AAMCO auto shop looking for new franchises in Hartford, rest of country

Posted on August 06, 2010 by Franchise Gator Admin

While the economic downturn means car owners are keeping their vehicles for longer periods, it also means a boom for auto repair franchises.

AAMCO, the reputable transmission specialist that has branched out into total car care, is hoping to open 10 new franchises in the Hartford, Connecticut, area in 2010, according to the Hartford Business Journal.

“People would rather repair [their cars] than put a great deal more money into buying a new one,” AAMCO franchisee Mike Tarr told the news source. Tarr started his AAMCO shop four years ago, and said his business has really grown over the past 24 months.

But Hartford isn’t the only area in which AAMCO hopes to expand its franchise. With 32 new franchises already added in 2010, AAMCO’s vice president of franchise sales and development, Tony Padulo, told the Journal the company is aiming for 60 new stores in 2011 to add to its nationwide total of more than 900.

Padulo reported to the paper that about 30 percent of all new business owners used part of their retirement accounts to start their AAMCO franchises.

AAMCO merged in 2006 with Cottman Transmission, giving the new company a combined 75 years of business experience.