Driven Brands has announced its acquisition of Fix Auto USA and Auto Center Auto Body, Inc, according to an internal company statement, obtained by FenderBender and issued by Michael Macaluso, a top executive with Driven Brands who oversees its collision repair vertical.
Fix Auto USA and Auto Center Auto Body are headquartered in San Diego,Calif., and concentrated on the West Coast. Fix Auto USA (FUSA) has 150 franchise locations and ACAB has 10 company-owned locations. FUSA and ACAB will retain their current branding, and the acquisition excludes Fix Auto Canada locations, according to the statement.
Macaluso said that the acquisition leaves Driven Brands further fortified in the realm of paint, collision, and glass repair and "enhances Driven Brands' size and scale. ... In a time of consolidation for the collision repair space, this strategic move also solidifies our position as an industry leader for our insurance, OEM, and vendor partners."
"This partnership with Fix Auto USA has been in process since 2019, and we are thrilled to move forward with our commitment to the Fix team despite the current business climate," Macaluso said in a statement. "We look forward to seeing the added strength that this acquisition will bring to our overall portfolio."
Fix Auto USA will join three other collision brands in Macaluso’s paint, collision and glass segment: CARSTAR, Maaco, and 55 ABRA franchisees Driven Brands purchased after the Caliber-ABRA merger. The segment also includes the Clarius family of Canadian glass companies.
CARSTAR has more than 700 locations across the U.S. and Canada, with at least half of them in the U.S. The new acquisition would seem to put Driven Brands’ U.S. footprint on par with or ahead of No. 2 Gerber.
Fix Auto USA President and CEO Paul Gange will remain president, managing the franchisees.
“After years of growing Fix Auto USA, we are thrilled to be part of Driven Brands, who completed the acquisition despite the tumultuous business climate,” Gange said in a statement. “We are excited to continue building our organization with the strength and support of Driven Brands behind us.”
Mondofix dissapointed and alarmed over sale
Mondofix Inc., (Fix Network World) the owner of the Fix Auto trademark and design in the United States and globally, was disappointed and alarmed to read the announcement on April 21, 2020 that Driven Brands has acquired Fix Auto USA (FUSA), and that FUSA intends to retain the use of the Fix Auto brand in the United States post-acquisition.
Steve Leal, President and CEO of Fix Network said: “We were not aware of this transaction nor did we consent to any transaction between Driven Brands and FUSA, as is required under the license agreement with FUSA’s parent company. As such, we will pursue all legal avenues open to us to protect our lawful position as the owner of the Fix Auto trademark and design in the United States.”