How a Friend’s Kind Gesture Led Brian Bouthillette To Open Four SpeeDee Locations

When Brian Bouthillette was 17 years old, he saw a “help wanted” advertisement for a lower bay technician position at SpeeDee Oil Change & Auto Service. Without any hesitation, he applied and began his career in the automotive industry. Little did Bouthillette know that he would later become a successful multi-unit SpeeDee franchisee and the Operator of the Year by Oil & Lube News.

Since 1980, SpeeDee has been leading the way in the quick-lube industry. The brand’s range of exceptional services—including breaks, tires, oil changes, engine light inspections and more—along with its persistent commitment to customer service is how SpeeDee continues to stand apart from the competition. Forty years later, SpeeDee continues to deliver nothing but the best automotive services to its customers across its 159 U.S. locations.

Instead of attending college, Bouthillette continued working in another automotive shop, this time for his friend — and without pay. But according to Bouthillette, working for free was cheaper than attending a university to learn about the automotive industry.

“My friend who I worked for called me crazy for working for free,” said Bouthillette. “But I thought it was a genius idea because I was gaining the skills I needed to pursue a career with cars instead of paying thousands of dollars to go to school to learn the same thing.”

When Bouthillette first started with SpeeDee, he was a lower bay technician and pitman. From there, he was promoted to an upper bay technician and later, an assistant manager. When one of the SpeeDee store managers announced he was leaving, Bouthillette thought this was the perfect opportunity to prove that he was ready for more responsibility.

“The long hours I worked as a manager really paid off because I was able to show the SpeeDee corporate team that I could successfully operate my own shop as a franchise owner,” said Bouthillette.

The only thing stopping Bouthillette from becoming a SpeeDee franchisee at the time was the funds. Because he was paying off a mortgage on a house he had recently bought, money was tight. A friend came to Bouthillette’s rescue when they offered to hold his mortgage. Because of that, he was able to begin investing in his SpeeDee business.

“I consider that friend who helped me a part of my family now because if it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have been able to buy my first location,” said Bouthillette.

In 2000, Bouthillette took over his first SpeeDee shop in Providence, Rhode Island. Two years later, he took over another location 10 miles away in Cumberland. By 2016, Bouthillette had taken over two shops in Massachusetts—South Attleboro and Attleboro.

Since he began his journey with SpeeDee 30 years ago, Bouthillette can confidently say that there’s no other dealership or auto shop that provides the same high-quality services as SpeeDee.

“I love that this business doesn’t limit you to the services you can offer,” said Bouthillette. “Other dealerships may only offer oil changes or tune-up services, but we offer the full spectrum. All of our new stores now feature a repair side and lube side. We don’t have are hands tied—that’s what I like about this business”

Bouthillette believes in SpeeDee’s unparalleled business model so much that he chose to help an aspiring franchisee pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. When Justin Maddalena inquired about franchise opportunities with SpeeDee, Bouthillette wanted to help him in any way he could. In 2017, Bouthillette sold him one of his previous locations in Raynham, Massachusetts. Now, Maddalena has two SpeeDee shops and is in the process of opening a third.

“Justin has a very similar story to me—his father died of cancer when he was 15, and so did mine,” said Bouthillette. “I saw a lot of him in me. Because a friend helped me out when I wanted to buy a SpeeDee, I wanted to do the same for Justin. Everything comes around in the end and I like to live to help people.”

Some may desire a career change after 30 years of working in the same business, but not Bouthillette. He’s currently working on opening his fifth location down the road from his home in Lincoln, Rhode Island. Bouthillette can’t see himself growing with any other brand than SpeeDee.

“I believe I’m one of the longest-running tenured SpeeDee franchisees in the business and I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else with my life,” said Bouthillette. “I’ve been able to build lifelong relationships with SpeeDee owners in the surrounding areas and while we may be competitive, we’re all rooting for each other because we want the brand to be successful.”

The investment level for opening a SpeeDee Oil Change center ranges from $197,305 to $537,970 with a $35,000 franchise fee and a 6% royalty. 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 https://www.speedeeoil.com/franchise-information/.