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13-695: Ten years before MAACO's founding, Martino had launched AAMCO Transmissions with partner Robert Morgan. He created both names by using the first letters from his name (Anthony A. Martino). In 1967, with close to 500 stores in operation, Martino sold AAMCO to Morgan. In 1972, Martino opened a pilot auto painting center in Wilmington, Delaware . He chose the name MAACO ( M artino, A nthony A . and Co .) to instill confidence in potential franchisees who knew of AAMCO’s success. The new company grew quickly, with close to 200 franchises open in less than five years. In October 2008, Driven Brands of Charlotte, North Carolina,

26-548: A Boston newspaper reported that some of the MAACO shops involved in the contract were owned wholly or partly by Jane Gnazzo, the wife of Jerold Gnazzo , the state's Registrar of Motor Vehicles . MAACO Franchising, Inc., has been cited numerous times by Entrepreneur magazine as America's #1 auto body shop in the Annual Franchise 500 survey. Through the 1980s and 1990s, the company ran a television and radio ad campaign featuring

39-520: A holding company which owns Meineke Car Care Centers, Inc. as well as Econo Lube and other auto service related concerns, purchased Maaco outright from Martino's family after his death in January 2008. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. In 1993, a MAACO franchise in Framingham , Massachusetts , won a painting contract for Massachusetts State Police cruisers, which caused controversy after

52-525: Is coterminous with the ZIP Code 19044. It covers an area of 5.47 miles and is located 16 miles (26 km) north of Philadelphia . Horsham is located at 40°10′34.20″N 75°08′2.40″W  /  40.1761667°N 75.1340000°W  / 40.1761667; -75.1340000 (40.178484, -75.128786). The climate in Horsham is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally cool to cold winters. According to

65-582: The Köppen Climate Classification system, Horsham has a humid continental climate , abbreviated "Dfa" on climate maps. As of the 2020 census, Horsham's population was 81.7% Non-Hispanic White, 3.1% Black or African American, 0% Native American and Alaskan Native, 7.7% Asian, 0% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 2.6% were two or more races. 12.2% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry. There were 15,173 people and 5,666 households residing in Horsham. The population density

78-588: The Anthony A. Martino Company, or AAMCO in Philadelphia, under the name AAMCO Auto and Truck Repair. This name was chosen not only to reflect the initials of the founder, but also to make it appear higher in the Yellow pages listings of the day. Along with partners Richard Silva and Walter D'lutz', Martino opened several other shops in the Philadelphia area. Owing to the complexity and failure rate of automatic transmissions of

91-526: The company rebranded to AAMCO Transmissions and Total Car Care. Today, AAMCO is the world's largest franchisor of transmission specialists and car repair shops , operating over 600 franchise stores in the United States, Canada. AAMCO is also known for its distinctive television and radio commercials, which end with a voice saying "AAMCO, double-A [car horn beeps twice] M-C-O." The company has made heavy use of celebrity spokespeople in its advertising, and

104-422: The day, Martino quickly decided to drop the "Auto and Truck Repair", and focus solely on transmissions, where the company would stay focused until 2007. In 1962, Robert Morgan approached Martino with the concept of a national chain of transmission repair stores branded as AAMCO. Martino was receptive to the idea, and the shops operated in cooperation with Silva and DeLutz were rebranded as AAMCO. The first franchise

117-567: The names AAMCO and later MAACO ) in 1957 in Philadelphia . Martino eventually ended his affiliation with AAMCO to manage the MAACO autobody-shop franchise, but Morgan stayed on with his son, Keith Morgan, succeeding him as CEO. In 2006, the company was acquired by American Capital. In January 2017, American Driveline Systems, the franchiser of the AAMCO and Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care brands,

130-497: The slogan "Uh oh, better get Maaco". With the exception of several years in the 2010s, the catchphrase is still in use today. MAACO was the sponsor of the Maaco Bowl Las Vegas from 2009–2012 at a reported $ 1 million a year. AAMCO Transmissions AAMCO Transmissions Inc. is an American transmission -repair franchise founded by Robert Morgan and Anthony A. Martino (who used the first letter of each name to form

143-466: Was acquired by Transom Capital Group. In October of the same year, Icahn Enterprises L.P. (NASDAQ: IEP) announced it had acquired American Driveline Systems through a wholly-owned subsidiary. Aamco has consistently ranked on the Entrepreneurs Franchise 500 Anthony A. Martino started repairing automatic transmissions from leased space in an Esso shop in Philadelphia. In 1957, he founded

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156-460: Was not sold until 1963, when an AAMCO shop was opened by Ivan and Jack Ginninger in Newark, New Jersey . In March 2006, AAMCO merged with Cottman Transmission, and American Capital purchased AAMCO and moved the headquarters from Philadelphia to nearby Horsham, Pennsylvania . Owing in part to the increased reliability of automatic transmissions, and thus the lengthened repair cycle, in the mid-2000s,

169-592: Was one of the first to use a celebrity spokesperson in a television ad. Zsa Zsa Gabor was the company's first paid spokesperson. Horsham, Pennsylvania Horsham is a census-designated place in Horsham Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania , United States. The population was 15,193 at the 2020 census . It is home to the Biddle Air National Guard Base at the former site of Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove . Horsham

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