TROY, Mich. — Ziebart delivered on driving the brand forward at its recent Franchise Reunion with the introduction of new products and services, recognition of outstanding franchise owners and store leaders and a successful collaborative community outreach effort to benefit Detroit Meals for Hope, according to a company press release.
Supporting community
Throughout the event, franchisees, members of the World HQ Support Center team and corporate store leaders worked together in a volunteer effort to pack more than 10,000 meals with Detroit’s Meals for Hope for donation to Gleaners Community Food Bank.
Giving back to the communities in which it operates is a pillar of the Ziebart brand, said Thomas A. Wolfe, president and CEO of Ziebart International Corporation.
With franchised and corporate stores operating throughout the United States and overseas in multiple countries, Ziebart’s corporate headquarters have operated in the Detroit area for nearly 65 years.
“Our mission at Ziebart is to not only provide exceptional automotive appearance and protection services to extend the life of vehicles, but also extend our reach beyond vehicles to care for the communities we serve,” Wolfe said. “I’m extremely proud that our franchisees and corporate team leaders carry that same level of commitment in everything they do, whether it be helping their communities, or providing the best services to our loyal customers.”
Recognizing achievements
Dozens of franchisees and corporate store leaders were recognized for their achievements through Ziebart’s annual Dealer Awards.
The Mattiacio Group, a family-operated multi-unit franchisee out of Rochester, New York, that owns and operates 10 stores, won the coveted Dealer of the Year award, among many others.
The Mattiacio Group added three new Ziebart locations to their portfolio in the last two years, including one in Fort Myers, Florida.
“It’s incredibly humbling to be recognized among our peers,” said Tony Mattiacio, founder and CEO of The Mattiacio Group. “It’s been quite a ride to grow the Ziebart brand over 34 years in the Northeast,” he said, noting the group has also expanded into Florida this past year. “It’s definitely a team effort that points to the hard work provided every day by our technicians, managers and any team member who delivers on our great service promise to customers.”
In addition, The Mattiacio Group’s Pete Chapin was honored with Ziebart’s new award for Top Sales Professional of the Year, recognizing his strong sales and longtime dedication to the Mattiacio family.
In another new award, Michael Schwarz of the Lester Group’s Utica, New York location, was named Top Technician of the Year. The Lester Group says in Schwarz’s 11 years with the franchise, he’s become instrumental to the success of four franchise locations, exemplifying a tireless dedication to the business that goes above and beyond expectations. The New Dealer of the Year honor went to Ben Moeller, who opened his Ziebart franchise location in Highland, Michigan with his wife, Sophia, in April 2022. John Lemon of Westland, Michigan was named Manager of the Year for his strong focus on executing sales, leading to his store seeing the biggest increase across all Ziebart locations.
Three stores were given Outstanding Customer Service Awards thanks to a high volume of customer compliments and impressive Google star ratings: Brian O’Shaughnessey’s location in Spokane, Washington; Chris Taylor’s location in Marion, Ohio; as well as the corporate-owned store in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In addition to receiving individual awards, several stores were noted for accomplishing milestone years of service, including the Fairborn, Ohio location, which marked 45 years of business, having opened in April of 1977.
Staying fresh with innovation
The brand also announced the introduction of new products, tools and partnerships. These include hand tools to improve efficiency, Z-Shield Ceramic Coating specifically engineered to be extremely hydrophobic and provide outstanding UV rejection to protect paint protection films and vinyl wraps from damage and staining while enhancing the vehicle’s shine, and a partnership with Dr. ColorChip Automotive Paint Chip Repair Systems to provide high-quality, long-lasting paint chip repair.
“The one consistent theme throughout our nearly 65 years of operation as a company has been a devoted focus on improvement and innovation,” Wolfe said. “Staying relevant and innovating is the key to brand longevity. As we strive to continue to provide the best in automotive protection, these latest advancements in products and tools will not only make our services more efficient for our technicians, but they will leave an even longer lasting shine on our customers’ vehicles.”
For more information, visit www.ziebart.com.
