How 3 Franchise Owners Came Back From Disaster
When times got tough, these franchisees held their ground and didn't look back.
Picking Up the Pieces
John Carney
Express Oil Change & Service Center
Tuscaloosa, Ala.
The live shot from a local TV station's camera on top of the Tuscaloosa County Courthouse showed the tornado coming. There were 13 people in my Express Oil Change & Service Center, and everyone rushed to the downstairs pit where we do the oil changes, pressing themselves against the walls. The tornado hit at about 5:15 p.m. We had been in business for 25 years, and it took 45 seconds to erase that.
There was nothing but rubble left, except for one lift standing in the mechanical department. All of my outside tanks were turned over. The 14 vehicles
