Ziebart pushes to shed rust-proof only image

TROY — Starting next spring, a Ziebart mobile service vehicle could pull up to a customer’s workplace to replace a windshield or detail the car.

Creation of mobile units are part of the company’s shift from its rust-proofing roots to a provider of car-care solutions, including glass repair, spray-on bedliners, and anti-bacterial detailing, according to Thomas Wolfe, president and CEO of Ziebart International Corp.

“Some people have heard of our other lines, but when people think of Ziebart, they think of rust protection,” Wolfe said.

But with fewer people rust-proofing their vehicles, Ziebart has seen rust-proofing drop from 100 percent of its business to about 25 percent now, Wolfe said. With that trend, Wolfe said Ziebart has branched out from just protecting and enhancing vehicles to maintaining them. It is revamping its stores with a new look and adding new brands — Rhino Linings and Speedy AutoGlass — to make Ziebart a one-stop shop for car care. So far, about 105 franchisees have added the liner business and 85 have added glass repair, Wolfe said.

The goal is to have these lines in all Ziebart locations, but not all dealers are happy with the changes.

Ziebart franchises in areas with an existing Rhino dealer, for example, are not allowed to carry that product. Franchise owners also will have to add the new lines when they renew their license agreements, Wolfe said.

Forcing franchises to add these new lines has rankled a number of dealers, said Norman Yatooma of Norman Yatooma and Associates PC in Birmingham. He is representing 31 Ziebart franchises owners in nine different states who have filed a lawsuit against the company charging Ziebart with overpricing the chemicals, sunroofs and other products dealers are required to buy, Yatooma said.

He said these franchise owners also are concerned about the safety of some of the chemical products. Discussions with Ziebart have not produced a settlement and a hearing on the lawsuit is scheduled Wednesday in Wayne County Circuit Court, he said.

“If we can come back to Ziebart and get a reasonable response, I would love it,” Yatooma said.

Another challenge for Ziebart is educating consumers about the changes, said Michael Crosson, CEO of JGA Inc, a retail strategy and design firm in Southfield. Ziebart is not the first choice among consumers looking for detailing or glass repair, he said.

“Their design looks fresh and new,” Crosson said. “The problem is Ziebart is Ziebart. Unless they do an educational campaign, it’s still rust-proofing in the minds of people.”

The company is about to embark on such a campaign, according to John McLellan, vice president of marketing. The company also has been successful converting independent glass dealers or other auto service facilities over to the Ziebart name, McLellan said.

Eight of the 10 new franchises added this year have been conversions, Wolfe said, with the other two started from scratch.

“We’re helping people stay in business,” McLellan said. “Those independent businessmen who are trying to survive on one product or service are having a tough time. We provide them an opportunity to take what they already have, add it to, and become more successful.”