ALLDATA
ent POS System. AAMCO will also provide you with technical programs, materials and products, which currently include the AAMCOUniversity.com Learning Management System (“LMS”) and ALLDATA (or an equiv
From the filings
HQ-led decisions
AAMCO
Automotive servicesSoftware purchasing at AAMCO is controlled at the franchisor level, with mandated point-of-sale and technical systems prescribed for all 551 locations. The brand operates 540 franchised and 11 company-owned units, generating an average unit volume of $1,001,878. For vendors selling into automotive service franchises, this represents a tightly standardized, single-decision-maker environment.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
551
540 franchised
Unit growth YoY
-1.28%
vs prior filing
AUV
$1.00M
Item 19, 2023
Royalty
—
of gross sales
Ad fund
—
national + local
Initial fee
$40K
per unit
Investment range
$237K–$361K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Non-compete
2 years
from the filing
Item 19
Claims
from the filing
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
Systems named in Item 11 of this filing. None is recorded as mandated here, which is not the same as the filing mandating nothing. Read Item 11 before treating the category as open.
Facebook
eriodically update in connection with your use of technology-based social networking, including without limitation online comment boards, blogs and Internet sites such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube
LinkedIn
that can be accessed through electronic means, including, but not limited to, the Internet, World Wide Web, webpages, microsites, social networking sites (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, You Tube,
Pinterest
tronic means, including, but not limited to, the Internet, World Wide Web, webpages, microsites, social networking sites (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, You Tube, Google Plus, Pinterest, etc.), bl
Twitter
lop and periodically update in connection with your use of technology-based social networking, including without limitation online comment boards, blogs and Internet sites such as Twitter, Facebook an
YouTube
pdate in connection with your use of technology-based social networking, including without limitation online comment boards, blogs and Internet sites such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Purchasing
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
25 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 2 explicit no's; 7 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.
Accounting
Must the franchisee use an accounting or bookkeeping system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
You are required to use this software and subscribe to the maintenance, updates, and upgrades of the program for a monthly fee of $149/mo.
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesItem 11
We reserve the right to independently access your computer system for the purpose of downloading sales and other data.
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
submit to AAMCO uniform business and financial reports and financial statements per Section 10 herein and in accordance with any procedures set forth in writing by AAMCO
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
The suppliers may include us and our affiliates, and you agree to use commercially reasonable efforts to utilize our affiliates as the primary supplier of items where our affiliates are competitive in terms of price and service compared with the same or similar items available from other qualified suppliers.
Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?
YesItem 20
The National AAMCO Dealers Association (“NADA”) is an independent, trademark-specific franchisee organization that has asked to be included in our disclosures, whether this year in this FDD or in a prior year as part of a past AAMCO disclosure document.
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 8
AAMCO may issue changes and/or additions to the required equipment/supply lists at any time and from time to time, as it sees fit.
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
1111000Item 8
During our last fiscal year, we received approximately $1,111,000 in total revenues from directly selling or leasing equipment, products, supplies, services, and technology to franchisees of AAMCO Centers
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
we may receive revenue or other material consideration from certain vendors or suppliers we approve for use by the AAMCO Center network.
Item 8 gives this proportion in one of two shapes: separate percentages for establishing the business and for operating it, or one figure covering "establishing and operating" together. Where they are separate, answer with the operating percentage; where the passage gives only the combined figure, answer with that. What percentage of the franchisee's purchases must come from designated or approved suppliers?
95Item 8
We estimate that your product purchases from approved suppliers and according to our specifications will represent approximately 90% of your total product purchases in establishing the Center, and approximately 95-100% in the continuing operation of the Center.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
If you intend to purchase or lease for use at the Center any product or service (from the “Required - may purchase from AAMCO” or “Optional” lists), or any other item for which we prescribe specifications but have not designated or approved one or more suppliers, then you must first submit a written request for our…
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee acknowledges and agrees that AAMCO may collect and maintain records of call volume and other related data for the RCF Numbers.
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
permit AAMCO, during business hours, to inspect the premises of the Center, confer with Franchisee and Franchisee’s employees and customers, check equipment and inventories, methods, books and records, and perform any other inspection deemed by AAMCO to be necessary to determine the nature, quality, and uniformity of…
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesItem 8
We may modify our Operator’s Manual at any time, and on a periodic basis as we deem necessary, and those changes become effective upon publication to AAMCO franchisees.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 11
You must obtain written approval from AAMCO for the site before securing any purchase or leasehold contracts for the location or undertaking any construction-related activities.
Marketing
Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?
YesItem 11
You may not create, maintain or use an Online Site or other form of electronic media not paid for or approved in writing by AAMCO for the purpose of advertising or promoting the Center.
Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?
YesItem 11
As stated in Item 7, you are required to spend at least $5,000 for a Grand Opening Advertising Program to promote your Center before you begin operating.
Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?
YesItem 11
If your Center is the only Center in the DMA, or a majority of the Centers in the DMA do not implement a local advertising buy and budget or do not have a locally administered advertising Pool, then you must spend weekly a minimum amount for local advertising in your area or pay AAMCO a continuing advertising fee…
Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?
YesItem 11
Once your Center opens, you must participate in the local advertising Pool or cooperative established in the Designated Market Area (“DMA”) where your Center is located.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
Items listed under “Required - must purchase from AAMCO” must be purchased only from/through AAMCO (unless prohibited by state law); whereas those items listed under “Required - may purchase from AAMCO” must also be used at your Center, but may be purchased from AAMCO or a third party as long as the item meets our…
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
Items listed under “Required - must purchase from AAMCO” must be purchased only from/through AAMCO (unless prohibited by state law); whereas those items listed under “Required - may purchase from AAMCO” must also be used at your Center, but may be purchased from AAMCO or a third party as long as the item meets our…
Payments
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee agrees that the Franchise Fee and all other fees, charges and/or amounts owed by Franchisee under this Agreement, specifically including, but not limited to, any sums due for any advertising, whether national, regional, local and/or national creative, pursuant to Section 11 below, shall be remitted to…
People
Must employees wear uniforms specified by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
require your employees to comply with such dress code or standards as AAMCO may require, which may include use of branded (or other “uniform”) apparel, and otherwise identify themselves with the AAMCO Marks at all times in the manner AAMCO specifies (whether in the Operator’s Manual or otherwise in writing).
