Moran Family of Brands opens first international location in Nigeria
Moran Family of Brands, an international franchises of general automotive repair, transmission repair and driver safety products, has announced the addition of its first international location with a Mr. Transmission/Milex co-branded store in Nigeria.
The shop had a soft opening in mid-2018 and will hold a grand opening later this month.
Moran broke ground several years ago on its first foreign location, which will be in the Lekki Peninsula area of Lagos, the largest city in Nigeria. The new, 38,000 square foot facility in Nigeria features the central company headquarters, a distribution center and the Mr. Transmission/Milex store. To this point, Moran has more than 120 franchised locations, all based in the United States.
The franchise is owned by Temi Adelu-Davis and her husband Glen Davis. The couple will also serve as area developers for the Mr. Transmission/Milex brand in Nigeria and will bring a total of 10 franchises to the country over the next seven years.
Temi was born in Nigeria before moving to the United States and earning an MBA, while Glen owned an auto repair store in Houston for eight years.
Temi Adelu-Davis first approached Moran five years ago about the possibility of starting a franchise in Nigeria. She felt there were many significant opportunities in the country, which has several small independent car repair shops but almost no national chains that focus exclusively on repair. Most of the current service options are small, unskilled operations or large auto dealerships, which are expensive and place more of an emphasis on car sales than repair.
“Despite having the best economic climate in the entire continent of Africa, Nigeria is severely lacking when it comes to the quality of auto repair,” said Adelu-Davis. “Our goal is to change the entire environment in Nigeria to improve and modernize its auto repair services. Our Mr. Transmission/Milex store will provide fair pricing to our customers and educate them on how best to maintain their vehicles.”
With the lack of available options in the country, Adelu-Davis said it is not uncommon to see cars parked on the side of the road for long periods of time. Their Milex store will be able to guarantee an oil change within 30 minutes, while to this point the service can often take three hours in most locations in Nigeria.
The Mr. Transmission/Milex store had been planning on a slow growth leading up to the grand opening, but a high demand from customers led to the shop servicing 30-40 cars per day. It accelerated their hiring plans by employing five technicians with an eventual goal of 10.
Adelu-Davis said the franchise will promote the warranties it offers on parts and labor, as well as its competitive prices and speed of service. She also said they have received strong interest from potential franchisees to bring Mr. Transmission/Milex stores to other areas of Nigeria.
“We are extremely proud to add Moran’s first international location by opening a Mr. Transmission/Milex store and distribution center in Nigeria,” said Peter Baldine, President of Moran Family of Brands. “Temi Adelu-Davis has worked tirelessly to bring a premiere auto repair franchise to her native country and become a trusted resource for residents of Lagos. We believe there is a tremendous opportunity to improve auto repair throughout the country by bringing additional franchise locations to Nigeria.”
The Mr. Transmission/Milex operation offers a comprehensive selection of automotive repair and maintenance services. The Mr. Transmission brand specializes in repair and installation of a vehicle’s transmission systems and drivetrain components. Milex provides customers with preventative maintenance services such as oil changes, brake repair, and radiator and cooling systems and engine repair along with a full range of diagnostic services.
