Frank Petrane is the new brand president of Maaco, succeeding Dave Gross, who served as interim president but now moves back into his role as senior vice president of franchise services and strategic integration.
Petrane started working for Maaco in 2006 as a national account manager, and later as national sales director and vice president of Maaco Fleet Solutions. In 2016, he was promoted to senior vice president of Maaco parent company Driven Brands’ fleet services division, Driven Fleet.
“I was recently offered the opportunity to take on a new challenge, which I’m very excited about,” Petrane said, “I can’t wait to dive in.”
“Frank brings the experience, history and knowledge of Maaco business operations and understands how we can win,” said Michael Macaluso, group president and executive vice president of Paint, Collision & Glass, in a statement. “His track record of success and experience leading Driven’s fleet business is a testament to the reliable team he has built and their shared commitment to providing fleet customers with exceptional performance, value and customer service.”
Gross has worked for Maaco for since 2008, first as a new unit manager, helping new franchisees get their shops up and running following their initial training, and then as an operations director. Since 2019, he has led Maaco’s certification and field training.
“I’m so thankful for the opportunity I’ve had with the franchisees and operations team,” Gross said. “That gave me a well-rounded perspective that helps me support the franchisees at this level so much better.”
The announcement was made during Maaco’s annual convention, held Nov. 14-17 in Hollywood, FL.
During a media roundtable hosted Nov. 15, Maaco executives talked about the brand’s future.
“We are well positioned to land on the shores of success in 2025,” Gross said, echoing the convention’s “Ride the Wave” theme.
“As a brand, we need to focus on the things that matter -- car count, store count, franchisee profitability -- so we can continue to be a healthy brand,” Petrane said. “We do that by transparency with franchisees and collaboration internally.”
Maaco has recently gone through a “technology overhaul,” Gross said, addressing gaps in its e-commerce, accounting, marketing, point of sale, shop management and estimatics platforms, based on feedback from franchisees and a need to keep up with industry trends.
Among the improvements were Maaco’s switch to CCC ONE from the legacy platform it had been using for at least a decade, which Gross called “a significant upgrade.”
Hannah Whitesides, senior vice president of revenue operations, said Maaco updated its online estimator tool to enhance its ability to convert leads into business for franchisees. It will be implemented in the coming weeks.
Whitesides said franchisee feedback was at the forefront. “We’ve been in the shop with them to how it works,” she said. “We truly partnered with franchisees to create a solution that’s maximizing results for everybody.”
Maaco’s Growth Potential
Gross said there is a “really strong pipeline” of potential new franchisees interested in Maaco due to the brand’s unique position in the automotive service retail and refinish markets.
“The pressure is to the navigate real estate issues in place now,” Gross said. “We’re looking forward to getting licensees into shops, making sure we take the time to grow methodically in the right markets, to get people into places where they can be profitable.”
At the same time, several existing franchisees are looking to add new locations.
“Maaco is continuing to capitalize on the great operators we have in the system now, to make sure those that want more have the opportunity to do so,” he said.
Bryan Jones, vice president of operations, said Maaco is also implementing new training efforts for franchisees.
The Operational Guide to Profitability, piloted this year, is an annual comprehensive assessment of a shop, evaluating the parking lot, sales process, production, delivery, KPIs, work quality and certification.
“It takes about four hours to complete and leaves [franchisees] with an extensive action plan,” Jones said. “It’s designed to uncover any profit opportunities they might be missing just from running through day-to-day operations, and not seeing what we see when we walk into the shop.”
Marketing Maaco
Ben Granger, vice president of marketing, said Maaco is focusing on “communicating who we are and what we do to customers to drive traffic to shops.”
While the brand is looking at new partnerships, like one with “The Dan Patrick Show,” and using new tools, like a “social listening tool” to “keep a pulse on what people are saying about Maaco out in the market,” it’s also looking at returning to more traditional advertising channels like cable TV and radio, Granger said.
2024 National Convention
Jones called the convention, which was on the second of three days of networking and educational opportunities for franchisees and vendor partners during the media roundtable, “maybe the most positive [convention] I’ve had. The atmosphere has been tremendous.”
Whitesides said more franchisees and vendors attended than in 2023. “We’re really excited to see this event continue to grow,” she added.
Among the highlights was the annual presentation of the Tony Martino Legendary Hall of Fame award, named for the founder of Maaco and recognizing an owner who personifies Maaco’s founding values of providing quality service at a fair price.
This year, it went to Joe Houghton, owner of Maaco West Springfield in Massachusetts, a 34-year franchisee with the brand.
“[Houghton] really leveraged the model for exactly what it is, making a huge impact on his community,” Gross said. “He has built a really strong team. The entire brand is excited to celebrate with him this week.”
Abby Andrews