Lubes in the News

Oil change companies making headlines in a light news week:

• A columnist notes the pleasure of an oil change service.

• Express Oil Change goes high-tech in its expansion and marketing efforts.

EZ Lube Bankruptcy

A bankruptcy court has given the okay to EZ Lube's Chapter 11 reorganization plan, setting the stage for the company to emerge from bankruptcy protection. Good sign for the industry at large.

SEMA Attendance

Got word from SEMA on overall attendance. Doubt that 120,000 is just buyers, though; imagine it includes buyers and vendors, as last year AAPEX and SEMA combined had 107,000 buyers. Be interesting to see what the buyer numbers are when they're released in a while.

Lubes in the News

Oil change companies making headlines the past couple of weeks (with apologies for not posting while at the AAPEX show in Las Vegas!):

• Oy vey! A CBS station in Atlanta catches several lube shops selling unnecessary services — and then not performing the ones they've sold! Talk about a black eye for the industry.

• Lube shop opens in South Dakota.

• Wal-Mart unveils a "rent-to-own" vehicle concept, which includes maintenance at T&LE centers.

• Motor oil myths courtesy of Valvoline.

• North Carolina fast lube/carwash honors vets on Veterans Day.

• Interesting profile on an Ohio lube shop.

• Valvoline sees an earnings increase thanks to a 7 percent same-store sales jump at VIOC.

Afghan Carwash

Was away at the AAPEX show most of last week, so apologize for being tardy with my blog posts.

I know it doesn't have a lot to do with the fast lube biz, but the Toronto Globe & Mail has an interesting photo essay about the carwash "industry" in Afghanistan. Makes you wonder what the oil change biz looks like!

Midwest/Southwest Regional Breakdown

Anyone who is a paid subscriber to NOLN can now access the paid subscriber area and click on the "For Subscribers Only" section to download the 2009 Regional Survey Breakdown for the Midwest and Southwest regions of the country. That's where we take data from our 2009 Lube Operators Survey and parse it into regions. Makes for great analysis, but you can only access it if you're a paid subscriber!

Shorter Drain Intervals?

Will rising fuel economy standards lead to shorter drain intervals? One industry pundit thinks so. Wouldn't that be nice: government-mandated oil change intervals to maximize fuel economy!

Lubes in the News

Oil change companies making headlines this week:

• Re-refined motor oil continues to gain traction.

• Offering customers entertainment options while they wait. (VehicleMD is a great way to do this, too!)

• A carwash is in its fourth year of fighting city hall over the addition of a fast lube.

• Texas carwash celebrates grand opening of a lube shop.

• A website generates customers for GM dealers and quick lubes.

• Blogging about great service at a Minnesota Jiffy Lube.

• California lube shop sells for $1.4 million.

• Construction kills traffic at a VIOC.

New Website

International Lubricants, Inc. has unveiled a new website that features a new and improved look, easier navigation, current and relevant product information and downloads, and an online store.

"Due to constant demand from end users, we made it easier than ever to get the information they need, when they need it," said Kristen Clark, marketing manager for ILI.

The new site, www.lubegard.com, includes a new "Technicians Corner" with multiple technical resources such as an ATF Application Chart, various technical articles and information about the popular Lubegard All Stars redemption program.

Mazda Diesels

According to a report in Automotive News, Mazda is considering a plan to outfit many of its future U.S. vehicles with diesel engines. The report notes the company is in the process of testing a number of diesel-powered vehicles in the U.S. With more stringent CAFE regulations on the horizon, don't expect Mazda to be the only automaker to go down the diesel road.