Mark Porcelli has been working with cars since he was 10 years old. Mark grew up in Colonia, N.J. and worked a lot of his life in the family-owned truck dealership, so he’s always had experience with vehicles and repairs. The experience caused him to want to own his own business one day. On the road to that, he wound up at a Midas franchise in 1998, successfully running it for six years. When he joined them, he inherited $540,000 in store sales, and when he left, it was $870,000, so during his time there, he saw a 70 percent increase in sales and revenue. Deciding to sell, he then worked for Snap On Tools’ corporate location in 2004 and was responsible for managing franchisees, selling tools to shops and recruiting, as well as mentoring. After three years, Mark moved on and has been with Honest-1 since 2007.
At Mark’s Middlesex location, he is also offering free brakes for much of May, most prominently during the week of April 29. Mark is offering this no-strings-attached service technically through Saturday, May 18, while supplies last. They are literally giving away front and rear brakes, and all customers have to pay for is the labor. On average, this can be $100 to $120 per front or rear pair. (Of course, if it’s an extremely rare vehicle, or there are more repairs needed following an inspection, additional fees may apply.)
How did you learn about the brand?
I heard about them through a letter when I was working at Snap On. They were looking for shops with an interest in selling and converting.
Why did you choose an opportunity with Honest-1?
Their core values are what I’m all about. I believe in integrity, which is what the brand is predominantly about. In 2006, I bought the master territory and opened a shop a year later while I still worked a day job.
Are you involved with any charities or do any community outreach with your business?
I have been a member of the local Elks Chapter for the past three to four years and have done a fundraiser for them in the past. I also continue to support local school organizations. Through the First Aid Squad members organization, on June 15, they are having a family fun emergency services day and will be selling good neighbor cards, which include two free oil changes, and two other coupons: $20 off front or rear brake service and 10 percent off anything your vehicle needs up to $25.
What challenges have you overcome to get where you are now?
The community here knows everyone, so to get through that, it took a bit of time to prove we can fix cars effectively and not take advantage of people. We continue to grow year after year, which touches back on the integrity.
How many employees do you have right now?
I have a shop manager that runs the front counter. I also have three full-time mechanics and myself.
What are your expansion or development plans? What is your end goal with Honest-1?
From a regional developer standpoint, I’m always looking for qualified franchisees that want to provide awesome customer service, in a very difficult industry.
My goal is to get one store open in every county of my territory area. You just do it one store at a time. I’m not looking to buy another for me, but I do want to find other franchisees that fit for other counties.
What are some of the publications you read? Local? National? What is your goal publication with your business?
Our challenge is our media market is technically New York City; my tiny town is a small fish in the big pond. But, there are local outlets such as About Our Town, which already covered us, but we would like to be in the Courier News or News 12 New Jersey.
The Home News Tribune did an article on us in February 2010, and there’s of course the Star-Ledger too.
Do you have any other interesting hobbies or passions?
I like to snowmobile in the winter, motorcycle in the summer and go to the beach with my family.
