Ziebart Celebrates 65th Anniversary at the Detroit Historical Museum
The event will help kick off a new exhibit at the museum...
Ziebart International Corporation kicks off its milestone anniversary celebration with the Defending Our Legacy: Ziebart’s 65th Anniversary event to unveil a new exhibit at the Detroit Historical Museum. Brand founder Kurt Ziebart’s family will be in attendance, along with the head of the International Franchise Association (IFA).
At the event, Ziebart will announce a number of new initiatives, including significant partnership agreements, a national advertising campaign, and the introduction of the brand’s first-ever mascot, according to officials.
“As we celebrate 65 years of defending vehicles, we’re proud to have played a role in Detroit’s history in the automotive industry,” said Thomas A. Wolfe, president and CEO of Ziebart. “We look forward to continuing to build upon this foundation of innovation, invention, and problem solving, we’re thrilled to commemorate our 65th anniversary with this event at the Detroit Historical Museum.”
Kurt Ziebart began his first attempts at rustproofing while rebuilding a Packard in the mid-1950s. By 1959, he and his partners opened their first rustproofing shop in Detroit, called Auto Rustproofing Company. Demand quickly grew for their rustproofing services.
The company began franchising 1963, and in 1973 was re-named Ziebart International Corporation. For the next 10 years, Ziebart continued to expand with the introduction of automotive aftermarket accessories in the 1980’s, and the addition of detailing services in 1991. Today, Ziebart operates more than 400 locations, with 1,300 service centers in 37 countries.
“Ziebart is among an elite group in the automotive space that make Detroit the capital of the industry, it’s only fitting that the brand is on display as part of the America’s Motor City exhibit,” said Elana Rugh, president and CEO of the Detroit Historical Museum. “This exhibit pays homage to the incredible legacy of the Ziebart brand and highlights the connection between our community and the automotive world.”
Ziebart’s dedication to helping U.S. veterans achieve franchising success will also be highlighted. The brand waives the entire initial franchise fee for all veterans, which has paved the way to allow for 10% of Ziebart’s franchise owners to proudly come from military backgrounds. Ziebart looks forward to extending their dedication to supporting U.S. veterans beyond the franchising world with an exciting new partnership to be announced at the event.
Ziebart’s 65th Anniversary Event Details
- Thursday, March 28, 2024
- Detroit Historical Museum, 5401 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI
- Programming begins at 10AM ET
The center of the celebration will be the unveiling of Ziebart’s new exhibit in the Detroit Historical Museum, which will appropriately be showcased in the museum’s America’s Motor City exhibition. The new exhibit will detail the last 65 years of the Ziebart franchise, from the invention of rustproofing in 1959 to the extensive services the brand offers today.
