How Steve Cascio and Adam Zell use their strengths to scale with Meineke
With complementary skills, Meineke franchise owners Adam Zell and Steve Cascio are building a business with an ambitious vision for growth.
When Adam Zell and Steve Cascio first began talking about going into business together, they didn’t talk strategy or spreadsheets. Instead, they had what Zell described as “deep, philosophical conversations.” They discussed what they wanted from a partnership, the strengths each of them would bring to the table, and even the personality quirks they would have to navigate together.
“It’s like a marriage,” Zell said. “You go through these long conversations, talk about the answers, feel each other out, and at some point, you decide whether to make a leap of faith.”
As a result of those in-depth conversations, the two decided to make that leap.
In September 2023, they began their Meineke journey by acquiring eight automotive stores in northern New Jersey. Since then, they’ve pursued growth by keeping their shared vision front and center.
“Our goal is to be the most profitable franchisee in the system,” Zell said. “And that is something we work hard every day towards achieving.”
The benefit of complementary strengths
Zell and Cascio credit their successful partnership to them both understanding that they each fill a unique, necessary role. But more importantly, those two roles complement each other well.
“If you're going to be working with someone so closely and aiming for the type of success we’re aiming for, you have to be compatible and balance each other out,” said Cascio.
Cascio brings deep automotive experience to the venture. He started working in an auto center shortly after high school and, by age 20, he was running one of Sears’ busiest auto locations in Wilmington, Delaware. He later joined Leeds West Group, where he helped grow one of the company’s sales regions and gained extensive acquisition experience.
By the time he connected with Zell, Cascio was already considering ownership. The opportunity in New Jersey gave them both a chance to think bigger.
“I said, if we’re going to do this, we’re going to be the biggest, and we’re going to be the best,” Cascio said.
But being the best requires more than being on the shop floor every day. That’s where Zell’s skill set comes into play. While Cascio stays focused on people and store operations, Zell handles things in the back office such as finance, accounting, and acquisition work. This balance allows them to pursue expansion while keeping an eye on the financial fundamentals that make their business sustainable.
“If you have two leaders who are focused on both of these sides of the business, it makes growth much easier and much less risky,” Zell said.
The impact of the Meineke Name
While Zell and Cascio have focused on different aspects of the business, they share a common vision: high-level growth.
The Meineke system has been critical in providing a foundation for that dream.
According to Zell, there’s a lot of value in operating under a nationally recognized name. While a customer might hesitate to take a chance on an independent shop, Meineke gave them, as franchise owners, an opportunity to start with built-in brand recognition.
“Building a relationship with the customer is ultimately up to the person behind the counter,” said Zell. “But having that Meineke flag outside your store makes it much easier to get that first attempt.”
The power of having the right people
Bringing their vision of being the most successful franchise group to life requires Zell and Cascio to adopt strong processes and maintain a sustainable level of growth. But when it comes to the biggest piece of the puzzle, both owners point to their staff.
“We retain the best people,” Cascio said. “That’s really our secret recipe to success. It’s all through people and finding top talent, attracting them, and then making sure we keep them and take care of them.”
Zell admitted he was initially skeptical when Cascio told him how dramatically the right general manager could change a location. Now, however, he sees how top leadership can reset expectations for what a store can accomplish. This philosophy of leading by example is something they both practice.
“I love spending time with our teammates and being the example, setting the tone,” Cascio said.
And it’s this philosophy they believe will take them all the way to their ultimate goal.
“Tools and frameworks are great, but without A-level talent, it’s just window-dressing,” said Zell. “Our people have been the key.”