Franchise Program Helps Veterans Go Into Business

After working on cars for 35 years, Michael Gatewood got tired of turning wrenches and decided to start selling them instead.

Gatewood, an Army veteran, purchased a Matco Tools distributor franchise last April with the help of a program called the Veterans Transition Franchise Initiative.

Known as VetFran for short, the program awards franchise discounts from 227 companies to honorably discharged veterans.

As a tool distributor, Gatewood, of North Fort Myers, travels around in a truck � his tool shop on wheels. The inside of the 17-foot-long cab is filled with $105,000 worth of tools, which Gatewood sells to businesses throughout Punta Gorda, Arcadia and Port Charlotte.

Gatewood, 50, climbs the three large steps inside dozens of times a day as he stops at auto body shops, car dealerships, salvage yards and motorcycle shops. Once inside, he flicks a switch and lights illuminate waist-high toolboxes and shelves covered with tools in cases and plastic casing.

Customers come in, chat and check out his inventory. Shiny new tools dangle from every available inch of space and are even attached to the pegboard ceiling by elastic bands.

Gatewood tries to keep as many items as possible in sight, because people often forget what they need until they see it, he said. He also works hard to stay organized, because the quicker he can locate an item, the happier his customer, he said.

Friday, the distributor began his 24-stop Punta Gorda run at 7:30 a.m. At each stop he went inside to talk with the owners and employees. He has been doing the run for about six months, so by now the owners and employees know "Matco Mike." At the Marlow Werner Pontiac-Buick-GMC dealership, five guys climbed onto the truck to browse tools before Gatewood even set foot inside the shop.

Auto technicians have to buy all their own tools, said Josh Murray, an auto tech who has worked at the dealership for about seven months. That morning, Murray bought a three-piece needle-nosed pliers set.

"Mike's the only tool distributor who actually comes every week, so he's the one everybody buys things off of," Murray said.

Gatewood's truck is also neater and better-organized than most, Murray added.

Throughout the day, customers approached Gatewood with specific needs. Each time, Gatewood searched his inventory, catalogs and a few times, called other Southwest Florida distributors when he didn't have an item in stock.

Other participating franchises in the VetFran program include Dunkin Donuts, Baskin Robbins, UPS, Midas and Fantastic Sam's; the discount for veterans depends on the company.

"The idea is to honor veterans for their military service," said Terry Hill, VetFran staff liaison for the International Franchise Association, which partners with the U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs, the Small Business Administration and the Veterans Corporation on the program.

As of September, 612 veterans had purchased franchises with the help of the program, and 227 companies offered veteran discounts.

Ohio-based Matco Tools has participated in the program for about a year and half, according to Richard Dayton, national franchise sales manager.

"We recognize the value of the maturity that veterans have when they come out of the service," Dayton said. "They have been through a lot of training and they are very focused and disciplined." That discipline helps veterans successfully follow the Matco Tools franchise system, procedures and principles, Dayton said.

Gatewood started working on cars at 15 years old. After returning from overseas service in Korea and Germany, he worked for a power company as an auto tech and then ran his own auto body shop for 13 years.

Gatewood found out about VetFran when he decided to close his shop and applied to be a Matco distributor. The company gave him $3,500 toward his first tool purchase.

"I got tired of turning wrenches," Gatewood said. "So now I'm a one-man band. It's a great job because I like people and I like being around the shops."

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