Midlands Profiles
Grease Monkey
For 26 years Leroy Gibson was an industrial arts teacher in Fort Wayne, Indiana. At age 44, not too far from retirement, he approached his wife, Mary Ann, and told her that he wanted to do something different. Leroy started asking questions about a franchise business that a family member had entered into called Grease Monkey. With only one major competitor at the time, providing oil changes to vehicles sounded like a good opportunity, so Leroy started looking around for places to locate and settled on - Columbia, South Carolina! He packed up his family, headed south, and in 1986, the first Grease Monkey store opened on Broad River Road.
Since then, Leroy and Mary Ann's success (Mary Ann eventually took over the books) is a result of hard work in the midst of increasing competition and a steadfast commitment to their employees and customers. "We like to say that we are not a service business, but rather a people business," says Mary Ann. That philosophy has served them well as they opened three additional locations: Bush River Road in 1989, Rabon Road in 1992, and in 1997, Lexington. The Gibsons take a genuine interest and concern in their employees. They provide insurance and a 401k program. They celebrate an employee's 10-year anniversary by sending him on a cruise with his spouse. They take pride in hiring young people with families and helping them get on their feet. Key employees have been with the company
since day one.
"The most important part
of our product
is educating our customers about
preventative maintenance."
Adds Leroy: "We have been very fortunate to find managers who take an interest in our business and who treat it as their own." On building trust with their customers, both had this to offer: "Do right by your customers and they will come back."
As the business has evolved away from simply offering a standard oil change to now include a full range of fluid checks (coolant, brake, steering, transmission, and battery), the Gibsons see the important role that they play in educating their customers about worry free maintenance. "The most important part of our product is educating our customers about preventative maintenance. A car that has regular check ups and oil changes will last longer," says Leroy. "But we never pressure people; we just recommend and let the customer decide."
Grease Monkey offers all of the same services as the dealerships to keep your manufacturer's warranty in effect, but a lower cost. "Many people don't know about this, but when they sell their car, we can also provide a complete maintenance history," says Leroy. "Many also don't know that 20% of our business comes from fleet work, where we service vehicles for plumbers and electricians, as well as car rental companies, etc."
Above Photo: Leroy and Mary Ann Gibson
©Photo by Molly Harrell
