Texaco Oil Franchise
Posted by Christopher James Conner on Sun, Sep 19, 2010 @ 08:01 PM
Tupelo man owns state's largest Texaco oil change franchise
Sunday, September 12, 2010 3:51 PM
(Source: Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal) By CARLIE KOLLATH, Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, Tupelo, Miss.
Sept. 12--TUPELO -- Randy Groover puts a lot of pressure on himself.
But the pressure is one of the reasons Groover thinks his company, Pro Oil Shop, has become the state's largest Texaco Xpress Lube franchise.
When he started the business in 1994, he pulled retirement money out of his 401(k) to build the first store in Tupelo, which focuses on oil changes.
"I took a lot of risk," said Groover, who is president of Pro Oil Shop, which does business as Texaco Xpress Lube. "I couldn't afford to lose. ... When I got into this business, it wasn't an option. You had to make it. There was no other option."
And 16 years later, he now owns six stores and has 50 employees.
He's gone from servicing 28 cars on his first day of business to about 300 to 400 vehicles a day now.
"You don't know how much heart and soul I put into this for years," he said.
Groover originally started in retail, working for Lowe's for about 15 years. After years of travel, he and his family wanted to settle down. He and his wife, Lauren, were living in Ohio with their young twin boys and they wanted to go home to Northeast Mississippi.
Lauren Groover -- who lost her battle with breast cancer this year -- had a friend in Louisiana who had a quick-lube business, so the Groovers wanted to see if the industry would fit them.
"We bought a bottle of oil and got the 1-800 number on the back and called them," Groover said. "Ain't that crazy?"
After more research, the Groovers settled on the Havoline brand, which is owned by Texaco's parent company, Chevron. They opened their first Texaco Xpress Lube on North Gloster Street in April 15, 1994.
"When I got in business, my mother was like, 'You're going to change oil for a living? Surely not,'" he said.
Employees drive success
Later that year, he added a store in Booneville. Now he has four locations in Tupelo, one in Booneville and a Pennzoil Service Center in Corinth. In Tupelo, he also has an Xpress Service Center behind the his North Gloster store.
"My success is from my employees," he said. "I wouldn't be here without any of my people."
Groover said that making a difference in the young people he hires part time has been rewarding. He calls it a life investment.
"They come up to me 15 years later and say 'thank you,'" he said. "It really gives me a lot of pride when these kids come back and shake my hand as young men and young women."
Sometimes, the young hires stay and grow within the company.
Stephen Cantrell is one example. He started when he was 17 and got paid $5 an hour.