The NOLN Podcast

When it comes to discussing and digesting the various elements of technology that impact the aftermarket, perspective is key. This mindset can be applied to automotive trend-watching as well. Some trends are exciting and some technology may be overwhelming, but it's important to talk about nonetheless.  Kye Grisham is the director of automotive technology for Christian Brothers Automotive. He join...

In this sponsored episode of the NOLN Podcast, Neal McGlinchey, Manager of Field Training, Valvoline Global Operations, spoke with Matt Hudson, Content Director of National Oil & Lube News, about the nuts and bolts of preventive maintenance services and what products and services are most effective for quick lubes to offer. To find out more, please click here: https://partner.valvolineglobal.c...

The American Petroleum Institute is a familiar name to the automotive aftermarket, seeing as API represents the oil and gas industry across America. Some of the work done by API revolves around the licensing, specifications and certifications related to oils.  Jeff Harmening from API joins the show to contextualize this work, as well as the other elements it touches and what it all means for quick...

Fullspeed Automotive recently announced the promotion of Scott Accardo to vice president of operations for SpeeDee Oil Change & Automotive Service. But Accardo's career with this industry began well before that announcement. At seven years old, Accardo helped vacuum customer cars at his father's SpeeDee franchise, which also happened to be the very first franchise under SpeeDee as a whole. This ea...

Virginia-based STC Management LLC was recently awarded the 2022 Jiffy Lube "Franchisee of the Year" title. It's an enormous honor for the group, which previously won the title twice before in 2000 and 2007, respectively. STC Management President and CEO Chris Burns joins the show to talk about the elements that make the group stand out and what the "Franchisee of the Year" honor means to the team....

Sara White has been involved with her family's Grease Monkey location in Fort Collins, Colorado, for the majority of her life. It was originally established by her grandfather in 1994. White went from helping around the shop as a teenager to now running the whole operation with support from her sisters and father.  White joins the show to talk about how she's made the family business her own, and...

Consistent customers are good for business. In the quick lube space, fleets can fit that bill. But acquiring fleets requires a different approach than the average customer, and it's important to have a strategy that works well for your shop.  In this episode, Howard Koffman joins the show to weigh in. Koffman is the business development manager for fleets at Stonebriar Auto Services, which is a Ji...

In this sponsored episode of the NOLN Podcast, James Weiss, Sales Development Sales Manager for Valvoline Global Operations, spoke with Matt Hudson, Content Director of National Oil & Lube News, about the value that Valvoline can bring to lube shop owners and how the company has invested in building lasting partnerships.

Doug Arnold, senior vice president of Service Champ, spoke with NOLN Associate Editor Hanna Bubser on the trade show floor at iFLEX 2023 in May. In this podcast episode, Arnold discusses the trends he is seeing in quick lube service and what's changing across today's industry. Additionally, Arnold explains how the Service Champ portfolio helps shops find success as they navigate the landscape of e...

The automotive aftermarket is full of inspiring stories. Despite any challenges that the industry may face, there is seemingly always an underlying theme of resiliency.  Arnold Gacita is the president and CEO of Petra Automotive Products. He joins the show to talk about Petra Cares, which is the charitable arm of Petra Automotive Products. Petra Cares helps individuals who have aged out of the fos...

Troy Bullock with Matrix Imaging Solutions speaks with Matt Hudson, content director at NOLN, about how shop operators can examine and improve their marketing approaches for the spring and summer seasons.

Creating a supportive work environment at your shop benefits everyone, and it provides an avenue for building connection with your employees. Putting in the effort to get to know your employees and how to best support them is well worth it for your shop's success story.  Deanna Baumgardner of Employers Advantage LLC joins the show to offer guidance on the various aspects of employer and employee d...

April 2023 marks the 67th anniversary of Midas. To celebrate, Midas has been running a "67 Acts of Kindness" campaign with its franchisees all month long. Franchisees have been encouraged to give back to their communities and keep that momentum going well after the anniversary is over.  Lenny Valentino Jr. is the president and COO of Midas International, and he joins the show to talk about this an...

