Feb. 21, 2014—Anthony “Tony” Martino, the late founder and former chairman and CEO of MAACO, will be posthumously inducted into the International Franchise Association (IFA) Hall of Fame on Sunday at the IFA’s Annual Convention in New Orleans.
Martino’s son, Mark, who has served the company in a number of facets since its inception, will accept the honor on his father’s behalf during an induction ceremony at the event’s opening general session.
“Tony Martino was honored this year for his business acumen. But his real legacy includes much more,” says Jose Costa, president of MAACO. “Tony’s understanding of people and ability to listen made him the great franchise leader and customer advocate that he was. Following in the footsteps of a visionary like Tony is both humbling and challenging in the best way. While we continue to build the MAACO brand, we retain the passion for people and putting the customer first that is Tony’s legacy.”
Martino began his career in 1959 with a single shop specializing in automatic transmission repair. That turned into AAMCO Transmissions, and Martino significantly grew the business throughout the 1960s before selling it and turning his automotive knowledge and business insights to MAACO. When he opened a pilot MAACO Auto Painting & Bodyworks center in 1972, he positioned the brand between low-cost auto painters and expensive dealership work. The company rapidly grew into the MAACO of today that services close to 500,000 drivers annually.