HHO Carbon Clean Systems Founder Jared English Reflects on First Year in Franchising

HHO Carbon Clean Systems, the cutting-edge engine-cleaning brand, has proven the success of its business and franchise model after its first full year of operation. While the auto industry is changing, HHO is proving an ability to adapt to a consumer market and establish a sustainable service for years to come.

“We find ourselves constantly explaining to people that we’re not an auto repair service,” said Jared English, the brand’s founder. “HHO is a preventative maintenance company.”

HHO’s service features proprietary engine cleaning technology with an environmentally-friendly focus. With an increasing demand for clean technology, the HHO brand is able to promote a hydrogen-based cleaning process to provide a zero-emission service for all sorts of gas and diesel-powered vehicle engines. The brand was founded in the summer of 2020 and began offering franchising opportunities in the first months of 2021, while English said the brand was able to establish itself through the help of a dedicated corporate team.

“People who are calling us are betting on the future,” English said. “The folks who call us inquiring about both our services and franchise opportunities are looking for a technology that no one else is using or implementing.”

The HHO business model is geared for franchisees to run a business without a need for extra employees. It has proven to be sustainable after one full year of successful franchising. “One person can operate our system out of a mobile service unit or even a shop,” English said.

He added that retired auto shop business owners have quickly gravitated to the HHO model, as have investors seeking a part-time operation. Owners of an HHO location can determine their own schedule, hire as many or as few employees as they deem fit, and grow at a pace that suits their individual needs.

Terry Bunting is the director of service and training for HHO, and his duties quickly progressed under English’s guidance from a curious technician to a full-service instructor for the brand. “I felt like I was comfortable running this carbon cleaning service after just a few cars,” Bunting said. “Once we had delivered these results to our customers, I was excited to teach other technicians how to offer these same benefits all across the country.”

English, Bunting and the entire HHO team have developed a fast and relatively simple training process for prospective employees. “If you can operate a computer or open a kitchen drawer, you can work an HHO automated carbon cleaning system,” English said. “We have streamlined our training down to four days from five once we realized how quickly new franchisees were able to pick up the concepts..”

The current HHO training system takes owners through the process of different engine models, followed by a day cleaning several vehicles with a trained HHO technician. “Usually after we do one or two machines, our prospective employees want to try themselves,” English said. The brand has been able to fine-tune its training even more since it began taking on franchisees, and the expedited training allows HHO to meet consumer demand in record time.

English said that classroom training alone will often be enough for a technician to learn how to perform HHO’s systems, but hands-on training is where they develop confidence.

The insights don’t stop there, however. “All HHO franchisees have 24-hour technical assistance beyond their initial training, which is something we have emphasized for all business owners to have even more confidence,” Bunting said. “The open lines of communication have ensured all facets of our operations are satisfied for both franchisees and the corporate office.”

HHO has diversified its revenue stream with a series of leasing partnerships, a system geared to promote interest in both the brand and the service it provides.

“The big picture here, though, is that we don’t just sell equipment and ship it to everybody,” English said. HHO’s comprehensive service entails the brand will perform an on-site demo and training. “We make sure everything and everyone is 100% ready before we hand over the reins,” he added.

While electric vehicles are becoming more of a standard in today’s market, English is confident the HHO brand is in an industry that will be in demand for the next 50 years. “With farm equipment and semis, the technology is simply decades away from producing the sustained torque that would be necessary for heavy industry, battery output and offsetting their tremendous weight just isn’t going to happen for a long while,” he said.

The brand has established a foundation for business growth in one year of franchising, while innovation is still a priority for English and his team. “We’re experimenting with a lot of other automotive and clean energy solutions,” he said. “In the coming months and years, we hope to continue offering value to our customers with additional products and services that stay true to our philosophy and business model.”