Bolton Oil Change, coming soon, 6605 Milwaukee Avenue
Bolton Oil Change is adding two more locations since LubbockLights.com broke the story in July of the company returning to Lubbock after a five-year absence.
Owner Charles Bolton told us about his plans for four total locations. Also, a look at building permits shows other oil change companies are joining the Lubbock market.
Bolton said:
- A new oil change location near 19th Street and Milwaukee Avenue opened in late September.
- A location at 66th Street and Indiana Avenue will open at the end of January, if all goes to plan.
- A construction permit was just issued for a location at 66th Street and Milwaukee Avenue and should be ready in the next 10 or 11 months.
- A facility “in the vicinity” of 80th Street and Slide will be renovated to an oil change location and ready in the next year or so. (Tax records show the company owns two properties near the intersection.)
LubbockLights.com examined new construction permits for the last 12 months and found four new oil-change stores in addition to Bolton’s.
- Oil Changers, 12602 Indiana Avenue, 2,648 square feet, construction permit issued May 24, 52 percent complete.
- Valvoline Instant Oil Change, 6821 Slide Road, 1,363 square feet, construction permit still pending. (The permit said 6823 Slide, but city zoning records said 6821.)
- Costa Oil, 12102 Indiana Avenue, 1,096 square feet, construction permit issued July 26, 33 percent complete.
- Take 5 Oil Change, 11203 Quaker Avenue, 1,766 square feet, construction permit still pending.
Bolton said people have been happy to see the return of his company to the Lubbock oil-change market.
“That’s been the general consensus. Our goal is to do quality work with friendly service at an affordable price. That’s what we shoot for,” Bolton said to LubbockLights.com.
Brookelynn Miller, director of marketing for Oil Changers, provided an email statement.
The company offers excellent, friendly service – then adds, “But won’t everyone tell you that?” she wrote.
The Lubbock location is scheduled to open in January.
LubbockLights.com also reached out to Take 5, Valvoline and Costa Oil on Monday and they had not responded by the time this story was posted mid-Tuesday morning.
The return of Bolton
Bolton’s sold its oil change business in 2019 to Take 5 with a five-year non-compete agreement that expired this year.
“We sold the oil change business at the point and time when the labor situation was difficult. We thought that was the best thing to do at the time. We realized after a few months that wasn’t probably the best thing to do. As soon as our non-compete was up we made this move right here,” Bolton said.
During those five years, the Bolton name stayed in Lubbock with gas stations and self-storage.
“The storage business has been good. It’s easier to operate than some of the businesses we’ve been in,” Bolton said.
If things continue to go well, Bolton said, “We’d expand in that direction.”
“Gas stations are rough because of the competition. We’ve been bombarded with new locations,” Bolton said of convenience stores that also sell gas.
He mentioned Toot’n Totum “that will have 18 locations,” Pak-A-Sak and “Walmart’s gasoline” which is Murphy USA, Stripes, Circle K, DK, Quick Track and several new locations of Allsup’s in Lubbock.
“I’m at a loss, because I don’t see all those making money,” Bolton said.
Does he think there’s any place for oil change service as electric cars enter the market?
“Yes, I do especially in West Texas. We’re not metropolitan. The average person goes a further distance than some of the electric cars can go. I’m sure that they’ve got their place,” Bolton said.
He’s just not convinced that place is Lubbock. His plan is to pass on the business so that it continues to be multi-generational.
“That’s the plan at this point. I’ve got a son and daughter and a nephew and a brother. He retired about a year ago but he’s still in the partnership,” Bolton said.
The businesses are very much based in Lubbock with almost everything being within the city limits.
“We’re a hands-on operation. We like to be close to the business we have,” Bolton said.
As for his competitors, he first heard about Oil Changers the day before he spoke with LubbockLights.com.
Oil Changers coming in
The Oil Changers website said, “In 1984, automotive entrepreneur Larry Read started Oil Changers with a single location in the [San Francisco] Bay Area.”
“Oil Changers was one of the first operators to develop the drive-through, stay-in-your-car oil-change model and we have continued to perfect it over the years,” the website said.
It’s now the largest fully corporate-owned quick lube company in the United States, said Miller.
“Our CEO talks directly to all 198 store managers on a regular basis. It really is a great thing to be a part of,” Miller said.
LubbockLights.com asked why there are this many new oil-change places (and new convenience stores) coming to Lubbock.
“What I can say is that in general we go where we see growth in population and popularity. People are keeping cars longer than ever and need an affordable and convenient way to maintain them. … We aim to meet a need and found our way to Lubbock after years of owning stores in El Paso, McAllen-Brownsville, and the greater Austin, Texas areas,” Miller said.
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