StandardNet:
Jiffy Lube, the national chain that revolutionized the speedy oil change, celebrated its 30th anniversary Monday at the store that started it all.
The service center that had its start in Ogden has since grown to more than 2,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada.
Rick Altizer, president of Houston-based Jiffy Lube International Inc., said the chain’s success stems from a patented service system that focuses on the customer and the car as well as providing fast, basic maintenance that saves people time.
All Jiffy Lube locations, which are locally owned, operate under this model.
“It’s a science,” Altizer said. “We look at each part of the vehicle. If there’s two or three things someone can get done here in 10 minutes, it’s convenient and fast for them.”
The first Jiffy Lube opened at 192 36th St. in 1979, offering fast oil changes for $6.95, said David L. Griffin, president of Griffin Fast Lube, a franchisee of Jiffy Lube International that owns 25 Jiffy Lube service centers in Utah and Nevada.
It was a time when Americans were accustomed to taking their vehicles to service stations, car dealerships or mechanics for an oil change and basic car maintenance.