--- title: "How Grease Monkey’s Honest Business Model Was the Perfect Franchise Fit For Experienced Automotive Technician Andy Schmidt" url: https://burnaze.com/article/d257c2f6-5751-404f-8dca-b10d1af2273b source: "1851 Franchise" original_url: https://1851franchise.com/how-grease-monkeys-honest-business-model-was-the-perfect-franchise-fit-for-experienced-automotive-technician-andy-schmidt-2712212 category: "Oil change" industry: "Automotive" segment: "Oil change" published: 2020-02-06T16:11:14.000Z modified: 2026-11-01T02:28:22.294Z image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/bca5e27b015ec325b98a69b842f165bc9634.jpg --- # How Grease Monkey’s Honest Business Model Was the Perfect Franchise Fit For Experienced Automotive Technician Andy Schmidt **TL;DR:** Andy Schmidt, an experienced automotive technician, found success with Grease Monkey's honest business model when he opened his location in Livingston, Texas. Grease Monkey has an honest business model that gives franchisees the freedom to run their business as they see fit. *originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2020-02-06. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/how-grease-monkeys-honest-business-model-was-the-perfect-franchise-fit-for-experienced-automotive-technician-andy-schmidt-2712212).* ## Key facts - Andy Schmidt opened a Grease Monkey location in Livingston, Texas - Grease Monkey has an honest business model - The investment level for opening a Grease Monkey center ranges from $156,695 to $347,850 ## Story **Andy Schmidt was not new to the automotive service industry when he opened his** **Grease Monkey** **location a few years ago. He earned an associate degree in automotive technology and began working as a service technician at a car dealership. After gaining experience in several different jobs, Schmidt decided it was time to do his own thing.** **He began researching different franchise opportunities that would be viable in his home community of Livingston, Texas—a small town with modest means and blue-collar workers. According to Schmidt, he “wanted to invest in a business** **that would provide an honest service to the people in his community****”.** **“I knew I wanted to do something for myself, I wanted to be the boss” Schmidt said. “I’ve always been in car repair, so a business in this industry just made sense. There’s already a few car repair shops in town, but I thought, ‘What can I do that fills a need in my community?’ Because there’s already a few car repair shops in town, I knew there was a good market for it. However, I really didn’t think the existing shops were the best quality. I wanted to provide that for the town—an honest, hardworking, best-in-quality repair shop.”** **And that’s where** **Grease Monkey** **came into the picture. Schmidt, along with his wife Cyndie, opened his first Grease Monkey location in the fall of 2017 in Livingston, Texas.** ## Business model appeal **“I’m not a businessman and I don’t really have a business mindset,” Schmidt said. “I am just a blue-collar, hard worker. So when I started looking into different franchises,** **Grease Monkey was the perfect opportunity****. When looking at other companies, yes, my name would be on the franchise agreement, but everything went back to corporate. With Grease Monkey, it was not only different, it was better.”** **So, what was it about Grease Monkey that made Schmidt feel like the brand was different from all the other automotive-service options available? According to Schmidt, Grease Monkey possesses an honest business model that makes each franchisee and employee feel like they are a big part of the company. “Grease Monkey doesn’t push for sales,” he said. “They give you the freedom to run your business as you see fit. In a small Texas town like Livingston, the pockets aren’t deep and** **Grease Monkey’s model** **doesn’t push you to hit up customers for every dollar they have. When we started this business, we made the decision to build it honestly. We value our customers and want them to come back for great service and great prices.” ## Leadership and community **In addition to running a business that is honest and hardworking, Schmidt models his business practices after his previous employers—both the good employers and the bad. “Like anyone, I’ve had some really good employers and some really bad ones,” he said. “That really taught me how I want to be and how I don’t want to be in my business. I model myself and the way I run the business after the good ones and keep myself from being like the bad ones.”** **Schmidt mentioned that he really tries to be invested in his employees and helps them with anything they need. “Our employees are the backbone of the business—if you treat them well, you will get that in return.”** **Aside from being invested in his employees, Schmidt is also committed to supporting his community and sponsors the local high school’s fishing team. His wife Cyndie also values community involvement and supports** **House of Mary****, an organization that helps women who are pregnant (prenatal and postpartum) by providing them a home and care for themselves and their child.** ## Future plans and growth **Looking to the future, Schmidt wants to grow** **his current Grease Monkey location** **and ensure top-quality service for every single customer. He felt that quality and honesty in a car repair shop was lacking in Livingston, noting that as the foundation of his business’ success, along with the desire to “get it to be the best it could possibly be.”** **With regards to expansion, instead of buying a second location, Schmidt wants to reinvest in his current location. “I would like to grow into more heavy repairs; I still have a half acre of unused land that I’d like to use for bigger jobs. I would also like to get into the carwash aspect of Grease Monkey, Monkey Shine.”** **Grease Monkey was founded in 1978 in Denver by entrepreneurs Bob Palmer and Alex Anderson. The duo noticed a gap in the marketplace for consumers to get their oil changed easily—a service that is necessary to maintain vehicle manufacturers’ warranties. The first franchised Grease Monkey opened in Westminster, Colorado in 1979 and the brand has since expanded to over 360 centers internationally.** ***The investment level for opening a Grease Monkey center ranges from $156,695 to $347,850 with a $35,000 franchise fee and a 5% royalty. Franchisees who meet the established criteria are eligible for a 10% royalty rebate. Grease Monkey offers veterans and first responders a more 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 Grease Monkey, visit*** ** ## Entities - 1851 Franchise (publication) - Automotive (sector) - franchise opportunity (topic) - community involvement (topic) - Grease Monkey (company) - automotive service (topic) - Livingston, Texas (location) - honest business model (topic) --- Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/how-grease-monkeys-honest-business-model-was-the-perfect-franchise-fit-for-experienced-automotive-technician-andy-schmidt-2712212). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/d257c2f6-5751-404f-8dca-b10d1af2273b).