About Us

Twenty years ago, Ryan Gaudette opened his first Great Canadian Oil Change franchise on Pembina Highway in Winnipeg. Joined by his brother Cory and father Joe, they opened five more locations. The Gaudette family built a strong reputation for fast, friendly, and dependable service at all their Manitoba locations.

The Gaudettes sold their Great Canadian Oil Change stores in October of 2020 to the new franchisor, Valvoline. Cory and Ryan decided it was time to venture off and create their own brand of quick lubes.

Their entrepreneurial spirit kicked in and they began to explore ideas that would combine their passion for the automotive business, people, and purpose. They decided they wanted to create a brand with a culture where everyone is treated like a VIP: the customers, the team members, the franchise partners, and the suppliers. People are often so busy running around and everything is so impersonal that they wanted to offer a place where you know that you will receive the best price, great service and be treated with genuine respect.

Good service never gets old – old-fashioned values matter to us at VIP Lube. We want people to see that old school values, honesty and integrity are still possible.

Cory Gaudette has had a long history of being a business owner in many industries. At 23, Cory started his entrepreneurial career by opening and operating two Joey’s Only Seafood restaurants in Winnipeg. He worked at building the Joey’s only franchise brand for 10 years and in that time, he even won a franchisee of the year award. He went on to own 6 Great Canadian Oil Change franchise locations in Manitoba with his brother and father. Cory’s role continued as the marketing executive for the 6-quick lubes. In 2020, they sold their 5 Winnipeg quick lube stores and have decided to develop their own brand that will be opening in the summer of 2021.

Along the way, he became involved in other business investments which have all contributed to his business acumen. All these experiences helped Cory acquire invaluable managerial and operational experience in a variety of industries. For over 20 years, Cory’s strength has been in advertising and marketing of his companies. Because of this, he has gained many networking contacts that are sure to help contribute to the future success of his latest business venture, VIP Lube.

Most importantly, Cory has learned that the secret to success is honesty and integrity. His reputation for being a genuine person who says what he means and does what he says has served him well. He truly understands that these are attributes that customers want when they visit any business.

Most notably, Ryan Gaudette opened the first Great Canadian Oil Change in Manitoba back in 2001 on Pembina Hwy. He then went on to open 5 more locations with his brother and father. Over the past 20 years, Ryan has specialized in the day-to-day operations which has garnered him with invaluable experience with all the products and services that quick lubes provide. Over that period, Ryan has mastered the nuances of directing staff, serving customers and how to build a strong managerial team that emulates his operational vision and values. Working with various automotive products and equipment over those 20 years, Ryan has come to know which products are of the highest quality and therefore which products to offer at his new business opening in 2021.

Ryan’s love for sports cars began at a young age. His first restoration project was a 1980 corvette, when he was 18 and he rebuilt the engine from the ground up. His passion has always been working on cars and now has progressed to collecting them. His successful career in the quick lube industry, coupled with his passion for cars are a driving force for him. The next logical step for Ryan was to develop his own brand of quick lubes based on his experience. VIP Lube will offer old school service and values which are Ryan’s core beliefs.