Anthony A. Martino

Anthony A. Martino, (January 7, 1933 - January 27, 2008) founder, chairman and CEO of Maaco Collision Repair & Auto Painting, began his career in 1959 with a repair shop specializing in automatic transmission repair. He named his company Aamco Transmissions, an acronym for Anthony A. Martino & Co., to top the Yellow Pages telephone listings, and began franchising in 1962. Martino sold his interest in Aamco in 1967 after guiding it to industry leadership.

In 1972 Martino sensed another opportunity and opened a pilot Maaco Auto Painting & Bodyworks center, positioning the brand between low-cost auto painters of lesser quality and expensive dealership work.

“About all I had to interest franchisees was my reputation, so I turned my initials around and used them again. It seemed to work very well,” Martino modestly recalled on the Nations Business Today cable television business program.

The company expanded quickly, and today nearly 500 Maaco facilities repair and paint close to 700,000 vehicles a year, the vast majority requiring cosmetic collision or body repairs. Many customers are “out-of-pocket payers,” who choose not rely on their insurance, according to the King of Prussia, Pa-based franchise company. Close to one-fourth of the vehicles are repaired for national and local fleets. Maaco has painted almost 17 million vehicles in all, "enough to cause a four-lane traffic jam from New York to Los Angeles and back," according to a company press release.

Martino died on Jan. 27, 2008 following a short illness.

Anthony Martino’s business interests and acumen extended beyond automobiles into areas such as early childhood education, according to David Lapps. Lapps, a 35-year veteran of Maaco, who assumed the position of president following the death of Mr. Martino.“Tony’s ability to help franchisees succeed in business was not limited to the automotive field,” said Lapps. “He also founded the Goddard School for Early Childhood Development in 1988, and established it as a leader in quality childcare before selling it in 2002.”

Mark A. Martino became Chairman of Maaco Enterprises following the passing of Anthony Martino, his father. "When you add it all up," he said, "the sum of his life's work was the opportunities he provided to thousands of people, the jobs he created for more than 100,000 people in his lifetime, and the value he created for millions of customers."