Start a Express Oil Change & Tire Engineers Franchise in 2026

Franchise 500 Rank: N/R Not ranked last year

Initial investment: $1.9M - $2.7M

Units as of 2018: 233

Company Overview

Former gas station manager Jim Lunceford founded Express Oil Change in 1979 after hearing about a West Coast business that offered quick oil changes. Lunceford brought the concept to Alabama, opened four centers and began franchising in 1984.

In 1996, franchisees Joe Watson and Ricky Brooks purchased Express Oil Change from Lunceford and began expanding the company into Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia and the Carolinas. Two years later, the company purchased Tune-Up Clinics, a 28-store chain based in Atlanta. Twenty-five Tune-Up Clinic locations became Express Oil Change centers after the purchase.

About Express Oil Change & Tire Engineers

Industry	Automotive
Related Categories	Oil-Change Services, Automotive Repair & Maintenance Services
Founded	1979
Parent Company	Golden Gate Capital
Leadership	Ricky Brooks, CEO
Corporate Address	1880 Southpark Dr. Birmingham, AL 35244
Social	Facebook

Business Overview

Franchising Since	1983 (43 years)
# of employees at HQ	90
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises throughout the US.
# of Units	233 (as of 2018)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Express Oil Change & Tire Engineers franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$35,000
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$1,863,000 - $2,716,000
Net Worth Requirement Definition: The minimum net worth you must have in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company What you need to know: Net worth is the value of a person's assets minus liabilities. Assets include cash, stocks, retirement accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include items like mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt.	$500,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$350,000
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	5%
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	3%
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	10 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

Third Party Financing	Express Oil Change & Tire Engineers has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, inventory

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training	324 hours
Classroom Training	12 hours
Ongoing Support	Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Lease Negotiation Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Co-op Advertising Ad Templates Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing Loyalty Program/App

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	Yes
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	No
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	No
# of employees required to run	6-8
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	Yes

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Franchise 500 Ranking History

Compare where Express Oil Change & Tire Engineers landed on this year's Franchise 500 Ranking versus previous years.

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Disclaimer

The information on this page is not intended as an endorsement or recommendation of any particular franchise or business opportunity by Entrepreneur Media. Our listings and rankings are solely research tools you can use to compare opportunities. Entrepreneur stresses that you should always conduct your own independent investigation before investing in a franchise or business opportunity. That should include reviewing the company's legal documents, consulting with an attorney and an accountant, and talking to former and current franchisees/licensees/dealers.

Updated: December 12th, 2022

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Express Oil Change & Tire Engineers

Company Overview

About Express Oil Change & Tire Engineers

Business Overview

Information for Franchisees

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Financing Options

Training & Support Offered

Operations

Franchise 500 Ranking History

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