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
All incoming new, re-sale, and conversion franchisees are required to use AAMCO’s currently prescribed POS System at their newly-acquired AAMCO Centers.
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
We reserve the right to independently access your computer system for the purpose of downloading sales and other data.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 11
AAMCO may require that you attend additional training courses.
The filing answers no to 2 questions
- Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?Item 8
- Must the franchisee participate in a customer-satisfaction or net-promoter survey program?
The vendor opportunity at AAMCO
AAMCO operates 551 total locations in the United States, of which 540 are franchised and 11 are company-owned. The brand’s average unit volume sits at $1,001,878, making it a mid-market automotive service franchise with meaningful per-location revenue. For software vendors, the addressable market is essentially the entire franchised base — 540 units — because technology decisions are standardized from the top.
Year-over-year unit growth was -1.28%, indicating a mature, stable network rather than a rapidly expanding one. The operator footprint is small and concentrated: five mapped operators control roughly five located units, with no multi-unit operators holding two or more locations. Top states by unit count are Maryland (2), New Jersey (1), California (1), and Florida (1). This suggests a highly fragmented franchisee base with little independent purchasing power.
Who controls software purchasing
Software purchasing authority at AAMCO rests with the franchisor. The 2024 FDD lists Bruce Chidsey as President and Michael Pekula as Vice President of Dealer Relations, Compliance, and Customer Support. These are the executives most likely to influence or approve technology mandates. Anthony Ranfone (VP of Finance & Treasurer) and Jordan Zucker (VP of Law & Secretary) round out the leadership team, with Dennis Lourenco (VP of Operations) overseeing day-to-day operational standards that technology would need to support.
Because the franchisee base is composed entirely of single-unit operators, there is no multi-unit owner with enough scale to drive independent software adoption. Vendors should direct all outreach to the corporate office in Pennsylvania.
Mandated and current tech stack
AAMCO’s 2024 FDD mandates several technology systems. The brand requires franchisees to use “AAMCO point-of-sale software” and “AAMCO’s currently prescribed point-of-sale software,” indicating a proprietary or tightly specified POS environment. Additionally, ALLDATA and AMS are mandated across the network. ALLDATA is a well-known provider of OEM repair and diagnostic information, while AMS likely refers to an automotive management system integrated with AAMCO’s operations.
This stack creates both barriers and opportunities for third-party vendors. Any software that complements or integrates with ALLDATA and the mandated POS — such as customer relationship management, inventory management, or scheduling tools — would need to align with AAMCO’s existing architecture. The absence of a named CRM or marketing automation vendor in the FDD suggests potential whitespace.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
The FDD does not include an Item 8 extract describing procurement or supplier approval processes. Vendors should assume a closed, designated-supplier model given the mandatory nature of the tech stack, but the specific mechanics are not disclosed in the most recent FDD.
Franchise agreements carry an initial term of 15 years and automatically renew for an additional 15 years unless either party provides notice of non-renewal at least one year before termination. AAMCO may require franchisees to sign a then-current form of agreement at renewal, which could include changed or materially different terms — including updated technology requirements. Certain long-time franchisees may be eligible for shorter renewal terms. This renewal structure means that every 14 to 15 years, a franchisee faces a contractual moment where new software mandates could be introduced, creating a predictable window for vendor engagement.
How to read the AAMCO FDD
The 2024 AAMCO Franchise Disclosure Document is embedded below. Key sections for software vendors include Item 11 (Franchisor’s Obligations), which details mandated technology, and Item 1 (The Franchisor), which identifies the executives who control purchasing. Item 17 (Renewal) outlines the 15-year term and auto-renewal conditions that shape the buying cycle. Review these sections to understand exactly what is required and when the next opportunity to influence the tech stack may arise.
For a ranked target list of franchise systems that match your software, reach out to FranCloud.
Questions vendors ask
AAMCO, answered from the filing
The FDD lists Bruce Chidsey (President) and Michael Pekula (VP of Dealer Relations, Compliance, and Customer Support) as key executives. Technology mandates flow from the corporate office, making HQ the primary buyer.
AAMCO mandates its own prescribed point-of-sale software, along with ALLDATA and AMS. These are required systems named in the 2024 FDD.
AAMCO has 551 total units: 540 franchised and 11 company-owned. The operator footprint is concentrated in MD, NJ, CA, and FL.
The 2024 FDD does not disclose a specific procurement or supplier approval process in the provided extracts. Vendors should inquire directly about designated versus approved supplier pathways.
Franchise agreements run 15 years and auto-renew for another 15 unless notice is given one year before expiration. Renewal cycles may trigger re-evaluation of mandated systems.
The AAMCO 2024 FDD is filed with state franchise regulators. You can view it in the embedded PDF viewer below to analyze tech mandates, executive contacts, and unit economics directly.
Source
Read the filing itself
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FDD alert
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Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
264 operators run 264 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit264
Top states by locations
| CA | 70 |
|---|---|
| FL | 41 |
| AZ | 22 |
| NJ | 16 |
| NC | 16 |
Ownership
The portfolio behind AAMCO
unknown of icahn automotive service partners.
Related Automotive services brands
Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.