Bill Simmons, Founder
MasterLube
“That focus evolved into the company mission, making life better for ourselves, our customers, our vendors, and the people who live in the communities in which we do business.”
Bill Simmons opened the first MasterLube store in Billings on February 16, 1981. Self-described as “knowing very little about business and nothing about cars,” Bill focused where he felt the most comfortable: building meaningful relationships with co-workers and customers.
“That focus evolved into the company mission, making life better for ourselves, our customers, our vendors, and the people who live in the communities in which we do business,” said Simmons.
Bill didn’t know much about engines or business, but he did understand people. He knew that if he focused on customers, looking them in the eye, treating them fairly, and never trying to hawk items they didn’t need, the rest would follow. In a time when oil changes could take half a day, MasterLube set a new standard: A 10-minute, courteous oil change service with a team that actually cared.
One of the first things Bill taught his team was to read the customer. Women, he knew, typically felt intimidated when they pulled into an automotive shop. Bill instructed his staff to kneel down and meet female customers at eye level – a simple gesture that showed respect and erased intimidation. That commitment to dignity became a defining feature of the MasterLube experience.
Over time, Bill developed the 10-minute oil change system. By 1989, MasterLube had earned national recognition as the Best Lube Center in America. But it wasn’t just the speed or systems – it was the heart behind them.
Bill pushed forward on the same principle that started the company: people. He brought in training that focused not just on technical skills, but on personal growth – helping employees become the best versions of themselves.
“If you work as hard as you are now, I’ll pay you every dime the company can afford. And I’ll help you become whatever it is you really want to be,” Bill would tell his employees. That was the moment MasterLube’s true purpose came into focus.
For more than four decades, Bill’s passionate belief in people has shaped every part of the MasterLube story. From giving customers roses and reminding them to “stop and smell the roses,” to helping former employees launch careers as nurses, teachers, counselors, and leaders.
Today, MasterLube remains committed to the founding values: respect, fairness, integrity, accountability, growth, loyalty, patience. At the core of those values is the idea that great service is an act of humanity.
Bill often says, “Any time a customer leaves and says they had great service, what they’re really describing is a feeling.”
That feeling is what MasterLube is really all about – one oil change, one handshake, one story at a time.
Ron Morrow, Jr., President
Oilex Operating LLC
“To the best of my ability, we’re going to match exactly what Bill did. We’re going to take care of the people doing the work, and they will take care of the customer. That’s what MasterLube has done for 45 years, and that’s what we intend to continue.”
Ron Morrow, Jr., didn’t discover his love for the lube business in a boardroom. He discovered it with a squeegee in his hand.
A second-generation luber and industry leader, Ron Morrow, Jr., began working in the business at age 13, when his father purchased a Grease Monkey franchisee in Longmont, Colorado.
“I started as a courtesy worker – washing windows, checking tires, vacuuming,” Morrow said. “I didn’t know it at the time, but I would come to love this industry.”
Morrow worked at the store during summers in high school and through college. By the time he graduated, Morrow’s father owned three Grease Monkey franchises.
With a degree in finance, Morrow worked briefly in banking before starting a landscaping company. Though successful, he continued to be drawn to the lube business.
In 2004, at the invitation of his father, Morrow joined the family business which then included 18 Grease Monkey stores. The opportunity to return to his roots and continue mentoring under his father made the decision easy.
“I understood the business from the ground up. But it was the life lessons taught by my dad that redefined how I viewed success,” Morrow said. “I realized the importance of the culture my dad had created through the relationships he had built.”
For Morrow, culture isn’t a collection of visionary words. Culture plays out in how employees, customers, vendors, and the community actually feel – and trust between people must be earned every day.
Today, Morrow is an industry leader and president of Oilex Operating LLC, the largest Grease Monkey franchisee in the United States. With the MasterLube acquisition, Oilex now owns 35 locations across the country.
Setting Course for the Next 45 Years
Like Simmons, Morrow is known for prioritizing long-term relationships over short-term sales metrics, believing that great businesses are built by investing in employees and earning customer trust one visit at a time.
“What drew us to MasterLube wasn’t just operational excellence,” said Morrow. “It was the heart of the company. Bill built something rare; stores where employees feel respected and empowered and customers truly feel cared for. Our responsibility is to carry this legacy forward.”
Morrow acknowledges there’s nobody like Bill Simmons.
“To the best of my ability, we’re going to match exactly what Bill did,” Morrow said. “We’re going to take care of the people doing the work, they will take care of the customer. That’s what MasterLube has done for 45 years, and that’s what we intend to continue.”
With operational support and a shared leadership philosophy, MasterLube is positioned to move into the future with strength.
“We look forward to building upon the strong foundation and reputation that MasterLube has earned with this wonderful community,” said Morrow.
About Oilex Operating LLC
DENVER, Co—Oilex Operating LLC (“Oilex”) is the largest Grease Monkey franchisee in the United States with 35 stores located across Colorado, Arizona, Texas, and now Montana. A leading provider of automotive services, Oilex is dedicated to ensuring vehicles run smoothly and efficiently. With a growing network of service locations, Oilex is committed to delivering superior customer service and innovative solutions for all automotive needs.
Because the act of serving others is where, when, and how transformation occurs.
MasterLube is a principle-centered service business that recruits people into a temporary workplace experience of extraordinary vision, discipline, and excellence in which they are encouraged to discover their own extraordinary capabilities and then trained, energized and eventually launched into the specific direction of their greatest potential.
Transforming People / Delivering Fanatical Service
At MasterLube, we practice these values each day:
At MasterLube, we act with the understanding that someone or something is important to you.
At MasterLube, we treat everyone equally, making decisions on which we can stand on either side.
At MasterLube, we do business honestly, holding ourselves to the highest ethical standard, even when no one is watching.
At MasterLube, we allow ourselves to be held responsible for our actions and meeting our commitments.
At MasterLube, we recognize our interdependence as employers and employees, believing in and supporting one another.
At MasterLube, we give everyone time to learn and grow – even fail – at their own pace.
At MasterLube, we believe every employee is on their way to something bigger. Our mission isn’t just to train people how to change oil – our mission is to change people’s lives.
Our culture includes personal development, mentorship, and hands-on experience where team members learn life skills that go far beyond the bay.
If you’re looking for a catalyst that can change the trajectory of your life, we would like to talk with you.
