• Christian Brothers Automotive was ranked second in Forbes magazine’s “Best Franchises to Buy” list in the high-investment franchises category.
• The Car Care Council recently issued a reminder to consumers that their spark plugs should be replaced periodically.
• Federated Car Care scholarships have been awarded to eight students for the 2019-‘20 academic year. The awards go to employees or children of Federated Car Care members. Fisher Auto Parts funds the scholarship program, which is administered by the University of the Aftermarket Foundation in memory of the late Art Fisher, founder of Federated Auto Parts.
• Mitchell 1 has added the ability to search its ProDemand repair information software using an OEM part number, further expanding the search functionality in the 1Search Plus module of ProDemand. Service writers and technicians now have the option to start a repair information lookup beginning with a part number in addition to diagnostic code, component or symptom.
• Henley Enterprises, the largest franchisee of Valvoline Instant Oil Change (VIOC) shops, had 142 service centers raise over $51,000 in June to benefit the American Cancer Society’s “Road To Recovery” initiative. The program provides free rides to patients who otherwise might miss their cancer treatment.
• Caliber Collision reports that its 2019 “Rhythm Restoration Food Drive” collected over $900,000 in donations from April through May. That works out to be 5.4 million meals. According to Caliber, 85 food banks across 37 states will benefit from the fundraising.
• TBC Brands, one of the largest distributors of private-brand tires in North America, has launched a new brand: National Tire. The current lineup is available in three fitments of over 110 sizes — 40 sizes designed for sedans, SUVs and CUVs; nearly 60 fitments for CUVs, SUVs, pickups and vans; and more than 10 sizes for ST trailers.
• Mitchell has announced a partnership with Drew Technologies under which Drew’s scanning and diagnostic technology and services will be available via Mitchell Diagnostics, an automotive diagnostic system designed for the collision repair and automotive claims processes.
• Fix Auto USA has announced a formal relationship with Podium, a Utah-based software company, to modernize and enhance Fix Auto’s online interactions with vehicle owners. The deal will provide Fix Auto USA franchise locations with access to Podium’s interaction management platform.