Driven Brands Inc. has been named a winner in Franchise Times fourth annual Dealmakers Awards. The award recognizes some of the boldest players driving mergers and acquisitions in franchising.
The winners of the Franchise Times Dealmakers awards were selected by a panel of judges, all experts in franchise mergers and acquisitions, from finalist nominations solicited by Franchise Times in the fourth quarter.
Driven Brands, one of 12 winners, was recognized after an active 2015 that saw the company rapidly expand its list of holdings. Soon after being acquired by an affiliate of Atlanta-based Roark Capital in April 2015, Driven Brands acted on an aggressive growth campaign that launched with the acquisition of 1-800 Radiator Inc. in June, CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts in October and CARSTAR Canada in December.
Driven Brands manages a family of automotive aftermarket brands including Maaco, Meineke Car Care Centers, Merlin 200,000 Mile Shops, Econo Lube N’ Tune, Pro Oil, CARSTAR, Drive N Style and 1-800-Radiator & A/C.
“Our investment partners have stood by their commitment to invest in our growth and have remained committed to our profitability and long-term success,” said Johnathan Fitzpatrick, CEO of Driven Brands. “We look forward to continuing to leverage their deep knowledge and expertise in the franchising industry.”
With the addition of 1-800-Radiator Inc., Driven Brands says it laid the foundation for its distribution division. Gaining CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts and CARSTAR Canada drove Driven Brands to develop its paint and collision division led by Group President Jose Costa. The division is comprised of Maaco, Drive N Style and the CARSTAR brands. Collectively, these brands operate more than 1,000 body shops across North America, generate more than $1.2 billion in annual system sales.
