HOUSTON — Ziebart announced in a press release it has signed an agreement with multi-unit, multi-brand franchise operator Christopher King to open three locations in the greater Houston metro area over the next five years.
King comes to Ziebart with 20 years of management experience within Fortune 500 companies, as well as a solid background in both the automotive and franchise sectors.
King worked for more than a decade at Chevron Corporation before investing and operating two Dogtopia franchises in the Houston market since 2017.
King said he’s looking forward to expanding his franchise portfolio with the addition of Ziebart, applying his passion for cars and experience in multi-unit franchise operations to his latest venture.
His first Ziebart will be located within the Houston metro area.
With more than 400 locations and 1,300 service centers in 37 countries, Ziebart carries a nearly 65-year history serving as an industry leader in rust protection, detailing, window tinting and more.
While not the first in the state of Texas (Ziebart has existing locations in Corpus Christi and Lewisville), King’s will be the first Ziebart in the Houston market.
King noted a similar experience in breaking into new markets with Dogtopia, saying he plans to draw on his experience with competitive marketing techniques to jumpstart brand recognition.
“The Houston community is passionate when it comes to caring for vehicles and pets,” he said. “I’ve found people tend to give the same love to their trucks as they do to their pets, and that’s where I think these two concepts — as different as they seem — really go hand-in-hand. You put your dog in your car, it’s going to get dirty and you need a place to take it to get it cleaned.”
King noted his stepson, Anthony, will serve as general manager running point on daily operations of the Ziebart business.
Thomas A. Wolfe, president and CEO of Ziebart International Corporation, said King is an ideal fit for the growing automotive aftermarket brand, which is strategically seeking similar experienced multi-unit, multi-brand operators to expand its footprint domestically and internationally.
“As demand for automotive aftercare services continues to skyrocket, Ziebart will focus its franchising efforts on awarding agreements to sophisticated, multi-unit operators who can help us expand strategically in markets with growth potential,” Wolfe said. “Ziebart will continue to bring more communities complete vehicle protection solutions with great operators like King.”
Ziebart opened five new locations last year, including Highland, Michigan; Triadelphia, West Virginia; Fort Myers, Florida; Auburn, Massachusetts; and Hamburg, New York, with six additional locations set to open early this year — all backed by owners and multi-unit owners in the Ziebart family.
In addition, Ziebart signed new franchise agreements in nine additional countries, including its first location in The Netherlands as well as openings in Azerbaijan, Kuwait, Iraq and the Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Greece.
For more information on Ziebart’s franchising opportunities, visit ziebart.com/franchise-opportunities.
