From the filings
Software purchasing at Ziebart flows through its Troy, MI headquarters, where the franchisor mandates two core systems—iBart© and the Ziebart Resource Center—across 92 total locations. With 80 franchised units and 12 company-owned stores, the addressable market is compact but concentrated, and the 2026 FDD names the executives who control vendor decisions.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Ongoing fee load
The recurring percentage of gross sales named in this filing, before rent, labour or any technology fee.
4%of gross sales (FY2026)
15% reference
Franchisor behaviours
22 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 1 explicit no; 11 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 8
We require you to purchase (lump sum or finance) your Computer System from either us or our Approved Supplier, which will include certain software.
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesItem 11
We will have independent access to all the information generated and stored in the iBart© Point-of-Sale Software System.
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
Some of our officers own an equity interest in us (the franchisor), and we are an Approved Supplier.
Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?
YesItem 11
As the business need arises, Ziebart® solicits interest and then selects Franchise Owners to be members of various committees throughout the year.
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 8
We reserve the right to become an Approved Supplier, or the only Approved Supplier in the future for any items for which we are not currently an Approved Supplier or the only Approved Supplier.
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
10811560Item 8
In our fiscal year ending December 31, 2025, our product revenue was $ 10,811,560, which is 51.8% of our total revenue of $ 20,873,436.
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?
36Item 8
between 36% and 40% of your total cost of operating a Ziebart® franchise
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesItem 6
We may charge you a fee for our time and expense in evaluating a supplier you propose.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
if you wish to purchase any products or services for which we have established Approved Suppliers from an unapproved supplier, you may request our consent in writing, and we will be required to consider your request.
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesItem 11
Perform inspections of your Ziebart® franchise to ensure it is up to operating standards (Franchise Agreement, Section 11).
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesItem 11
We may modify the Manual at any time.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 11
you must obtain our approval of the site for your Ziebart® franchise.
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 develop or create your own website for your Ziebart® franchise.
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
of your gross sales for The Marketing Fund, with a cap of $30,000 per year.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
We require you to purchase (lump sum or finance) your Computer System from either us or our Approved Supplier, which will include certain software.
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
We require you to purchase (lump sum or finance) your Computer System from either us or our Approved Supplier, which will include certain software.
Payments
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesItem 6
You will pay royalty, trade, and marketing fund payments via EFT, Credit Card, or you can mail it to us.
People
Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?
YesItem 15
During all normal business hours, you must have a Ziebart® Trained and Certified Technician in your Ziebart® franchise, but that person is not required to own any equity interest in your legal entity.
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
You are required to use a Windows® based computer system in conjunction with our proprietary point-of- sale software program, “iBart© ,” (the “iBart© Software”) to assist you in operating your franchise, and you are required to use it to record all sales in your Ziebart® franchise.
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
We will have independent access to all the information generated and stored in the iBart© Point-of-Sale Software System.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 11
Offer supplemental and refresher training at our Troy, Michigan facility.
Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?
YesItem 11
You must attend a National Conference three (3) times during the ten (10) year term of your Franchise Agreement, beginning after the first year of signing an Initial Franchise Agreement, or the first available National Conference after signing a Renewal Franchise Agreement, regardless if you attend a Regional Meeting…
Ziebart operates 92 total locations in the US—80 franchised and 12 company-owned—generating an average unit volume of $1,509,191. The network is concentrated, with only nine mapped operators on file, all single-unit owners, and a geographic footprint that includes Texas, Illinois, Indiana, Florida, and Michigan. Year-over-year unit growth declined by 5.882%, so the near-term addressable market for new software deployments is stable rather than expanding. For a software vendor, the opportunity lies in displacing or integrating with mandated systems at the franchisor level, where purchasing control is centralized.
The 2026 FDD lists the executive team that governs Ziebart International Corporation and its affiliate ZC. Thomas E. Wolfe serves as Chairman of the Board, with Thomas A. Wolfe as President and Secretary. Brian Jackman holds the title of President of ZC, while Larisa C. Walega is Senior Vice President and Chief Growth Officer. Tray Doster, Director of Franchise Development, rounds out the named leadership. In a system this size, with mandated technology and no multi-unit operators on file, software purchasing authority almost certainly sits with these HQ executives rather than with individual franchisees. Vendors should direct outreach toward the Chief Growth Officer and the President of ZC, who are the most likely buyers or gatekeepers for operational and growth-related technology.
Ziebart’s 2026 FDD explicitly mandates two systems: iBart© and the Ziebart Resource Center. The FDD does not describe the functionality of these platforms in detail, but their mandatory status means any software vendor must either integrate with them or demonstrate a compelling reason to replace them at the franchisor level. No other POS, CRM, or operational software vendors are named in the disclosure, leaving open the possibility that franchisees have discretion over ancillary tools—though the absence of an Item 8 procurement extract makes that unclear.
Procurement rules are not disclosed in the 2026 FDD; Item 8 contains no extract, so vendors cannot determine whether Ziebart operates a designated-supplier program, an approved-vendor list, or an open procurement model. Franchise agreements carry an initial term of 10 years, and renewal is available for a term co-extensive with a new franchise agreement, provided the franchisee meets conditions in the then-current manual. With negative unit growth and a small operator base, the most likely software evaluation triggers are HQ-driven modernization efforts or renewal-cycle requirements rather than new-unit openings.
The full 2026 Ziebart Franchise Disclosure Document is embedded below. It contains the legal and operational detail—executive names, unit counts, financial performance representations, and mandated technology—that software vendors need to qualify this account. Review Item 1 for the leadership team, Item 6 for fee structure, and Item 11 for the franchisor’s obligations around technology and support. If you need a ranked target list of franchise systems matched to your software category, FranCloud can build one from FDD data like this.
Questions vendors ask
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View only A one-time purchase: the original filing, yours to keep.
FDD alert
We’ll email you the moment Ziebart files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
72 operators run 92 mapped locations. 7 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Ownership
unknown of ziebart international.
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Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.