WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE POSIBILITIES OF SAFELITE BUYING OUT NOVUS GLASS NEXT???

No need
They don't have the business and SL doesn't need their technology

Wont happen. Novus has very little market share in US and their franchise model just is not a good fit. Safelite will continue to drive Novus down by inpections and hurdles. I think Novus will be stronger in Canada.

Novus Glass is now owned by a multi billion dollar corporation that will expand the successful Novus franchise model across the United States and bury Safelite in the lousy service and technical shortcuts they offer through their pathetic call center and poorly trained technicians.
Safelite believes in one thing “ units, units, units”

Novus is and has been a wanna be. Can't sell new franchises and finding it hard to keep those that they already have. Not happening!

The glass business is not McDonald's. Buying a Novus franchise or a Glass Doctor franchise and coughing over a fat percent right off your top gross sale is insanity.

I agree. And paying the fat percent goes on forever after laying out an outrageous initial sign up. The general public doesn't know these names from cow patties in the pasture. What a waste.

Why would Novus want to lower themselves to Safelite?

At best new franchisees get ok windshield repair training and less than good replacement training. After that they're pretty much on their own to sink-or-swim with little to no useful support. If the poor franchisee can make it he then sends them $$$ each month for virtually NOTHING! Stupid.

90% of glass shops have already lowered ourselves thru the TPA systems.

2018 may shed light on more direct billing?


Look at the subway mud slinging franchises
Any time your going to buy a franchise read very carefuly the agreements and see if long term you will have what it says. (are you buying anything you cant just do yourself) Look at brand identity or product system and how it is protected (or is it) and what changes you will have to make after your first 10 year investment into what you think your getting into. Every franchise goes thru past litigation in some form so call past franchises and ask why they got out. When it say you should have a lawyer look at it, that's where you will get your answer.
My opinion is worth 2 cents as always
good day mates!

Novus ****ed away their golden opportunity way back in the early 90s when they were synonymous with windshield repair and had over 2000 independent business owners throughout the USA. Novus was the ONLY game in Anytown, USA as far as windshield repair is concerned. These small business owners were solely responsible for building the Novus name in their markets and did so to where it got to the point a chip repair was simply called a novus repair even in the insurance industry. We thought boy the good times are just ahead! We've gotten in on the ground floor, we've busted our butts, paid our dues, gonna be rolling now as the insurance companies are beginning to really buy into repair and we are their only option.

Then Novus made the mistake of trying to jump on the franchise craze bandwagon and force feeding it to their "customers" that did not sign up for that when they purchased their protected territories. Consequently they jumped overboard like rats off a sinking ship and just changed the names of their companies and found elsewhere to buy supplies. Many went out and created and began competing directly against Novus as windshield repair supply companies. They essentially trained and created their own competition when there wasn't any at the time to speak of. An ex-franchisee even went over to safelite and took on a position as the head of their newly created repair division to bring repair to their network of shops that previously had little to no interest in doing repair, not that that has changed a whole lot today.

It is a textbook case of how to create a successful new industry, have the market virtually cornered, and then screw it up. It was not a pretty situation...

Pretty good assessment of how it went down.

All of the Novus guys that I know would love nothing more than to be able to get out of their franchise agreements and be left alone to operate on their own. But they are now stuck in an agreement that they basically can't get out of.

I had a front row seat. It was an unfortunate turn of events for everyone involved, including Novus. Up to that point it seemed almost like a family and the annual Super Sessions in MN were very well attended and something we all looked forward to. In the early years the repair techniques were pretty primitive and Novus developed improved methods largely based on the feedback from those figuring things out in the field. The same ones that grew the Novus repair reputation for the company in their markets. Yes Novus provided literature and guidance, but it was a grassroots effort that made the Novus name what it was. At Super Session everyone shared their ideas to help others grow their businesses. Everyone felt like we were all on the same team and building something really special TOGETHER that was about to pay off in a big way.

Enter Gerry Kineth's new son-in-law in his expensive suits and the relationship changed overnite. It all went down hill from there...

Wow!!!! I must know you. You had to be sitting next to me at the Su*****ssions!!!

Robin Smith I think? There were others of course. I was a very small part of it myself.

FREDDY - Most likely saw one another at the very least!

Figured someone had to tell the real story while there are still a few of us old farts left that lived it! My days are numbered before I ride off into the sunset with the old novus buddies that I ran with have mostly done. ha ha

What the hell are you talking about novus is the biggest **** joke in the USA

As previously mentioned by Midwest Shop, Novus once had approx. 2000 individual business owners operating in the USA. After all the fallout of the 80's, 90's and 00's, I'm wondering how many franchisees they have left? I'm thinking that I've been told maybe 400 now? Or is that number too high? Anybody know, I'm curious?

More like about 250 but they seem to think they will be expanding. Personally I think a person should look for something that after years of branding your product you shouldn't be sucked into the Corp growth vision of blending you with another group of brands that compete with you.
Fix it world does glass, so does Speedy, so what is the vision of brand? What hat do you put on that you grows your brand? Just think that the what used to be 'NOVUS' brand identity is long dead unfortunately.

My opinion only mates!

It will NEVER Happen..NOVUS was bought by FIX AUTO last spring and they are planning a HUGE expansion...

worldwide NOVUS says they have 2,200

John R Allen just might be drinking the Kool Aid.