Express Oil Selects geoVue to Help Optimize Expansion Efforts and New Location Decisions
October 29, 2009

Company: geoVue Inc.
Industry: Location Technology
Location: Woburn, MA, United States of America

Woburn, MA-- geoVue, a leading provider of location intelligence solutions, and Express Oil Change & Service Center announced today that Express Oil has chosen geoVue's market planning, optimization and site selection solutions to aid in their 2010 expansion plans.

Express Oil is the leading automotive service center in the south with over 170 corporate and franchise locations in 10 states. Headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, Express Oil offers high quality, express oil change services as well as full scope automotive maintenance and repairs.

According to Senior Vice President Kent Feazell, Express Oil Change & Service Center was looking for a solution to guide the company on several fronts: Optimizing trade areas in the South to enable Express Oil and its franchisees to increase market share in markets where they already have a strong presence, and determining the right number of stores in some of the less developed markets. "We want to avoid cannibalizing existing stores by over saturating the market, but at the same time we want to maximize brand awareness," said Feazell. "Our goal is to grow aggressively, yet strategically."

The current economic climate brings a new dimension to Express Oil's real estate strategy. The tumultuous state of the real estate market means more prime real estate is becoming available at lower prices. However, selecting the right number and best of these locations is still critical, no matter how attractive the cost.

"We've thrived for the past 30 years, but we recognize that as we continue to grow, we need a more advanced, fact-based location intelligence system in place, and that's what geoVue will bring to the organization," says Feazell. "Especially in this economy, every decision needs to be the right one. Express Oil already has significant experience in selecting successful sites boasting a 99% survival rate for stores built from the ground up since 1996. geoVue will add a more scientific approach that will build on that experience. We are very excited about geoVue's approach in blending the 'art' and 'science' of site selection. This will also be of great benefit to our franchisees in correctly sizing the markets and selecting the best sites to aid their success."

"We are excited to work with Express Oil on their expansion plans," says Jim Stone, President and Founder of geoVue. "geoVue has a number of services-based clients, both corporate and franchise, particularly in the automotive service and aftermarket industry. These include Meineke, Maaco, Advance Auto Parts and others. Express Oil already has a very strong business and great track record in real estate selection. Our approach is to build on their experience by providing the right easy-to-use analytical tools to help them become even more effective. We call this the 'blending of Art and Science for Real Estate Analytics.'"

About geoVue
geoVue is the leading provider of location optimization and modeling solutions for retail, restaurant and service-based chains and franchises seeking to maximize return on capital investment. geoVue's solutions automate and improve the store development process, from ranking, prioritizing and selecting markets, to opening new locations, to closing underperforming locations. geoVue's deep domain expertise has helped leading chains nationwide optimize store networks and maximize ROI. Learn more at www.geovue.com.

About Express Oil Change
Birmingham, AL-based Express Oil Change & Service Center is a recognized leader in the quick-lube and automotive service industry and the largest independent quick-lube chain in the Southeast with both corporate and franchise-owned locations. Centers offer a 10-minute, full-service drive-through oil change that includes a 20-point courtesy vehicle inspection and fluid top-offs while the customer waits in his or her vehicle. With approximately 170 locations in ten states - more than 100 locations of which are franchise-owned - Express Oil Change expects to reach 230 to 250 locations in the Southeast and Texas in five years.

For more information, visit www.expressoil.com or contact Don Larose at 888-945-1771.