Merlin 200,000 Mile Shops Announces Newest Franchisee in Palatine

Aug. 11, 2009 -- Merlin 200,000 Mile Shops recently announced that Jeff Strauss has acquired the franchise rights of the Merlin 200,000 Miles Shop in Palatine, located at 1450 N. Rand Road (847-991-3666).

“I’m very excited to be a part of the Palatine community and offer customers professional vehicle repair and maintenance that can help their automobiles reach their full life potential,” said Jeff Strauss, franchisee of Merlin 200,000 Miles Shop in Palatine. “I hope to help the Palatine community understand the true mileage potential of today’s passenger vehicles by introducing them to Merlin’s DRIVE FOR 200,000 during the course of every business day.”

Jeff Strauss acquired his first Merlin shop in Elk Grove Village, IL in September 2003 as a participant in Merlin's FASTRAK Equity Assistance Program, his second shop in Crystal Lake, IL in October 2005, and his third in Cary, IL in December 2006. Under his leadership, all shops acquired by Mr. Srauss have posted significant sales increases and now rank among the top shops in the Merlin chain.

Recently, Mr. Strauss joined the Merlin Million Dollar Club when he was recognized for sales at his Elk Grove Village shop. Over the past six years, that shop has garnered a number of Merlin awards, including several "We Care" service awards, and "Excellence Dividend" rebates for superior results.

A Merlin 200,000 Miles Shop provides both repair and maintenance services as well as tires - almost anything a consumer would need during the first 200,000 miles of their car’s life (except car washes, major engine, transmission, and collision repair).

Special offers for the Merlin shop in Palatine can be found at www.merlins.com.

“Merlin 200,000 Mile Shops have a commitment to long-term customer relationships, and I look forward to meeting and serving the people of the Palatine area,” said Strauss.

For more information on the Merlin 200,000 Miles Shop in Palatine, please contact Jeff Strauss at 847-991-3666.

Merlin 200,000 Mile Shops Announces Newest Franchisee in Woodstock

Woodstock, IL (Grassroots Newswire) June 1, 2009 -- Merlin 200,000 Mile Shops recently announced that Paul Berenger has opened the new Merlin 200,000 Miles Shop in Woodstock, located at 1216 Davis Road (on Rt. 47, 1/2 block S. of the intersection of Rt. 47 and Rt. 14), phone number, 815-337-1200.

“I’m very excited to be a part of the Woodstock community and offer customers professional vehicle repair and maintenance that can help their automobiles reach their full life potential,” said Paul Berenger, franchisee of Merlin 200,000 Miles Shop in Woodstock. “I hope to help the Woodstock community understand the true mileage potential of today’s passenger vehicles by introducing them to Merlin’s DRIVE FOR 200,000 during the course of every business day.”

Paul Berenger started his automotive service career in 1988 as a mechanic with the Firestone organization. While there he rapidly advanced to Service Writer and then Assistant Store Manager. In 1996, he joined Midas as Manager of the Crystal Lake shop significantly increasing sales. In 1998, Mr. Berenger left Midas to pursue a career in the telecommunications field. For the next seven years he served as a Journeyman Communications Technician for Time Business Systems in Addison, Illinois. In 2005 Paul reentered the automotive service industry with an eye toward shop ownership. From there he never looked back, and joined his long-time friend Jeff Strauss as partner and General Manager of the Merlin shop in Crystal Lake. While with the organization, Paul ran the day-to-day operations of the Crystal Lake shop and assisted with the operations of the Merlin shop in Cary.

As a participant in Merlin's FASTRAK Equity Assistance Program, Paul earned $15,000 of Equity Assistance toward his acquistion. Additionally, Paul has earned several certifications including membership in the Illinois Brotherhood of Electical Workers (IBEW) Local 134 and a Telecommunication Technician Journeyman Certification from IBEW-NECA Technical Institute in Alsip, Illinois.

A Merlin 200,000 Miles Shop provides both repair and maintenance services as well as tires - almost anything a consumer would need during the first 200,000 miles of their car’s life (except car washes, major engine, transmission, and collision repair).

Special offers for the Merlin shop in Woodstock can be located on the Merlin website at www.merlins.com. Click on the link under the Woodstock address to locate the special offers for this shop.

“Merlin 200,000 Mile Shops have a commitment to long-term customer relationships, and I look forward to meeting and serving the people of the Woodstock area,” said Paul.

For more information on the Merlin 200,000 Miles Shop in Woodstock, please contact Paul Berenger at 815-337-1200.

 Automotive Services Company 'Tunes Up' Franchising Interest
Merlin 200,000 Mile Shops announces enlistment programs, spotlights franchise opportunities with automotive services as an option during economic crunch

ST. CHARLES, IL - January 22, 2009 – Employment opportunities may seem to slim-to-none in today’s economic crunch, but one company, Merlin 200,000 Mile Shops, says that despite all the doom and gloom we are hearing, now is very good time to begin a career in the auto service and maintenance industry. As such, Merlin is in a growth mode and is offering special financial and development incentives in order to attract new employees and franchise shop owners.

