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The Hybrid Shop, Gainesville, VA

Gold Stevie Award Winner 2012, Click to Enter The 2014 American Business Awards

Company: The Hybrid Shop, Gainesville, VA
Entry Submitted By: RMR & Associates, Inc.
Company Description: The Hybrid Shop (THS) is a growing international network of high quality dealers that are committed to providing expert care for hybrid vehicles by embracing the latest battery pack conditioning, hybrid technology and knowledge that is only available to licensed dealers.
Nomination Category: Products & Product Management Categories
Nomination Sub Category: New Product or Service of the Year - Consumer Services

Nomination Title: The Hybrid Shop

1. Tell the story about this nominated product or service (up to 525 words). Describe its function, features, benefits, and performance to date:

In May, 2013, The Hybrid Shop (THS) was launched as a joint-venture between one of the largest auto service and repair shops in the Washington, DC area, Curry’s Auto Service, and the industry-leading group, Automotive Research & Design. THS is focused on exclusively serving the rapidly-growing hybrid segment of the automobile aftermarket, and its offerings center on its innovative Battery Pack Conditioning service. An environmentally-sound alternative to battery replacement, conditioning enhances overall battery power, fuel economy, cost savings, and vehicle performance.

Offered as a ‘fractional franchise,’ THS consists of an elite network of high-end auto repair shops across North America, comprised of professionally-trained and educated technicians who perform diagnostics, maintenance, and repair services on all hybrid vehicles.

THS’ value to the consumer hybrid market has been significant since its launch. An underperforming hybrid battery can result in decreased fuel economy and torque, leading to significant battery replacement costs, amounting to as much as $4,000- $9,000. This innovative conditioning process pioneered and exclusively offered by THS, is a green service that restores up to 95% of the battery pack’s original power and energy, while driving significant increased fuel economy (between 10-35% fuel economy improvement depending on the initial SOH of the battery) over the vehicle’s lifetime. The ability to restore, as opposed to replace, the batteries is a critical element in the environmental sustainability of these services.

Furthermore, THS offers consumers the optional State of Health (SOH) program that assesses the vehicle’s bigger picture, which is conducted prior to Battery Pack Conditioning to evaluate how different aspects of the car are trending to deliver maximum results, reliability, and cost-savings (Battery Pack Conditioning is approximately 1/3 of the cost of battery replacement) from hybrid vehicle services. THS also has a comprehensive menu of services - to ensure hybrid owners receive the highest quality of one-stop-shopping for repair and maintenance for their hybrid vehicle. These services include, Battery Pack Conditioning and rebuilding services; Testing of electric transmissions, DC-DC converters, power inverter and control systems; and Hybrid specific maintenance. THS’ battery conditioning service then is accompanied by a 12 month/12,000 mile warranty. Known as “your battery’s fountain of youth,” THS’s service offerings also have robust future market penetration and growth potential, to build on their early success.

In 2013 there were:

• Over 2.7 million Hybrids on the road;
• 57 new models available for purchase by various automobile manufacturers; and.
• Hybrid vehicles account for approximately 4% of the total new car market. The U.S. Department of Energy forecasts that the Hybrid vehicle market will grow more than 10% by 2015, with the number of new models produced expected to double, and even triple over the next ten years.

The cost savings, coupled with the dramatically increased vehicle performance and fuel economy that THS’ service offerings deliver to the consumer are key aspects of its past success and foundations of its future. THS plans to continue its expansion across North America as it adds to its elite network, extending the reach of their specialized hybrid services and growing visibility for green and environmentally-conscious practices in the automobile aftermarket industry as a whole.

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2. Provide a brief (up to 125 words) biography about the leader(s) of the team that developed this nominated product or service:

Matt Curry is the Co-Founder and CEO of THS. He has worked in the automotive aftermarket business for over 30 years, starting with changing tires when he was 15 and evolving into management. He managed seven stores for several different companies, doubling and tripling sales and profits at every store he managed. In 1997, Matt and his wife, Judy, started Curry’s Auto Service in Chantilly, Virginia. By 2013, they owned 10 shops, making them one of the largest independent auto repair chains in the Washington, DC metro area and the recipient of several awards. In 2013 Matt joined forces with Dr. Mark Quarto to form THS to expand revenue streams for automotive dealers and repair shops while serving the rapidly-growing market of hybrid vehicle owners.