In October, AutoXcel celebrated its 20th Anniversary in the automotive F&I industry. As we reflect on the past 20 years, the themes of growth, partnership, and innovation stand out. To commemorate this important milestone, we sat down with our President & CEO, Mark Evans, to get his thoughts on AutoXcel’s journey so far and the exciting road ahead.
An Interview with Mark Evans
Q: Thinking back to the company's beginning in 2004, what motivated you to start AutoXcel?
Mark Evans: The idea of a program that better tied independent technicians for paint, interior, PDR, and wheel repair to franchise dealers for the performance of a related VSC. We wanted to develop a franchise system that would tie AutoXcel franchisee technicians to a contract sold at the dealership. There was nothing out there with this concept at the time.
Q: What was different about the F&I Industry when you launched the company?
Mark Evans: There were no programs providing “ancillary” or “bundled” services utilizing technicians. It was a new concept. The service contract statutes for the states did not have much in the way of any exception for services. There were no provisions for tire, wheel, windshield, PDR, or key. We were forging new ground in those days.
Q: Do you recall any major hurdles that you had to overcome in the early years?
Mark Evans: No one knew what it was, so trying to get insurance was difficult. The insurers did not know how it was possible, and we were just starting out. As I mentioned, the state statutes were largely silent. It was like we were talking to them about little green men. We finally had to put up a sizeable sum to get the minimum, a Lloyd’s surety position on the program.
Q: What were the major milestones or accomplishments that contributed to AutoXcel’s growth over the years?
Mark Evans: The very first program was conceived in 1998, but AutoXcel was not formed until the fall of 2004. We started the attempt to sell franchises to people who would perform the services at dealerships. We sold 14 of those.
The first “bundle” program was StayNu, and the first contract was sold in September 2005. It seemed like such a big deal at the time just to get that first contract.
We kept growing our one F&I offering in the hope of adding more franchises. We discovered over a two-year period that the sale of a physical franchise and the training of technicians was harder than the actual sale of a StayNu contract. Word spread about our program, and we were getting more and more requests to have StayNu in locations where we had no franchise. The requests spurred us to shift into a different mode. From years of attorney representation of franchises in the auto sector, I knew about 760 technicians across the country who performed the services that would work for StayNu. So, a fundamental decision was made to engage independent repair guys and to provide a release to all the AutoXcel franchisees while permitting them to continue to enjoy our supply arrangements for paint and interior supplies, marketing help, and assistance with their business. AutoXcel would no longer charge them.
Adding on Dynamic Wheel Max tire and wheel in 2009 and the derivatives of that moved the company to expand its offerings and to expand its employee base. The concentration on wheels and repair of wheels then spawned a whole other company providing wheel repair.
Later, the company, having expanded greatly to accommodate claims personnel, began in the more traditional VSC business. Five years ago, AutoXcel truly became full service for all types of business and expanded into dealer and agent investments.
Q: As you reflect on this significant anniversary, what are you most proud of?
Mark Evans: The fact that we have over 40 people working for us. Yes, the milestones of sales, products, and handling claims are great statistically, but the people are really what I enjoy more than anything else. I believe that we are perceived as a steady and trustworthy company and that the employees enjoy being a part of AutoXcel. There is a great deal of camaraderie and humor in our office. Not that we are “The Office” in our operations, but I think the company has a better tilt than most.
Q: Is there anything you would like to say to our many Agent/ Dealer partners?
Mark Evans: To start, I would like to say a huge “thank you” to our Agents and Dealers. Twenty years would not have been possible without them.
The message has always been the same for Agents and Dealers, they are our customers first and foremost, just as the individual consumer is. We always provide a personal, full service for each “customer.” A Dealer, Agent, or consumer can always pick up the phone and get a direct answer. Everyone in our company is reachable. I hear people say from time to time, why are you calling a customer about a claim? It is my nature, the nature of the company, to be direct and to understand what the customer wants. As to the Agents and Dealers that go with someone else, they are missing the direct business and personal approach that our team provides all of the time.
Q: Looking forward, what does the future hold for AutoXcel Corporation?
Mark Evans: We will continue to think of what the next best step is. Our commitment to service is not going to change. Others will offer the next gimmick or big entity assurances, but AutoXcel will offer the correct investments, accurate discussions regarding claims, and will always be accountable.
Please contact us to learn more about AutoXcel and our more than 30 innovative F&I programs, industry-leading claims, and consistent personal service.
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