Empires

The Ex-Private Equity Analysts Building a Meineke Empire (25+ locations)


Listen Later

Get in Contact

For multi-unit owners looking to sell their business: https://www.fdcapitalgroup.com/ 

 

Interested in buying a franchise? https://www.frandawgs.com/buy-a-franchise 

 

Get in touch with the host: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-buckley-%F0%9F%8C%AD-89539499/ 

 

Get in touch with Jack and Jake:

 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-foster-098030a8/ 

 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-mclaughlin-8a67a4126/ 

Description

Jack Foster and Jake McLaughlin left careers in investment banking and private equity to build one of the fastest-growing Meineke platforms in the country.

In this episode, we break down:

  • Why they chose Meineke and auto repair over flashier franchises

  • The real unit economics and margins of a Meineke location

  • How they scaled from 3 stores to 25 through small, disciplined acquisitions

  • Why people, culture, and operator excellence mattered more than financial engineering

  • What they’re building next beyond Meineke

  • This is a rare, transparent look at what it actually takes to scale a blue-collar, brick-and-mortar business.

     

    Timestamps

    00:00 – Leaving investment banking & private equity for entrepreneurship

    02:40 – How prepared were they really to own franchise locations
    05:00 – Why they chose partnership instead of going solo
    08:10 – Why franchising (and why auto services specifically)
    10:20 – Why Meineke stood out vs other auto concepts
    11:05 – Meineke unit economics & margins breakdown
    13:45 – Why these margins surprised most people
    15:00 – How they sourced their very first Meineke acquisition
    17:40 – Paying cash vs SBA financing for early deals
    18:55 – What makes a Meineke location a “deal killer”
    21:00 – The importance of car count & rent discipline
    23:10 – Hiring a COO who changed everything
    26:00 – Why they moved into their markets after acquisitions
    29:30 – Scaling from 5 to 25 locations without breaking operations
    32:00 – Buying single stores vs large portfolios
    35:10 – How relationships drive their acquisition pipeline
    37:30 – What Jack & Jake actually work on day-to-day
    40:00 – Are they enjoying the journey? (honest answer)
    42:30 – Exit strategy and long-term vision
    44:00 – What’s next beyond Meineke

    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store

    EmpiresBy Patrick Buckley

    • 5
    • 5
    • 5
    • 5
    • 5

    5

    11 ratings


    More shows like Empires

    View all
    The Joe Rogan Experience by Joe Rogan

    The Joe Rogan Experience

    229,660 Listeners

    Odd Lots by Bloomberg

    Odd Lots

    1,989 Listeners

    Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'Shaughnessy by Colossus | Investing & Business Podcasts

    Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'Shaughnessy

    2,346 Listeners

    The ONE Thing by Keller Podcast Network

    The ONE Thing

    1,111 Listeners

    The Compound and Friends by The Compound

    The Compound and Friends

    2,171 Listeners

    Franchise Secrets Podcast by Erik Van Horn

    Franchise Secrets Podcast

    64 Listeners

    My First Million by Hubspot Media

    My First Million

    2,665 Listeners

    The Shawn Ryan Show by Shawn Ryan

    The Shawn Ryan Show

    46,411 Listeners

    All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg by All-In Podcast, LLC

    All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg

    10,208 Listeners

    Acquiring Minds by Will Smith

    Acquiring Minds

    279 Listeners

    Son of a Boy Dad by Barstool Sports

    Son of a Boy Dad

    6,020 Listeners

    The Tucker Carlson Show by Tucker Carlson Network

    The Tucker Carlson Show

    17,126 Listeners

    Prof G Markets by Vox Media Podcast Network

    Prof G Markets

    1,474 Listeners

    Smart Franchising with Fransmart by Dan Rowe

    Smart Franchising with Fransmart

    11 Listeners

    David Senra by Scicomm Media

    David Senra

    228 Listeners