chris Messer and Mike Jones are joined by Randy O’Connor of D2D Development for a discussion on cultivating an outcome-focused mindset. Messer, Jones and O’Connor discuss the benefits of aligning teams around shared goals instead of individual beliefs, turning commitments into actions, and shifting from passive effort to measurable impact. *** Su...

Hiring an administrator can free up managers to get back to focusing on big-picture tasks. Peter Suciu Read by Brittany Duncan  https://www.noln.net/running-a-shop/human-resources/article/55305677/bring-in-the-admin

Extended producer responsibility laws, which make producers financially and operationally responsible for managing their products and packaging at the end of their life cycle, are on the rise in states across the U.S. David Lawes, CEO of the Lubricants Packaging Management Association powered by Interchange 360, joins the NOLN Podcast to explain the ramifications of EPR laws for quick lube operato...

Auto Care Association’s Mark Bogdansky offers listeners a preview of the major updates for this year’s AAPEX in Las Vegas, including changes being made to the show floor to improve navigation, make it easier for distributors to find suppliers in specific categories, and help exhibitors connect with interested buyers. Bogdansky also discusses strategies being implemented to keep buyers on the show...

Chris Messer and Mike Jones are back for another installment of the “Endeavor to Discover” series. This month, they speak on the power of adopting an “I will” attitude. Jones explains why common phrases such as “I think I can,” “I’ll try,” and “I hope” are actually powerless and reflect low commitment, as they express potential, but not purpose or action. Messer and Jones explore how to build conf...

With the SEMA Show just over a month away, Tom Gattuso, SEMA's vice president of events, stops by the NOLN Podcast to set the scene in Las Vegas. Gattuso shares what's new at this year's SEMA Show, and offers a behind-the-scenes look at the multi-year process needed to plan out a SEMA event. Lastly, Gattuso offers up some tips for how SEMA Show attendees can make the most of their time on site. **...

Ruben Ortega Jr., director of inside sales at Service Champ, stops by to discuss how the tool needs of quick lube shops, along with common tool-related questions he receives from operators. Lastly, Ortega offers up some practical advice for managing your shop tools while operating on a tight budget. *** Subscribe to The NOLN Podcast on your platform of choice:  Apple Podcasts   iHeart Radio Spotif...

In this month’s installment of the “Endeavor to Discover” series, Chris Messer and Mike Jones are talking about leading from the front lines and why leadership isn’t about titles—it’s actually about ownership, vision, and leading by example. Messer and Jones also explain why true leaders lead from the front and why every team member should see themselves as “the” leader in their role. *** Subscrib...

Jason Lyon, chief operations officer for Benny’s Car Wash, recently was announced as the association president for the Preventative Automotive Maintenance Association’s 2026-27 term. This week, he took time to speak with us about his goals for PAMA, from better understanding the association’s membership to growing its education and training initiatives. Lyon also discusses how Benny’s is relying o...

Are you a manager or a leader? Do you know the difference between the two? In this episode of our “Endeavor to Discover” series, Chris Jones, executive vice president of EndeavorB2B’s Transportation Group, and Mike Jones, president and master trainer at Discover Leadership Training, discuss how leaders follow up and follow through—setting specific outcomes and making sure projects are moving forwa...

Doug Zarkin has two decades of experience in retail and brand marketing, but he’s a newcomer to the quick lube industry. Zarkin was hired as the new chief marketing officer for Take 5 Oil Change earlier this summer, and he describes the way in which he has observed Take 5 lube techs working as “nothing short of a symphony.” Zarkin shares what appealed to him about joining Take 5, what he has been...

In the first episode of our “Endeavor to Discover” interview series, leadership and failure are the topics of conversation as Mike Jones, president and master trainer at Discover Leadership Training, joins Chris Messer, executive vice president of the Transportation Group at Endeavor Business Media, NOLN’s parent company. Jones, who works with small- to medium-sized business owners and their teams...