Ziebart

Ziebart is an automotive services brand that focuses on protecting and enhancing vehicles for everyday drivers and commercial fleets. Its locations provide rust protection, undercoating, paint protection films, ceramic coatings, spray-on bed liners, interior protection, detailing, window tint, and select accessories. Stores are positioned as specialty appearance and protection centers rather than full mechanical repair shops, which helps them fit into auto service clusters, small industrial bays, and retail-auto corridors.

The company began in 1959, when Kurt Ziebart, a German-born mechanic working in Detroit, created a rustproofing process to protect cars from road salt and harsh winters. The early business was built around that single service and grew first across the industrial Midwest and other rust-belt markets. Over time, the brand became closely identified with corrosion protection and undercoating, especially in climates where vehicle rust was a major concern.

A notable milestone came as Ziebart shifted from a rustproofing specialist to a broader appearance and protection provider. By adding detailing, paint protection film, spray-on bed liners, and interior protection, the company moved from a one-time treatment model to a mix of recurring and discretionary services that drive repeat visits and more consistent traffic. In the 1980s and 1990s, Ziebart also pushed beyond the United States through franchising and master franchise agreements, entering Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Asia. Along the way it incubated and acquired complementary concepts such as Tidy Car and Speedy Auto Glass, which helped expand its service mix and introduced the brand to more types of automotive real estate in both retail and light industrial settings.

Today, Ziebart operates as an independent company headquartered in Troy, Michigan, where it manages franchise development, training, and product distribution for its system. As of October 2024, the brand reports more than 400 franchised and licensed locations in over 30 countries, with a large presence in North America and a long-established international network. Over roughly the last five years, Ziebart has focused on strengthening its core protection and appearance services while updating its offer around newer categories such as paint correction, advanced protective coatings, and modern tinting technologies, helping the stores stay relevant as vehicles and customer expectations change.

As of October 2024, Ziebart is actively expanding its franchised footprint in the United States and Canada, along with continued growth in the Middle East, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. The company markets both single-unit and multi-unit opportunities and continues to open new stores in states such as Florida, Texas, and across the Midwest. Typical locations are freestanding buildings, end-caps, or small-format service properties along auto corridors that can accommodate several bays and light industrial build-out. Most stores combine a small customer-facing showroom and waiting area with enclosed service bays for rust protection, detailing, and installation work, which allows the concept to fit into a range of small-box, flex, and auto-oriented spaces in both suburban and infill settings.

For landlords, brokers, and developers, Ziebart represents a long-tenured, service-based automotive tenant with a global brand, franchise-backed operations, and a format that can anchor or complement other automotive users in corridors that benefit from consistent daily traffic and repeat customer visits. Its focus on franchised growth and flexible footprints positions the brand as a viable occupant for existing service bays, converted light industrial space, and small retail-auto boxes in markets where car ownership and climate conditions support ongoing demand for vehicle protection.