CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — In an effort to advance its market penetration into the Pacific Northwest, Meineke is proud to announce the acquisition of Seattle–Tacoma mainstay Walt’s Auto Care Centers (“Walt’s”).

The deal, made public Tuesday, April 23, will merge the 19 Walt’s locations throughout the Pacific Northwest with the growing national Meineke brand. Acquisition of the locations—17 in the greater Seattle–Tacoma market, one in Olympia, Washington and another in Boise, Idaho—aligns with Meineke’s goal of expanding into the Pacific Northwest region, where it had to this point been underpenetrated, along with the company’s larger stated goal of overall, nationwide growth in 2013.

“We are excited about the opportunity to grow the Meineke brand in the Northwest through the acquisition of Walt’s Auto Care Centers. We are confident the conversion to the Meineke brand will capitalize on Walt’s historical presence and customer service, resulting in a win-win for both customers and franchisees in the region,” said Paul Clayton, President of Meineke Car Care Centers.

“Driven Brands is continuously exploring various ways to grow in attractive markets where our brand has room to expand both geographically and through consumer awareness,” said Jonathan Fitzpatrick, CEO of Meineke parent company Driven Brands. “We make no secret of our commitment to growth, and part of that is the acquisition of other brands or independents to accelerate the exposure of the Meineke brand.”

Walt’s storefronts will be rebranded as Meineke Car Care Centers within the next few months. In subsequent months, Meineke will drive resources to the Sea-Tac market, including increased ad buys and marketing dollars.

About Meineke:

Meineke Car Care Centers, Inc. is a division of Driven Brands, Inc., the leading automotive aftermarket franchisor in the world. Founded in 1972, Meineke has over 900 centers that service approximately 3 million cars a year. Over the years, Meineke has expanded its product offerings to better meet the demands of its customers and a changing marketplace. Meineke continues to be ranked as one of the best franchise opportunities in the country and has recently won top franchise rankings from Forbes, Franchise Times and Entrepreneur Magazine. For more information, please visit meineke.com. If you are interested in franchising opportunities with Meineke, please contact Dave Schaefers at dave.schaefers@meineke.com.

About Driven Brands:

Behind the wheel of the most diversified automotive franchise company in the world is a great place to be – a place with countless advantages and responsibilities. Driven is completely dedicated to helping entrepreneurs reach their highest level of success and growth potential. Its diversified franchise portfolio provides unparalleled opportunities throughout the automotive franchise industry. Today, Driven’s franchisees service over 70,000 customers each and every week and collectively produce nearly $1 billion in annual revenues, making Driven Brands the ultimate automotive franchise holding company.

For more information about Driven Brands, contact Marilyn Luna, RockOrange, 305.731.2388, marilyn@rockorange.com.

SOURCE Meineke Car Care Centers, Inc.