Todd Wylie’s career has orbited around franchising since he was just a teen. Now he’s driving growth as the head of Master Mechanic
As a young teen, Todd Wylie was the envy of all his friends when he snagged a part-time job at his local Sam the Record Man, the venerated record store filled with rack after rack of vinyl LPs. Wylie started working at a Sam location in Etobicoke, Ontario, when he was just 14. For him, it was the equivalent of music heaven.
“That kind of dates me but it’s still one of my favourite jobs,” laughs Wylie, now president of Master Mechanic. “We had the largest selection of 45s–if you remember what that means!–outside of downtown Toronto, and I would play new music for all the DJs. Can you imagine that job? It was great.”
Sam the Record Man was one of Canada’s early franchise brands and Wylie’s work there proved to be more than just a great part-time gig for the young music lover. It gave him his first taste of the world of franchising. A few years later, when he learned of a student-based franchising concept called College Pro Painters, he jumped at the chance to run his own franchise business.
“I was introduced to the VP of College Pro who presented me with the opportunity, and I needed to find a summer job at the time,” says Wylie, who went on to run his own College Pro painting business until he completed a psychology degree at the University of British Columbia two years later. “It was a significant, eye-opening experience into what you needed to do to run a small business. While it wasn’t exactly the school of hard knocks, many of the things I learned then I still carry over into my work today.”
Career climb
This early start cemented a lengthy and prolific career that has seen Wylie work for successful franchise brands in increasingly senior roles, including Print Three, Second Cup, Wine Kitz, and Panago Pizza. For a self-confessed franchise enthusiast–Wylie says he even used to research franchise brands as a hobby–it’s been the career of a lifetime, culminating in his current role as president and co-owner of the Master Mechanic franchise of automotive repair shops.
In April, Wylie will also begin chairing the Canadian Franchise Association’s board of directors after volunteering as its vice chair for many years. “I’ve been in the franchise industry for over 40 years now,” says Wylie as he reflects on his thriving multi-decade career.
Working for multiple franchise brands in different capacities has given Wylie a unique insight into franchising and what it takes to make it a success. He’s worn many hats over the years–managing everything from sales to operations to development. His most recent position before joining Master Mechanic in 2019 was with Panago Pizza, where he was the vice president of development for the 200-store nationwide pizza franchise.
His time with Panago marked a critical milestone for Wylie and set him up for his next big move: buying and co-owning his own franchise brand. The opportunity came about when he was contacted by a private equity firm looking for a partner for its acquisition of Master Mechanic, then an Ontario-based automotive repair franchise. With his extensive experience with different franchise brands, Wylie was a solid prospect. In addition to his already sizable accomplishments in the franchise industry, he also completed an MBA and, as it happens, briefly ran a small automotive reconditioning business with his brother early in his working career. The stars were aligned.
“I did my due diligence, visiting a few of the locations incognito and learning about the Master Mechanic brand. I saw a great opportunity,” Wylie reflects. “When you have a brand that’s been around for 43 years, you develop a strong culture and reputation around the brand. I was excited about the ability to take that foundation and amplify it.”
Shifting gears
Once the purchase was complete, Wylie quickly got to work. He brought in new team members, designed a training facility that also operates as a corporate store, and refreshed the company logo to revitalize the brand. He says he was fortunate to be able to tap into his franchising skill set to take the business to the next level.
“I had exposure to a number of different companies and talented people that I’ve interacted with in my career–I took all of that and applied it to Master Mechanic,” he says. “I’ve added really good talent to our team–people with tremendous depth and automotive experience . We’ve also done some rebranding on our website, tweaked our logo, and redesigned our stores. And we’ve invested heavily in training.”
The company’s structure has also been strengthened to support a strong push for multi-unit development with both new and current franchise partners. When Wylie first came onboard, Master Mechanic had just one multi-unit franchise owner in its system. That number has now grown to six. “That’s been a very focused initiative and a model for growth,” Wylie says. He adds, however, that the company is still open to single-owner locations.
Sales are up 45 per cent and the unit count has grown by 30 per cent, with the current tally at 46 locations, including three corporate stores. While the brand’s footprint is still limited to southern Ontario–more precisely, an area within a three-hour drive of Toronto–the aim is to develop the brand into a national franchise. Wylie recently signed his first franchisee in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, with another due to open a location in Edmonton. “We’re pretty pumped up and ready to go,” he says. “It’s an exciting time for us.”
The brand’s success, says Wylie, is inherently tied to its many dedicated franchise partners and the trust they have worked hard to establish with their customers. Wylie himself is a strong adherent of the “servant leadership” style of business management, where the focus is on serving others and creating a supportive team environment. “It’s about giving people the tools they need so they can be empowered,” he explains. “The idea is to serve, so people can do things themselves while you mentor and coach them along the way.”
“It may be a bit of a cliché,” continues Wylie, “but something that I refer to quite often is that you’re in business for yourself but not by yourself. While it may be your business, you’re not doing it alone.”
Franchise success comes down to the individuals within a system, so finding the right talent is a critical piece of the puzzle, insists Wylie. When it comes to franchisees, he first looks for those with an excitement for and interest in the automotive service industry, what is most important is those that fit with the company culture even though they might not have automotive experience. In fact, Wylie’s top recommendation to all prospective franchisees is to find a business concept in an industry they love and then to knuckle down and do the research needed to ensure the company culture is aligned with their own values. And that takes time.
“The key thing is to make sure it’s the right fit for you, so I would get to know the company you’re about to invest in. I would get to know the office staff and the franchisees,” advises Wylie. “Because when you sign a franchise agreement, you’re committing to a relationship that will continue until you sell your business. So make sure you know what you’re getting involved in.”
Sound advice from a franchising expert at the top of his game.
