Valvoline expands Valley footprint with sixth location — and more are coming

A Valvoline Instant Oil Change operator is continuing its Rio Grande Valley expansion, reaching 50 service centers with the opening of its latest location in Edinburg.

Velocity Auto Care opened the new center at 2930 W. Trenton Road, according to an Aug. 5 announcement from Franchise Equity Partners, the private investment firm that backs the franchise operator.

The Edinburg location is the 12th service center Velocity has opened since Franchise Equity Partners partnered with the company to acquire 38 Valvoline Instant Oil Change franchise locations from Valvoline in December 2024.

That deal included an agreement to develop another 75 service centers over seven years, setting the stage for a broader expansion across Texas.

The Rio Grande Valley has become part of that growth strategy.

Velocity opened the Valley’s first Valvoline Instant Oil Change center in 2025 and now operates six locations across the region, according to the company.

And more could be coming.

Velocity currently has 18 additional service centers in development that are expected to open by the end of 2027. The company identified the Rio Grande Valley as one of the markets targeted for additional expansion over the next 18 months, along with Austin, El Paso, Midland-Odessa, San Antonio, Corpus Christi and Las Cruces, New Mexico.

The company did not disclose how many of those 18 planned locations would be in the Valley or where additional local centers could be built.

“Our development pipeline reflects the significant opportunity we see across our territory,” Velocity Auto Care CEO Robert Fish said in the announcement. “We’re building strategically in high-growth communities and remain on track to add an average of nine to 12 new locations annually as we continue working toward our long-term goal.”

Growing a Texas network

Franchise Equity Partners’ relationship with Velocity dates to December 2024, when the companies acquired the initial 38 Valvoline Instant Oil Change locations.

With the 12 centers opened since then, Velocity has now grown that network to 50.

“Reaching 50 locations is an important accomplishment that demonstrates the strength of our partnership with Velocity Auto Care and our shared commitment to thoughtful, long-term growth,” Mike Esposito, co-founder and co-managing partner of Franchise Equity Partners, said in the announcement.

Franchise Equity Partners is a New York-based private investment firm that provides capital to franchise businesses and their owners.

Velocity operates Valvoline Instant Oil Change locations as a franchisee. Valvoline Inc. has more than 2,400 company-operated and franchised service centers across the United States and Canada, according to the company.

The expansion adds another national automotive service brand to the Valley’s growing retail and service footprint, with Velocity signaling that its six existing locations may not be the end of its investment in the region.