Why SpeeDee Employee of 28 Years Mike Guasch Bought His First Franchise

SpeeDee franchisee Mike Guasch surprised even himself when he ended up in the automotive industry. After serving in the U.S. Navy as a jet mechanic, he spent some time working in the airline industry for Southwest. In 1989, Guasch became a lube technician for a newly-opened Express Lube facility in the Bay Area right along California’s El Camino Real. 

Guasch spent the next three years working up the ranks to eventually become an area manager of five stores along El Camino Real, typically servicing anywhere between 130 to 150 cars a day at each store. In 1992, he noticed a position open with SpeeDee. “I was drawn to the district manager position because of the huge range of services SpeeDee offered,” said Guasch. “I was a mechanical guy, but I was really enthused with the service offerings that stood out among other automotive businesses in the Bay Area at that time.”

Guasch was hired and spent 28 years on the corporate side of SpeeDee as a district manager. “When I started, there might have been eight stores that were all franchised locations,” said Guasch, who spent the initial part of his career focused on operations, development and construction for stores in SpeeDee’s western territory across California. 

In 2017, he took over as VP of Operations for the entire SpeeDee system, and in 2019, he worked to give SpeeDee one of its best years of business in the history of the brand. “We rolled out a bunch of new initiatives in the last year including the Total Trust Guarantee™ and the SpeeDee Performance Certified technician certification program with online training,” said Guasch.

Guasch is proud of the work he has done with SpeeDee and enjoyed building both professional and personal relationships with franchisees throughout the system. “While working for a corporation for so many years and helping franchisees be so successful, I watched their kids grow up and go through college. Their kids got married and had kids. After all that time, I always envisioned I would someday have my own operation,” said Guasch.

The decision to franchise wasn’t one he took lightly. “It was a very hard decision to make,” said Guasch. “There are benefits of working in a company environment. When you become a franchisee, it’s all on your shoulders.” 

When an opportunity appeared to purchase the Modesto, California store from friend and colleague Bryan Millsaps, Guasch couldn’t pass it up. “I’ve known the Millsaps family for 25 years. My daughter babysits their grandkids. Our families are pretty close,” said Guasch, who cited this relationship as part of his reason he felt confident taking over Millsaps’ operation. “Bryan has a lot invested in that store, so he didn't just want to sell it to anyone because of the culture that he has built. The average tenure of employees is eight years. The cashier has been there 18 years. Mechanics have been there for over 10 years. This established team is also led by manager Desmond Taylor. It was a great deal between Bryan and me.”

Since taking over the high-performing Modesto store in January, Guasch has certainly upheld his end of the bargain. “I wasn’t going into a franchise location that needed to be fixed,” said Guasch. “I wanted one that was established where I could step in and keep the momentum going. The results are coming in, and we’re already looking at a 16% increase in sales, which is pretty strong for a store that already performs well in sales.”

One of Guasch’s favorite parts of becoming a SpeeDee franchisee has been working with his 18-year-old son Jacob on the weekends. “My son is in an aerospace engineering program as a freshman, but he works with me at the store a few shifts a week,” said Guasch. “He totally digs it; he gets along really well with the crew and he’s got this career idea of going into the Air Force. One of the real highlights of this experience has just been driving to work together on the weekends.”

As Guasch continues to ramp up his business, he plans to prioritize community involvement through SpeeDee. “I’m a member of the Modesto Chamber of Commerce, Modesto Gospel Mission and the Adult/Teen Challenge, and my intentions are to be pretty active in the community,” said Guasch, who already works with the local high school and Modesto Junior College. 

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 https://www.speedeeoil.com/franchise-information/.