Matt Johnson was 17 when he started working for a company called Minute Lube in Salt Lake City. It was 1983 and he was hired to be a lower bay technician, where he drained oil, checked gear boxes, and provided customer service, among many other duties.
As he watched the company grow and got a feel for the dynamics of the organization, he knew he wanted to stay there and take a leadership position, where managers were approachable and staff felt like they mattered.
It wasn’t too long before Matt was promoted to manager and then started buying businesses. His Jiffy Lube locations grew from 6 stores in 1996 to now 25 in three different states.
There are three Jiffy Lube locations in Billings, all owned by this dynamic fellow who jokes, “if I had a tattoo on my backside it would say, ‘turn me loose!’” Meet the guy. He’s a good deal of good fun, and he wants to make a difference.
Matt and his team at Jiffy Lube are certainly making a difference in Billings. Along with their support of trails as a corporate member of Billings TrailNet, they also have a $3,000 annual “What Drives You” teen driver scholarship program they award to Billings students 16-18 years old.
“We share money with the communities we’re in to help develop places for kids to thrive and stay where they graduate,” says Matt. “Kids need good, safe places to grow and thrive. You want them to have good things to do and keep them interested in positive things,” he says. “That’s where confidence and dreams are made.”
We certainly agree. Billings wants its graduates to return after college to work and play here. And we believe having places for kids and their families to play together helps build positive experiences, fostering healthy and confident youth.
The “What Drives You” teen driver scholarship program is unique from most other scholarships because any student is eligible, regardless of their grade point average.
Students are encouraged to apply for a scholarship to the “What Drives You” program. They don’t have to be straight A students; just write a compelling story about their hopes and dreams. Applications open in August and are available online here. The deadline is early spring 2024.
Jiffy Lube also loves to employ youth and has summer jobs open. For those who would like a career in mechanics, they have Jiffy Lube University, which is an online training program to develop mechanic skills where students receive ASE certification when they complete the course.
Matt opened the first Billings Jiffy Lube store in 2015 after he visited his son, who was attending Rocky Mountain College to get his PA degree. When he came to Billings he saw a great community with lots of potential to provide service for residents here.
Jiffy Lube has been supporting Billings TrailNet since 2020, because “it’s important to have green space, including trails,” says Matt. “Organized sports can be expensive. Not all families can afford that, and not all kids want to play team sports,” he observes. “Trails let kids be kids.”
Matt hopes the money Jiffy Lube spends in this community resonates with people. “Without people bringing cars to Jiffy Lube, we can’t sustain the giving. We just pray that all things connect.”
Jiffy Lube has locations in the Heights, midtown and on the West End. They service brakes, tires, shocks, struts, and alignments and are open Monday – Friday 8 am-6 pm and Saturday, 8 am – 5 pm.
“We are closed on Sunday because we believe the entire world needs a break,” says Matt.