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Former Jiffy Lube franchisee joins HVA franchise network
By Monica Feid  | | David Macchia | | If David Macchia's track record is any indication, his new career is going to burn rubber. Macchia went from 300 employees and 300,000 customers a year to just six employees and six customers in the last four months. And he calls the change "way more enjoyable." That's how Macchia describes the difference between owning 18 Jiffy Lube franchises in five states and owning one HomeVestors franchise in his hometown of Westminster, MA, near Boston. "The sheer stress level of keeping that many customers happy is tough," Macchia said of his 20-year career with Jiffy Lube. After starting as a technician at age 18, Macchia was a franchisee by 21. He quickly learned the ropes of the business, bought out his franchise partners after a few years and grew a multi-unit operation with Jiffy Lube throughout Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Vermont. His quick lube business was, excuse the pun, a well-oiled machine. So, in November of 2005, when a buyer made the right offer, Macchia sold his locations and entertained dreams of early retirement with his wife and two daughters. The easy life lasted all of two months. After some traveling, Macchia found himself at home, staring at the walls, looking for something to do. That's when his hobby of buying, rehabbing and selling distressed houses turned into a second introduction to franchising. Over the years during Macchia's many travels to Jiffy Lube's international headquarters in Houston, he saw some interesting "We Buy Ugly Houses" billboards. He found the same slogan staring at him on trips to Florida. When he discovered that it was the branding campaign behind the HomeVestors franchise, he inquired about opening a location for Worchester County. But the franchise concept had not yet expanded that far northeast. Fate intervened when HomeVestors, now with a franchise network of more than 250 locations in the U.S., decided to begin selling franchises in Massachusetts around the same time Macchia was growing bored with his so-called retirement. By May, Macchia was a full-fledged HomeVestors franchisee. When asked about his new career, he said, "It's so much more rewarding." And for a man who is financially free to do anything he wants, that was a prerequisite. "I don't have to work," Macchia said. "So for this to work for me, I told my wife, I had to enjoy it." What's the best part of his business? "At Jiffy Lube an average customer would spend $50," he said. He had 300,000 of them to please and a growing list of competitors trying to get in the way. At HomeVestors, the average house in his market is $300,000, and he's the only franchise in the industry offering his services. "All of your focus is on one sizeable investment," Macchia said. "And you could earn five figures, maybe six off of that one investment." He said it's much easier to put his energy, his passion, and his time into that kind of business. Both jobs can be dirty. And rehabbing a house can take a lot longer than changing a car's oil. But the beautiful results in the neighborhood are worth the effort. Macchia has already purchased seven houses since joining HomeVestors, turning his hobby into a real business -- a business he enjoys. . . . Monica Feid of BizCom Associates handles public relations services for HomeVestors and its franchisees.
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