Are you curious about the perks and promotions included in a quick lube partnership with Valvoline? Join Kevin Gammill, field training specialist at Valvoline Global Operations, who spoke with NOLN Content Director Matt Hudson about Valvoline’s program offerings and corporate support. Gammill runs through some of the training, technical, and marketing support available to partnering operators.  Th...

Quick lube shops have a lot in common, but they have a lot of differences too. At NOLN, we strive to share insightful stories from shops across the country. Listening to and learning from one another can prove valuable. The conversation in this podcast episode offers insight into how one shop approaches various aspects of this industry.   Ken Frenchak is the general manager at Valvoline Express Ca...

In order to be successful in any industry, it's important to keep tabs on what's going on inside of it. The quick lube industry is no different. As a shop owner, this involves paying attention to current events that impact the industry, implementing effective leadership strategies, and utilizing relevant resources.  Justin Cialella is the president and CEO of Victory Lane Quick Oil Change and curr...

The March issue of NOLN features the 2023 Best Workplaces winners. This episode of the podcast includes a conversation with the franchise winner, SpeeDee Oil Change and Auto Service of Charlotte/Charleston. Co-owner Steve Sarrantonio joins the show to share what makes his workplace stand out.  Read the full Best Workplaces profile of SpeeDee Oil Change and Auto Service of Charlotte/Charleston on t...

As a shop owner, your services reach multiple generations. From industry veterans to millennials and Generation Z, there is an impact to be made. As more younger people enter the workforce and also start to bring their cars in for services, it is important to understand how to approach teamwork, marketing, and more.   Sara Fraser is the vice president of business development and client services at...

The March issue of NOLN features the 2023 Best Workplaces winners. This episode of the podcast includes a conversation with the independent category winner, Rancho Express Lube of Rancho Cucamonga, California. Nestor Gutierrez is the owner. He joins the show alongside Jorge Puerto, who serves as an assistant manager and service writer at the shop.  Read the full Best Workplaces profile of Rancho E...

The conversation surrounding a potential recession has been an ongoing one, and during times of uncertainty it can be a challenge to strategize. As is the case with many aspects of providing service in the automotive aftermarket, prepardness is key. This episode of the podcast comes from NOLN's sibling publication for repair shop owners, Ratchet+Wrench . Chris Jones, editor of Ratchet+Wrench, spok...

OSHA compliance is a vast topic, but it's important to address in the automotive aftermarket. There is a lot of information out there, and understanding how it relates to your shop can sometimes be an overwhelming task.   For this episode, Colette Bruce of Team Safety LLC joins the show to discuss OSHA compliance and safety in a quick lube setting.  Thanks to Valvoline for sponsoring this episode...

For the team at Lucas Oil Center, taking care of their community goes beyond offering an oil change. They are passionate about fundraising and hosting events that make an impact on families, friends, and their employees alike.  To learn more about the efforts put forth at Lucas Oil Center, team members Bill Floyd, April Maxey, and Chris Payne join the show. In this episode, these three discuss the...

Have you ever used a smart speaker to set a timer, check the weather, or listen to your favorite playlist? If so, then you're familiar with the concept of voice assistant technology.  RAIN Technology has developed a voice assistant for the automotive aftermarket, and it's called Ortho . By speaking directly to Ortho, shops have the opportunity to increase efficiency and get questions answered quic...

Crafting a quality job ad requires attention to detail as well as some time and effort. But at the end of the day, it's well worth it to attract the right talent to your shop. This episode of The NOLN Podcast comes from our collision repair sibling publication, FenderBender . Chris Lawson of Technician Find joins content director Matt Hudson to offer advice about executing effective job postings....

Sarah Hamp was appointed to chief marketing officer at FullSpeed Automotive in December 2022. She brings over two decades of marketing experience with automotive repair and quick lube brands to the role.  In this episode of the podcast, Hamp joins the show to share how her role touches the FullSpeed portfolio of brands, what her goals are as CMO and what she's looking forward to with FullSpeed in...