Valvoline Franchisee Platform Hits 50 Locations

Velocity Auto Care, a Valvoline Instant Oil Change franchisee backed by private equity firm Franchise Equity Partners, opened its 50th service center this month in Edinburg, Texas. The milestone caps 12 new locations since FEP acquired the platform in December 2024.

A Roll-Up Built for Disciplined Growth

FEP acquired 38 Valvoline Instant Oil Change locations directly from Valvoline in the original December 2024 deal, along with a development agreement covering 75 more service centers over seven years. Velocity Auto Care CEO Robert Fish said the company is targeting nine to 12 new locations a year, a pace meant to protect service quality and staffing as the footprint grows across Texas and into neighboring New Mexico.

Where the Next 18 Locations Are Headed

The company has 18 more service centers in development, all expected to open by the end of 2027. Expansion targets include Austin, El Paso, Midland-Odessa, San Antonio, Corpus Christi and Las Cruces, New Mexico, building on a Rio Grande Valley territory that has grown to six locations since its first opening there in 2025.

The Bigger Pattern in Franchise Private Equity

The Velocity deal is one piece of a broader FEP strategy. The same firm recently acquired Bravo Fit, the largest Planet Fitness franchisee in Australia, and invested in UK-based IMO Car Wash earlier this year. For multi-unit operators evaluating capital partners, FEP's approach signals how private equity firms are increasingly buying operating platforms inside established franchise systems rather than founding new concepts, then funding steady, metered unit growth instead of pushing for a quick resale. Co-founder Mike Esposito framed the milestone as proof the model works when execution stays disciplined.