Meet Bobby and Susan Hanley, longtime automotive consulting agency owners and NuVinAir’s newest franchisee for Alabama and North Florida.
The Hanleys own the protected rights to sell NuVinAir Global’s line of science-backed products for vehicles across the region, and have cultivated deals with dealerships, car rental companies, car washes, detail shops, and other automotive businesses.
The Hanleys say that the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to give their customers safe and healthy vehicles pushed them into deciding to become franchisee owners.
“We first heard about NuVinAir about a year ago at a convention, and we thought it was an intriguing concept, but we just weren’t ready to expand our business,” said Susan. “But when COVID-19 hit and the overall automotive business was shrinking, we remembered NuVinAir. Plus, the virus directly affected our family, so cleanliness and health were top of mind for us,” she said.
The Hanleys became official franchisees in June 2020, but they are no strangers to the automotive industry.
Since 2004, Susan has been the owner and managing agent of AutoLady, Inc., an independent consulting agency with product partners and services, including vehicle service contracts, gap and spot insurance for franchise, independent and BHPH dealers, GPS delinquency-management solutions, and other aftermarket products for car dealers. Alongside her husband, Bobby, who has been in the automotive business for 25 years and who decided four years ago to serve as the company’s sales manager, the entrepreneurial duo has built a vast automotive network spanning Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee, and Louisiana.
Business is booming
Bobby shared that while they have owned a sales agency for fifteen years, the first weekend after signing up with NuVinAir, they sold more product than they ever did with any other stock.
“It has been crazy ever since and the phone has not stopped ringing,” said Bobby. “The opportunity that NuVinAir offers is causing business to bust at the seams. Everyone is trying to find a solution that both cleans the interior of a vehicle and eliminates the virus,” he said.
ReKlenz-X is the differentiator
The Hanleys agree that NuVinAir has an amazing line of cleaning products, but the EPA-approved ReKlenz-X that disinfects, cleans and sanitizes all at the same time is their favorite.
“There are a lot of other products out there that have a two- or three-step process to get a vehicle to pinnacle cleanliness, but ReKlenz-X does it all with one step and it has been proven to kill 99.9% of germs, bacteria and viruses without compromising the vehicle’s interior,” he said.
“I always ask my customers, ‘Do you want to just give the appearance you are cleaning a vehicle or do you want to give them a vehicle that been thoroughly disinfected with an EPA-approved product?’” said Bobby.
Building meaningful relationships proves successful in Hanleys’ lives
Both Bobby and Susan strongly believe the key to their success is building trust with their customers.
“We take pride in giving our customers only the very best solutions. When we promote a product, our customers know we have vetted it and we stand behind it,” said Susan.
Bobby agrees. “Reputation is everything. We have always steered clear of anything dubious. We want our customers to be happy to see us again whenever we walk through their doors,” he said.
Susan said that one reason they moved forward with NuVinAir is because of the shared values that NuVinAir CEO Kyle Bailey has with the couple.
“Kyle’s plan, his principles, his morals—they just fall in line with who we are,” she said.
“We are so excited because it just feels right to do business with NuVinAir and be a part of their family,” said Susan.
The future looks bright
The Hanleys say that if business continues to boom the way it has in the past weeks, their productivity could potentially surpass their traditional automotive services and sales of other after-market products.
“I could see us doubling our employee base within the next two years,” said Bobby. Susan added that their oldest son, Bobby Hanley, Jr., is now working alongside them and learning the business. “Family is everything to us so it makes us very proud to see Bobby Jr follow in our footsteps,” she said.
All roads lead to Sturgis
When the Hanleys aren’t engaged with their flourishing business, they both share a love of motorcycling. The couple has plans in August to travel to Sturgis, South Dakota to attend the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The event is one of the largest in the world and drew over 600,000 bikers in 2019. The two have been riding motorcycles together for over 26 years. Bobby has a motto he says has kept him healthy and happy for a long time.
“I love my wife and I love my bike. In that order,” said Bobby.
The couple also share a love for tennis and they compete regionally. Bobby and Susan live in Birmingham, Alabama with their two sons, 23-year-old Bobby and 16-year-old Pierce.