“Several factors make today the right time to get into the auto service and maintenance business,” says Frank Smola, Merlin President. “Many people don’t want another round of car payments and are maintaining their current vehicles in an effort to keep them on the road longer. Plus, the complexities of consumer lifestyles and scarcity of personal time continues. Most car owners just don’t have the interest, ability, or time to repair their own vehicles themselves. Therefore, our services, as vehicle longevity specialists, are in demand more than ever.”

The special incentives Merlin is offering to help attract and keep quality people include both shop ownership and personal achievement programs. Smola added, “These programs have been instrumental to our growth, and in today’s environment they are especially beneficial to those looking for a more secure future.”

The Merlin Shop Ownership Programs are designed for individuals who have a deep desire to manage their own business, and the Merlin Personal Achievement Programs enable employees to purchase their home or pursue further formal education of their choice.

The following Merlin Incentive Programs are currently available.

Merlin Shop Ownership Programs

Entrepreneur Development Program (EDP) - Highly motivated employees who are serious about someday owning a   business can earn up to $10,000 toward the purchase of their own Merlin 200,000 Miles Shop while they work for a Merlin shop during the two year minimum vestment period. EDP helps Merlin shop management keep the candidate focused on personal performance and also helps catapult that shop to a much higher level of sales performance.

FASTRAK Program – This program offers candidates with prior industry experience a fast way to shop ownership. Senior technicians, seasoned installers, shop foremen, and assistant, service or shop managers who are or have worked within the automotive service industry for a Merlin competitor are eligible. Based on length of service, the candidate can qualify for up to $15,000 toward the acquisition of a Merlin shop, and, when combined with the EDP Program, it has proven to be a beneficial enlistment tool by which some of the best automotive service veterans are recruited.

Two Language Program (TLP) - Bilingual employees can be instrumental to high volume shops. TLP equips Merlin shops to attract and retain highly motivated employees who desire to someday acquire their own Merlin 200,000 Miles Shop and who possess substantial proficiency in at least one language in addition to English. This program awards qualifying candidates $10,000 and may be combined with EDP and FASTRAK (maximum combined benefit $25,000).

Merlin Personal Achievement Programs

Real Estate Assistance Program (REAP) - This program empowers Merlin shops to attract and retain highly motivated employees who desire to someday purchase their own home. Through REAP, candidates can earn $7,000 toward the purchase of a primary residence.

Career Development Program (CDP) - For many Merlin shops, it makes sense to recruit a high energy employee who has not yet decided his “end destination” career and is looking for an opportunity to be a valuable team member, become independent, and learn a trade. He or she may have a desire to later go to a college or trade school and, with CDP, can earn $8,000 toward tuition.

"These programs are designed to help potential franchisees get into the business with less cash. Some advantages of joining the Merlin team include our ability to work with individuals who have limited funds and unfulfilled potential, and the reality that we offer many of the best locations with the newest and best-designed buildings in the industry," said Tim Williams, Merlin’s Director of Market Development. “We are proud of our tradition of assisting employee and franchisee candidates achieve their dreams through the power of these great programs. These initiatives have helped us build a system to recruit highly qualified professionals to our chain and prepare our highest potential employees for their next step in providing superior undercar and customer service as Merlin franchise owners.”
For more information about the Merlin Enlistment Programs, please contact Tim Williams, Director of Market Development at 630-208-9907 ext. 107. 

Merlin 200,000 Mile Shops Announces Newest Franchisee in Downers Grove

Downers Grove, Illinois - January 21, 2009 -- Merlin 200,000 Mile Shops recently announced that Jeffrey McClearn has purchased the business assets and franchise rights for the Merlin 200,000 Miles Shop in Downers Grove, located at 7205 Lemont Road.

“I’m very excited to be a part of the Downers Grove community and offer customers professional vehicle repair and maintenance that can help their automobiles reach their full life potential,” said Jeffrey McClearn, franchisee of Merlin 200,000 Miles Shop in Downers Grove. “I hope to help the Downers Grove community understand the true mileage potential of today’s passenger vehicles by introducing them to Merlin’s DRIVE FOR 200,000 during the course of every business day.”
Jeffrey McClearn has an extensive automotive background which began in 1991 when he joined the Goodyear organization in Aurora, Illinois. While there he served as Store Manager for several Just Tires shops in the Chicagoland and earned several prestigious sales and profit awards including one "Goodyear TOP 10 National Profit Achiever” awards and five "Goodyear Annual TOP 100 National Profit Achiever" awards.
With an eye toward shop ownership, Mr. McClearn joined the team of Merlin Franchisee Christopher Libby in March 2006 as the General Manager of the Darien, Illinois Shop. In 2007, he transferred to the Downers Grove (south) Merlin shop and, while there, developed a strong shop team and posted significant sales increases.

A Merlin 200,000 Miles Shop provides both repair and maintenance services as well as tires - almost anything a consumer would need during the first 200,000 miles of their car’s life (except car washes, major engine, transmission, and collision repair).

Special offers for the Merlin 200,000 Miles Shop in Downers Grove can be found by visiting Merlin's website, www.merlins.com.

“Merlin 200,000 Mile Shops have a commitment to long-term customer relationships, and I look forward to meeting and serving the people of the Downers Grove area,” said Jeff McClearn.

For more information on the Merlin 200,000 Miles Shop in Downers Grove, please contact Jeffrey McClearn at 630-960-0510.