Ziebart International history

His first storefront opened in 1961 in Detroit at 14700 Harper Avenue.

In 1962, the first franchise is sold to James M. Rouen and Tommie L. Hickman in Perrysburg, OH. Roger Waindle sets up a company called Ziebart Process Corporation and buys out Kurt Ziebart and Joe Selagi’s interest in Auto Rustproofing, Inc.

In 1963, he sold his rustproofing company to an investor group.

In 1969, Ziebart opened its first international operation in Windsor, Ontario, across the border from Detroit.

In 1970, Hartmann acquired the controlling stock of Ziebart and started an aggressive marketing program both in the USA and internationally.

In 1973, Ziebart in Hilo Hawaii opened its doors to be the first and the only Ziebart franchise in the Hawaiian Islands.

In 1977, Ziebart introduced "Zee-Glaze", a protective polymer sealant that chemically bonded to cars' paint.

In 1980, Ziebart began to diversify its business format and its service offerings by including sunroofs, running boards, window tinting and other automotive accessories.

Speedy Auto Glass was a Canadian-based company that entered the United States market in 1984 and was the leading supplier of replacement auto glass in Canada as well as a leader in the western United States.

Following the sale, he opened a Mercedes-Benz dealership in Acme, Michigan which he ran until 1988.

In 1989, Ziebart acquired the Tidy Car automotive detailing franchise operation.

In 1990, Ziebart had more than 1,000 locations in 40 countries and more than $100 million in worldwide dealer sales.

The year 1991 was good for growth at Ziebart Tidy Car, with revenues increasing by 12.5 percent.

In fact, new vehicle purchases in 1992 were down about 10 percent, and analysts observed that owners were keeping their vehicles for an average of more than seven years.

The first German location was also opened in 1993.

In 1995, Hartmann sold the ownership to Ziebart International Corporation to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) led by Thomas Wolfe, the then CFO. Hartman then retired.

Franchise sales were flat for 1996-97, and the number of franchise locations was holding steady at around 600.

In 1997, the hottest accessories were remote starters, which allowed drivers to warm up or cool off their vehicles before getting into them, and Ziebart promptly began offering these.

In 1998, Ziebart entered into a co-branding agreement with Speedy Auto Glass and began offering auto glass replacement in many of its locations.

Ziebart International Corporation began a co-branding partnership with Rhino-Linings® Corporation in 1999 to offer its customers the #1 brand in sprayed-on bedliners.

Ziebart was sued by 29 of its current and former franchises in 2001.

Ziebart rolled out an advertising campaign in 2002 which differed from recent marketing--the company emphasized its rustproofing heritage.

In December 2003, the court ruled in favor of the franchisees, awarding them $1.4 million and requiring Ziebart to make changes in its relationship with its franchises.

By 2004, Speedy Auto Glass was offered at 86 Ziebart locations.

Kurt Ziebart died on September 12, 2011.