Every year Maaco recognizes one franchise owner out of a network of 400 locations nationwide who exemplifies excellence and awards them with the Maaco Cup. The 2021 Maaco Cup winner was Kevin Taylor, owner of Maaco Houston, TX.
Taylor and his staff of 27 -- six managers and 21 technicians -- have achieved much over the years. Taylor's facility is both I-CAR Gold and Platinum certified and is part of an elite class of centers within the Maaco family. His franchise is also one of the first to earn the highest level of certification with the Maaco network, the Maaco Diamond certification.
Before his start as a Maaco franchise owner, Taylor worked in the capital finance market and thought he might end up on Wall Street.
“I was a high producer during my time in the financial world, but I knew the corporate life was not for me,” Taylor said. “I did not like wearing a suit and going to an office building every day.
“After my father retired from the military after 30 years of service, he purchased a Maaco franchise. My mom ran all the office operations, payroll, and human resources. After graduating from business school, I began helping them out on the weekends,” Taylor continued. “Their operations were small and somewhat struggling, but I saw potential in the industry and thought that I could branch into untapped markets and create a business that I could differentiate from the rest.”
Two years later, Taylor had doubled their sales and got the franchise to their million-dollar milestone. Then in 2009, Taylor opened his own Maaco. Wanting to stand apart from the competition, he upgraded to a more modern facility and invested in new equipment, training, and certification, all while building his team.
“I recruited people from different service industries that had a continuous improvement mindset, and I trained them in all the aspects of gaining and keeping a customer,” Taylor said. “We focus on producing high-quality repairs, delivered on time, that are profitable for us, and a value for our customer.”
Sixteen years later, all Taylor's hard work had paid off and earned him the Maaco Cup.
“It has taken a lot of work to get where we are, but it has been rewarding,” Taylor said. “When the pandemic hit, we were very proactive in adapting to the changing market needs. With many shops closing, I felt like there was an opportunity to capitalize and grow, While others were hesitant, I knew if we focused on the things we could control and ignored all the fear and negativity we could be better than ever. As a result, we have continued to grow, and we are now more efficient than ever. It was an obstacle, but we approached that as an opportunity to show more value to our customers.”
