Mudlick Mail Posts 50 Percent Jump In Revenue In 2011

Direct mail provider Mudlick Mail says it bucked the slow-recovering economy last year, with a 50 percent jump in revenue. The company, which offers direct mail campaigns to automotive repair shops, saw its sales grow from $6 million in 2010 to $9 million in 2011. In addition, Mudlick Mail's customer base doubled from 350 shops in 2010 to 700 shops last year.

million in 2010 to $9 million in 2011. In addition, Mudlick Mail’s customer base doubled from 350 shops in 2010 to 700 shops last year.   

“These results show that business owners are willing to spend money on tools that will help them more effectively market their services,” said CEO Greg Sands. “Our customers have had great success using our campaigns, which are strategically designed to target the households they most want to reach.”   

Mudlick Mail sent more than 35 million pieces of mail in 2011, up from 22 million in 2010. The company said this increase in business allowed Mudlick Mail to more than double the number of employees working in its Atlanta-area headquarters.   

Mudlick Mail said part of its success in 2011 was also due to a series of marketing partnerships the company formed with a variety of automotive repair industry associations, including: the Automotive Service Association, the Automotive Training Institute, the Automotive Service Councils of California and AskPatty.com, which provides advice for women on automotive-related topics. Mudlick Mail also signed a marketing agreement with CARQUEST Auto Parts to offer a direct mail program exclusively for the company’s TECH-NETProfessional Auto Service network, which includes 5,000 members throughout North America.   

With the release of three new direct mail programs and an expansion into Canada, Mudlick Mail is anticipating continued strong growth this year.

The company is projecting sales of $20 million in 2012 and expects to mail 60 million pieces of mail.

When Your Shop Is Worth Much More Than You Thought

Although every sale of a shop in which I am involved has its own unique set of circumstances, which makes my job both very interesting and very challenging, Cowden Automotive stands out as particularly memorable because I was able to demonstrate to the long-time owner, Paul Cowden, that his business was worth about three times what he had initially thought.

Case Study: Owner of San Francisco-based Import Service Shop Delighted to Discover Just How Valuable His Business is to Qualified Buyers
I sometimes share case studies of the clients I have been able to assist in my role as an aftermarket business broker and provider of intermediary and advisory services. I do that when I think the story will provide a reader in similar circumstances with new insights or helpful information.
In the case of Cowden Automotive, Inc., I acted in a consulting capacity assisting the owner and his broker in valuing the business, creating a marketing plan, finding a qualified buyer, and arranging financing for the sale.
Although every sale of a shop in which I am involved has its own unique set of circumstances, which makes my job both very interesting and very challenging, Cowden Automotive stands out as particularly memorable because I was able to demonstrate to the long-time owner, Paul Cowden, that his business was worth about three times what he had initially thought.
Needless to say, delivering that kind of good news to a shop owner is a rewarding experience. Discovering that the sale of his business would result in his retirement nest-egg being substantially larger than he had ever thought was a fitting tribute to someone who had spent his entire working career as a busy automotive service shop owner.

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