Today we’d like to introduce you to Ed McNack.
Ed, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
After 20+ years of working for others, I’d had enough of corporate America and decided to take control of my own destiny by becoming my own boss. If I was going to have to put up with internal politics and other constraints, at least they’d be of my own making. Many with my background would have chosen consulting. Not me. I’ve always been interested in the automotive industry and after weighing my options decided to go into the automotive maintenance and repair business by purchasing my 1st Kwik Kar which is located near downtown Fort Worth in late 2013. Less than a year later, I purchased Kwik Kar Valley Ranch in Irving in 2014. Both stores had been in business for more than 20 years, had successful track records and were run by experienced owners and managers. Although both of the aforementioned businesses were acquisitions, I didn’t stop there, I also started a couple of businesses from scratch. Kwik Kar Valley Ranch and Kwik Kar on University are the bread winners thus far.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The transition wasn’t easy by any stretch. More than a few customers immediately bolted when ownership changed hands which was something I should have anticipated. But the greatest challenge was and has been on the employee side. In the corporate world, employees think in terms of their career. In this industry, not so much which leads to lots of turnover. Employee turnover’s not a good thing. Customers like to see the same faces with each service. Productivity is higher when employees are used to working together and comfortable in their shoes. Filling empty positions was challenging. No longer did I have an HR department to attract, identify and screen candidates for my review. Now it was all me. Ad placement. Job descriptions. Interviews. Background checks. Training. Etc. After speaking with many other owners, I found I was not alone but that didn’t make it any easier.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Kwik Kar Lube & Tune is known for oil changes, vehicle maintenance, inspections, etc. The reality is lots of places provide those services. The real differentiator for my stores is customer service: Speed. Quality. Courtesy. These are the areas we excel in. Kwik Kar Valley Ranch oil change service times range from 15 – 20 minutes which includes vacuuming the interior of your vehicle, washing the windows, topping off all fluids, properly inflating your tires and completing a multi-point inspection. Try getting that kind of service at one of the big box stores. At both of my stores, we try to greet every customer before they even have a chance to step out of the car. While you’re waiting, we provide free Wi-Fi, fresh coffee from our Keurig, and a fresh selection of magazines. Full-time mechanics are on-duty 5 days a week. Although they’re more than capable of performing routine services such as tune-ups and brake jobs, they’ve also replaced entire powertrains including engines and transmissions at a fraction of the cost of what a dealership would charge.
What were you like growing up?
I’m a native Texan (Houston) and grew up in small family. Went public schools and was raised by two hard working parents. For 17 years, my dad worked two full-time jobs and my mom had a full-time job as well. Needless to say, I didn’t see dad a whole lot, but there was a lot of love in our family. More importantly, I learned the value of hard work at an early age. While growing up, I enjoyed sports but preferred individual pursuits such as 1-on-1 and 3-on-1 basketball, tennis (singles not doubles), bowling, long-distance running, etc. At my core, I was a nerd. My passions were math, science, reading, etc. So, when I graduated from high school, I decided to see just how good I was and went on to get a BS from MIT and an MBA from Wharton.
Contact Info:
- Address: Kwik Kar Valley Ranch: 9451 N MacArthur Blvd Irving, TX 75063
Kwik Kar on University: 276 University Drive Fort Worth, TX 76107 - Website: www.valleyranchkwik.com and www.universitykwik.com
- Phone: 972-831-1028 (Kwik Kar Valley Ranch); 817-332-5823 (Kwik Kar on University)
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