• Christian Brothers Automotive opened 24 new shops in 2025 and executed 52 letters of intent to support future expansion. For 2026, Christian Brothers is prioritizing strategic development in several key territories, including Cheyenne, WY; New Berlin, WI; Mechanicsville, VA; Derby, KS; Shoreview, MN; Blaine, MN; Winterville, NC; and Rincon, GA.
• In 2025, FullSpeed Automotive signed 36 franchise agreements across its portfolio of automotive service brands. For this year, management’s goal is 35 signed franchise agreements and shop openings. Its biggest target areas are Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas.
• Driven Brands Holdings has completed the sale of IMO, its international car wash business, to Franchise Equity Partners for roughly $490 million in total aggregate consideration. Cash proceeds from the transaction are to be used primarily to pay down debt.
• RockED is partnering with DEKRA North America to bring lift and equipment safety training to automotive schools and dealerships nationwide. The goal is for technicians to build safe habits early and earn certification that recognizes their understanding of lift and shop safety fundamentals.
• Big O Tires has launched an advertising campaign titled “No Big Deal” that’s designed to showcase that even the biggest of vehicle troubles are no big deal for Big O Tires. The campaign, available with ads in English and Spanish, is now running on social media, television, radio and streaming platforms in select markets across the United States.
• The cloud communications and IT company GoTo has announced new advancements to GoTo Connect for Automotive, its AI-powered communications platform for automotive dealers. This includes enhanced customer relationship management (CRM) and dealer management system (DMS) integrations, automatic AI service scheduling, and real-time reporting.
• Beth Walters Barkovich has started a new position as director of product content and partnerships at Fullbay, a shop management technology provider to heavy-duty repair businesses. She joins Fullbay from Diesel Laptops, where she was vice president of products – diesel parts.
• Ryder System has acquired Truck Service Depot, an Atlanta-based mobile maintenance business servicing commercial trucks and trailers in Georgia. Truck Service Depot has two physical locations: a maintenance facility in Atlanta and a service center in Savannah. With this acquisition, Torque by Ryder retail mobile maintenance services are now available across 27 states.
