www.noln.

net Our 24th Year of Serving the Fast Oil Change Industry

Best Looking Lube!

The Results Are In From Our Annual
Lube Shop Beauty Contest
18
n 

November 2009 n Five Dollars

 {Best Looking

{ }
First Place:
Grease Monkey
St. George UT

Like a rose blooming in the desert, this Grease Monkey facil-

ity really caught the attentions of our judges, enough so to be
voted the best looking lube for 2009.

Owned by Rich and Teressa Miller, this shop in St. George,

Utah, is a marvel. From its arched lobby roof to its skillful in-
tegration of desert hues, native rock, accent lighting and low-
water landscaping, the three-bay fast lube is a masterpiece.

“The waiting room is sleek, modern and chic, with its con-
temporary stainless seating, black stone countertops, exposed
ducting and a painted concrete floor that literally gleems,”
one judge gushed.

“I love all the windows. Really gives the facility

an open, airy feel,” said another. Other com-
ments included:

“A very modern look that blends well with its South-

west locale. Warm and inviting.”

“Exceptionally clean. Love the flowers and the combination

of silver waiting room chairs and black flooring.”

“I love this building!”

“I know it’s relatively new, but the whole place just sparkles.”

“Fantastic accent lighting really makes the facility stand out

at night.”

In the end, the Millers’ Grease Monkey accumulated more

than enough points to be named this year’s winner. A hearty
congratulations to them on a beautiful shop.

But we’re not done. Turn the page to see the rest of the results
from this year’s Best Looking Lube Contest.
For more information on the contest, including the judging procedure, visit:
www.noln.net

18 www.noln.net  
Lube Contest}

November 2009 19
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Second Place:
American Lube Express
Auburndale FL

“This facility just screams ‘Margaritaville.’ I’d area, a touch that says “industrial” and “com-
love to sit and rock on the porch!” wrote one petent” while also telling customers “we’re a
of our judges, and we couldn’t agree more. clean facility.”

“This shop has a nice, homey feel,” noted an-
other judge. “The landscaping is immaculate,
and enhanced by the two big American flags.”
“The gold truck on the roof is a real attention-
getter. I bet it drives business to the shop,”
noted still another.
Other judges’ comments included:
“There’s a truck coming out of this shop — lit-
erally.”
“Talk about unique. I love the ‘beach-y’ feel.
Where’s the piña coladas?”

Judges were impressed by the facility’s pair “Eclectic but cute.”

of clean lube bays, the aforementioned land-
scaping with prodigious use of flowers and “Extraordinarily clean.”
palm trees only contributing to the “tropical”
theme. “Pristine landscaping.”

Our judges also liked the use of diamond-plate All in all, this independent shop is doing
chrome metal as a design accent in the waiting things right.

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Third Place:
Dr. Lube
Murfreesboro TN

Perhaps it was the unique color combination
(until now, we haven’t seen too many white-
black-and-purple lube shops with red floors),
or the bold, eye-catching monument sign, or
the appealing waiting room, but this Tennes-
see shop was a hit with our judges.
pealing,” said yet another judge.
Other judges comments included:
“A very unique color combination. I especially
like the red bay floors.”

“A very sharp exterior. The colors really grab
your attention,” noted one judge.
“I love the waiting area/checkout counter,”
wrote another judge. “The antique signs hang-
ing on the wall blend with the warm colors
and tile floor to give it a very inviting feel.”
“The waiting room is cool. Lots of fun old stuff
to look at.”
“Can’t go wrong with a sign that large and ap-
“The place really comes alive at night for some
reason. The illuminated signs really stand out
against the black fascia.”
“The black-on-white is just such a stark con-
trast you can’t help but be drawn to it.”
“If you could sum this facility up in a word, it
would have to be ‘sleek.’”
We couldn’t agree more.

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{ }
Honorable Mention:
Eastern Auto Spa
Mebane NC

This combination Valvoline

Express Care and carwash
was a very impressive entry
to this year’s contest. Judges
liked the visually imposing
waiting area that architec-
turally dominates the front
of the facility, as well as the
flower-wrapped fountain
out front and the
skillful integration of
myriad impulse items
into the waiting room.

“There’s a lot for people to

look at and shop for while
they’re waiting for their car
to be serviced,” one judge
summed up.

{ }
Honorable Mention:
Grease Monkey
Wildomar CA

This California Grease

Monkey continues the
company’s strong show-
ing in this year’s contest.
With local-flavored land-
scaping that includes a
pair of towering palm
trees, subdued colors that
blend well with the sur-
roundings, and one
of the cleanest lube
bays you’ll find any-
where, this facility was a
hit.

“I like the architecture.

Simple and classic,” said
one judge. “Attractive
without being ostenta-
tious.”

