SpeeDee Oil Change & Auto Service® Franchisee Steven Sarrantonio Brings 20 Years of Automotive Experience to Charlotte, North Carolina

Before becoming a SpeeDee Oil Change & Auto Service® franchisee, Steven Sarrantonio was no stranger to the automotive industry. The Long Island, New York native entered the industry at the age of 17 and worked his way up from vacuuming cars to managing the store.

“After working at a competitor for over 16 years—half the time for a corporate-owned location and half the time for a multi-unit franchisee—I decided to move down to North Carolina to be closer to my family,” said Sarrantonio. “I began working at another automotive brand through a connection with a franchisee who owned a few stores in the area and needed a director of operations. I ran the operational side of the stores for about six years, helping grow the owner’s portfolio to nearly 20 locations before I left to start my own business.”

When looking for his next opportunity, the automotive industry veteran was immediately drawn to SpeeDee Oil Change & Auto Service®****. According to Sarrantonio, SpeeDee stood out as a leader in the automotive service and repair segment because of its wide array of maintenance and repair services, customer-centric Total Trust Guarantee™ and Performance-Certified team of technicians.

For 40 years, SpeeDee has built trusted customer relationships based on reliability and professional service, growing from a single store in Metairie, Louisiana to more than 150 locations. SpeeDee Oil Change & Auto Service®’ is committed to providing customers with the expertise, value and responsiveness that they deserve through services such as 17-point oil change, tune-ups, alignments, brakes and more. Today, SpeeDee sees 900,000 customers each year, with 65% of those being repeat customers.

In 2013, Sarrantonio purchased his first SpeeDee location in Concord, North Carolina, bringing his 20 years of automotive experience to the franchise. Although the corporate-owned store was struggling before Sarrantonio became the owner, he was able to re-establish the location by working seven days a week until the auto care concept was making a profit.

“Through the help of SpeeDee’s parent company, FullSpeed Automotive, the support infrastructure was incredible and the team provided the tools and strategy that I needed to get off to the right start,” said Sarrantonio. “Even though I had a wealth of experience in automotive servicing, I was new to the automotive full-service repair industry. The SpeeDee team followed up with ongoing support, training, information systems and marketing and advertising programs that fostered our customer loyalty and helped create repeat business.”

In addition to franchisee support, all SpeeDee Performance-Certified technicians are highly trained in automotive maintenance to deliver a best-in-class service that is fast, reliable and affordable.

After three years of establishing the initial Concord location, Sarrantonio had the opportunity to purchase his second SpeeDee store in Pineville, North Carolina. The store proved to be an immediate success and in 2018 Sarrantonio expanded his portfolio to feature two additional locations—one in Rock Hill, South Carolina and one in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina.

“The greater Charlotte metropolitan area is perfect for SpeeDee because of the dense population of car owners and commuters,” said Sarrantonio. “Public transportation is not readily available or popular in the area, with only 6% of households surveyed as car-free. The population exists in the perfect middle ground between an urban, city environment where people don’t drive and a rural area where the population is too small for continued business.”

As Sarrantonio expands the SpeeDee footprint throughout the Charlotte-Concord area, he has supported the local community through sponsoring various activities and teams such as a recent veteran fishing tournament and swim competition.

Looking to the future, Sarrantonio has no plans of slowing down. As a semi-absentee owner of all four locations, Sarrantonio and his wife recently invested in an office space in order to have more room to work and hopefully expand the business. “Whether it be opening new locations or acquiring an established store due to a change in ownership, I am eager to continue growing with the SpeeDee brand,” he said.

Across the four stores, Sarrantonio has built an amazing team of automotive experts, managers and mechanics that treat customers with courtesy and provide comprehensive, easy-to-understand information. “The main goal is to help each and every customer make the best and most informed decision possible when it comes to their vehicle and it has been so satisfying watching our team grow,” he said.

The investment level for opening a SpeeDee Oil Change center ranges from $197,305 to $537,970 with a $35,000 franchise fee. SpeeDee offers veterans and first responders a discount on their franchise fee and a substantial royalty rebate for their first two years of business. Candidates should demonstrate financial capability of a minimum $250,000 net worth and $60,000 to $75,000 in liquid assets, per unit developed. To learn more about franchising opportunities with SpeeDee, visit ***