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Valvoline Instant Oil Change (VIOC), one of the nation's largest providers of automotive fluid maintenance services, has named Wellesley, Massachusetts-based franchisees Don Smith and Richard MacDonald of Henley Enterprises, Inc., Operators of the Year. VIOC honored Smith and MacDonald, as well as other top-performing franchisees from 2002, at its recent annual franchisee workshop in San Antonio.

Other award recipients include:

• Outstanding Achievement: Wellesley, Mass.-based Henley Enterprises/Mid-Atlantic Lube, LLC
• Rookie of the Year: Cave Creek, Ariz.-based Performance Plus Automotive, LLC
• Spirit of Franchising: Visalia, Calif.-based MOO, Inc.
• Hall of Fame: San Antonio-based Hill Country Oil, Inc. and Albuquerque, N.M.-based High Desert Oil, Inc.

VIOC's Operator of the Year is the franchisee who achieves the most significant operational results and best demonstrates support and use of the VIOC system in terms of service center maintenance, customer service and adherence to established procedures. Henley Enterprises, Inc., joined VIOC in January 1989 as one of its first franchisees. Currently operating 27 locations throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire, Henley is VIOC's third largest franchisee.

"Don and Richard have consistently opened new locations with strong results and I'm confident that their success will continue," said VIOC President John Q. Wesley. "As firm believers in the VIOC system, willfully implementing it and continually seeking out ways to maximize the strength of our brand, they epitomize the type of franchisee that will be individually successful and also fuel VIOC's growth in the future."

Additional Honorees Named

In addition to being named Operator of the Year, Smith was also presented with VIOC's "Outstanding Achievement" award for the performance of both Henley Enterprises and a separate company, Mid-Atlantic Lube, LLC, operator of six VIOC service centers in Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania. The "Outstanding Achievement" award is given to franchisees who demonstrate the greatest effort in growing the VIOC brand, mainly through aggressive expansion. Both Henley and Mid-Atlantic Lube opened three service centers in the past 12 months.

VIOC also presented its "Rookie of the Year" award to Steve Campbell and Jeffrey Klinder of Performance Plus Automotive, LLC, in Cave Creek, Ariz. This award is based on exceptional performance of a franchisee who has operated at least one service center from six to 18 months. Since opening their service center in Phoenix in December 2000, Campbell and Klinder have consistently recorded high daily car counts and average sales.

Richard and Catherine McGuire of MOO, Inc. in Visalia, Calif., received VIOC?s "Spirit of Franchising" award, which recognizes the franchisee who best exhibits the following five criteria:

• participation in and support of all VIOC programs and systems;
• willingness to interact and share information with prospective and existing franchisees;
• adherence to VIOC's proprietary SuperPro^® program for service center management and Maximum Vehicle Performance (MVP®) process for vehicle maintenance;
• exceptional internal and external presentation of service centers and personnel to the customer; and
• excellent customer service.

The McGuires joined the VIOC system in January 1998, opened their first service center in December 1999 in Madera, Calif., and plan to open an additional store in Visalia shortly.

VIOC also inducted San Antonio-based franchisee Navin Bhatia of Hill Country Oil, Inc., and Albuquerque, N.M.-based franchisee Chris Malone of High Desert Oil, Inc., into its Hall of Fame. Bhatia and Malone were honored for their contributions to and impact on the company and their commitment to all VIOC programs and systems.

"Navin and Chris are fantastic franchisees and their induction into VIOC's Hall of Fame acknowledges their long-term contributions to the company," said Wesley. "They have consistently operated their service centers with strong results, have an exceptional dedication to their customers and an outstanding devotion to building and enhancing the VIOC brand."

In addition to these annual honors, VIOC named three franchisees to the Presidents' Club, which recognizes service centers with at least $1 million in annual revenues and 16 Franchise centers to the High Performance Club, which recognizes centers averaging at least 40 oil changes per day and average sales of at least $40 per customer. Franchisees honored in these categories include:

President?s Club

• Galena Associates, LLC, Bristol, Conn.
• Henley Enterprises, Inc., Wellesley, Mass.
• Mid-Atlantic Lube, LLC, Wellesley, Mass.

High Performance Club

• High Desert Oil, Inc., Albuquerque, N.M.
• T.J.R.- Corp., Lawrenceville, Ga.
• Henley Enterprises, Inc., Wellesley, Mass.
• Hill Country Oil, Inc., San Antonio, Tx.
• Lube Marts, Inc., State College, Pa.
• Buffalo Lube Associates, L.P., Buffalo, N.Y.
• Quality Automotive Services, Inc., Charlotte, N.C.
• Oilmen Enterprises, LLC. Loveland, Col.
• Great Lakes Lube, LLC, Mukwonago, Wisc.
• Galena Associates, LLC, Bristol, Conn.
• CM Corporation, Lincoln, Neb.
• Jones Lubrication, Inc., Peachtree City, Ga.
• Westco Lube, Inc., Kansas City, Mo.
• BIG, Inc., Carmel, Ind.
• Chesapeake Lubrication, Inc., Galesville, Md.
• Fastrac Lube Center, Inc., Westminster, Col.

Lexington, Ky.-based VIOC is one of the nation's largest providers of automotive and fluid maintenance services and a subsidiary of Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH), a 78-year-old, Fortune 500 company. VIOC service centers offer motorists a complete selection of automotive fluid services including oil changes, preventive maintenance checks, free fluid top-offs and other maintenance services and products, presented in an environment with the highest emphasis on customer service. Nationwide, there are 105 VIOC franchisees operating 346 locations, and more than 700 total locations nationwide.