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{ }
Thanks to Everyone Valvoline The Lube Center
Express Care Frederick MD
Who Entered This Year’s Seguin TX
Best Looking Lube Contest

Tradition The Lube Center Grease Monkey

Oil & Lube New Freedom PA Montgomery TX
Bryan TX

The Lube Center Castrol Premium Texas Oil & Lube

Germantown MD Lube Express Bryan TX
Palatka FL

Grease Monkey The Lube Center The Lube Center

Battle Ground York PA Gaithersburg MD
WA

The Lube Center Mobil 1 Grease Monkey

Columbia MD Lube Express Kernersville NC
Edison NJ

Castrol Premium Valvoline The Lube Center

Lube Express Express Care Frederick MD
Perris CA District Heights MD

The Lube Center Grease Monkey Valvoline

Germantown MD Huntersville NC Express Care
Farmville VA

Grease Monkey Mobil 1 The Lube Center

Northfield NJ Lube Express Laurel MD
Sheboygan WI

26 www.noln.net  
{ }
Best Landscaping:
American Lube Express
Auburndale FL

Since the state of Florida

is named after flowers, it
should come as no surprise
to find this floral-clad fa-
cility smack in the heart of
the sunshine state.

With oodles of bright red

flowers, palm trees to com-
plete the “beachfront ca-
bana” look and a verdant
green lawn, American
Lube Express hits a
home run when it
comes to landscap-
ing excellence.

“Totally different from

what you expect a fast lube
to be,” noted one judge.
“The green lawn, palm
trees and flowers make
you want to stop by just to
visit, much less get your oil
changed.”

“Where’s the beach? It must

be nearby, because all this facility
is missing is a surfboard rack,” said another judge.

Other facilities our judges liked (below) had expansive

green lawns, towering palm trees and bright yellow flow-
ers, proving that a little landscaping can go a long way to-
ward enhancing a facility’s appearance.

{Others Considered}
The Lube Center
Frederick MD

Grease Monkey
Wildomar CA

Texas Oil & Lube

Bryan TX

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{ }
Best Bay Area:
Grease Monkey
Wildomar CA

Does this shop really perform

oil changes? The concrete
bay floors of this Califor-
nia shop are almost clean
enough to eat off of. With
unspoiled white walls and
glass bay doors to give the
interior an open feel, this
facility’s bays were a hit
with our judges.

“Don’t know how they

keep the shop this
clean,” wrote one
judge, a sentiment
echoed by others.

“Where’s the clutter? Most

oil change bays are half
service area, half storage
closet. But not this shop.
Very nicely done,” declared
another judge.

Other bay areas favored by

our judges (below) included
Eastern Auto Spa’s expansive
service area, The Lube Center’s at-
tention to organization (“‘A place for everything and ev-
erything in its place’ must be the cardinal rule at this shop,”
noted one judge) and a rare modular building bay whose
glass windows give customers a clear view of the service
being performed on their vehicles.

{Others Considered}

Eastern Auto Spa The Lube Center Grease Monkey

Mebane NC Laurel MD Huntersville NC

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Best Waiting Area:
Castrol Premium Lube Express
Palatka FL

Maybe it’s the “Beverly Hill-

billies” fan in our judges, but
they seem to love check-
erboard tile floors, and
this Florida shop comes
through in spades.

Of course, the striking

flooring wasn’t the only
thing that caught our
judges’ attention. They
also liked the overall
“branded” motif,
the striking red
checkout counter/
menu board area, and
the soft yellow walls. Com-
bine that with the pleasing
house plants, and you have
a waiting area our judges
would not mind spending
time in.

“The colors all flow to-

gether very well,” said one
judge.

“The chairs look soft and comfort-

able,” noted another. “Very important in a waiting room.”

Other waiting rooms our judges liked included the striking

yellow walls and free computer access at Valvoline Express
Care, Dr. Lube’s large collection of antique signs and the
“chic” silver-and-black waiting room in our overall win-
ning facility.

{Others Considered}

Valvoline Express Care Dr. Lube Grease Monkey

District Heights MD Murfreesboro TN St. George UT

November 2009 31
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Best “Neat Touches”:
Texas Oil & Lube/Tradition Oil & Lube
Bryan TX

Though the majority of us at

NOLN HQ are Texas Tech
Red Raider fans, we appre-
ciate school spirit of any
kind and so, too, do our
judges, who bestowed the
honor of best “neat touch-
es” upon a pair of entries in
Bryan, Texas, just a stone’s
throw from College Sta-
tion, home of Texas A&M
University.

Gabriel Garcia,
owner of the shops,
is a proud Aggie and Tex-
an, judging from the decor
livening his facilities. From
the Texas-shaped tree bor-
der pictured at right to the
Texas A&M memorabilia
that graces his facilities,
Garcia is clearly proud of
both his alma mater and
his businesses. (His diplo-
ma even hangs behind the
counter of one lube shop!)

Other “neat touches” noted by our judges (below) include

the free computer at Valvoline Express Care (“Takes ‘free
Internet’ a step further,” said one judge), the attention-
grabbing yellow truck jutting from the roof of American
Lube Express and the small putting green/cattle tank water
fountain with native flora at the Valvoline Express Care in
Seguin, Texas.

{Others Considered}

Valvoline Express Care American Lube Express Valvoline Express Care

District Heights MD Auburndale FL Seguin TX

32 www.noln.net