Mac Tools Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $138K – $418K
- Disclosed sales
- partial, no system average
- SBA charge-off
- 21.5%
- on 73 loans
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Mac Tools is a mobile franchise selling professional hand and power tools and diagnostics directly to mechanics and technicians. Franchisees run a stocked tool truck on a protected route, building recurring shop accounts.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Mac Tools franchise requires a total initial investment of $138K – $418K, including a $8K franchise fee. The 2026 FDD on file does not yield a unit-revenue figure we can publish. SBA 7(a) loans show a 21.5% charge-off rate across 73 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: low - issued within the last 12 months
Evidence: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✓ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored4 of 4 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $138K – $418K
- 19th pct Automotive
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- Flat fee
- Units
- 832
- 51st pct Automotive
- SBA charge-off
- 21.5%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Automotive · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Automotive median · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $138K – $418K including a $8K franchise fee.
- RETURNSItem 19 reports outlet revenue, but not in a form that yields a per-outlet average we can compare across brands.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 56/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 21.5% across 73 loans (well above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- GROWTHPositive: net +10 franchised outlets in the latest year (111 opened, 101 closed) (Item 20).
- LEGAL11 litigation matters disclosed in Item 3, higher than typical. Review the summary for patterns (franchisor-initiated vs. franchisee-initiated).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Stanley Industrial & Automotive, LLC (Mac Tools Division)
- Parent company
- Stanley Industrial & Automotive, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 9 of the 2026 FDD
- Ultimate parent
- Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.
- FDD Item 1, page 9 of the 2026 FDD
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 5195 Blazer Parkway, Dublin, Ohio 43017
- Auditor
- Ernst & Young LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $15.1B
- vs $15.4B prior year
Same owner · FDD Item 1, page 9
1 other brand on this site name Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. as parent or ultimate parent in their own FDD.
Grouped by the owner's name as each filing prints it (this page: the 2026 FDD). Spelling variants of the same group may be listed apart; a brand is never grouped with an owner its filing does not name.
Overview
About
- CEO
- Doug Redpath
- Headquarters
- OH
- Founded
- 2007
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 51
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 24% below the typical automotive franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $8K | $8K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $30K | $50K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $100K | $360K |
| Total initial investment | $138K | $418K |
Source: Mac Tools 2026 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $138K – $418K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $30K – $50K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $8K – $8K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- No percentage royalty; franchisee pays $1,200 annual fee …
- Ad fund
- No advertising fund required; franchisees not required to…
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty (flat) | $1,200 annual fee paid to franchisor; primary ongoing obligation is purchase of inventory at franchisor-set prices (minimum 80% of National Franchisee Average) |
| Transfer fee | $4K |
| Renewal fee | $4K |
| Inventory (initial) | $76K – $85K |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
No Item 19 revenue figure for Mac Tools is on file. The return models need a revenue figure to start from, and the operating costs that turn gross sales into a profit are in no FDD. Enter your own and the calculator runs on your assumptions — nothing here is modelled until you do.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Mac Tools unit return on the cash you put in?
Illustrative category typicals — not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for annual revenue, royalty rate, ad fund rate, COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2026 FDD
Financial Performance
- Item 19 type
- gross sales ranges
- Sample size
- 894
- vs category median 70 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $19K→$2.0MCited, not corroborated — printed on page 80 of the 2026 FDD. Nothing else in our record independently restates or re-derives it.
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2026
- Disclosed in the 2026 filing, covering 2025
Compared against 167 Automotive brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Disclosure
Item 19 reports outlet revenue, but not in a form that yields a per-outlet average we can compare across brands.
Operator retention
System roughly stable (+2.3% 3-year CAGR) with 832 units.
Multi-unit rate
Only 5% of franchisees own multiple units. Could indicate challenging economics or a young system where operators haven't had time to expand.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Automotive medians
How Mac Tools Compares
Category median of published Automotive brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 832
- Opened
- 111
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 101
- Terminated
- 101
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 12.1%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 5.0%
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +2.3%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +2.3%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 101
- Not renewed
- 0
- Transferred
- 8
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 0
- 0.00 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 165
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 51 states reported
The Territory Map
FDD Item 12 reports the state count, but the specific list isn't in our current data. The map will appear once we re-extract from the FDD or enough franchisee contacts are available.
51
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 73
- Loan volume
- $8.7M
- Median loan
- $100K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 21.5%
- on 73 loans · rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- 78.5%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 28
- Defaults
- 14
- Typical loan rate
- 7.4%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 29.8%
- brand beats franchise avg ↓
- Jobs supported
- 82
- 0.9 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 47%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 17% went to startups / new businesses, 83% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in other direct selling establishments, franchised businesses charge off at 29.8% vs 15.9% for independents — franchising is associated with 87% higher SBA default risk in this category.
Vintage analysis
Mac Tools charge-off rate by loan vintage
Top lenders financing Mac Tools franchisees
Showing 3 of 28 lenders. The full breakdown — every lender, state distribution, interest rates & risk ratings — is in the SBA Lending Report below.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Lender network · 7(a) + 504
SBA Lending Report
Full lending analysis for Mac Tools from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
- Principal loss rate
- 8.4%
- Avg SBA guarantee
- 78%
- Avg interest rate
- 7.38%
- Avg chargeoff amount
- $52K
- Lender concentration
- 46.6%
- Job velocity
- 0.9 per $100K
- NAICS benchmark
- 32.9%
- NAICS 454390
- Jobs supported
- 82
Top SBA lendersTop lender holds 47% of loans
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GE Capital Small Business Finance Corporation | 34 | $3.6M | 29.4% |
| 2 | Bank First, N.A. | 4 | $1.7M | 0.0% |
| 3 | BMO Bank National Association | 3 | $300K | 0.0% |
| 4 | BayFirst National Bank | 3 | $804K | 0.0% |
| 5 | Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company | 3 | $132K | 0.0% |
| 6 | Columbia Bank | 2 | $111K | 0.0% |
| 7 | First Financial Bank | 2 | $153K | 0.0% |
| 8 | The Huntington National Bank | 2 | $65K | 0.0% |
| 9 | Community West Bank | 1 | $60K | 0.0% |
| 10 | Berea National Bank | 1 | $70K | 0.0% |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| CACalifornia | 8 | 1 | 12.5% |
| MNMinnesota | 6 | 0 | 0.0% |
| OHOhio | 5 | 0 | 0.0% |
| TXTexas | 5 | 3 | 60.0% |
| GAGeorgia | 4 | 2 | 50.0% |
| INIndiana | 4 | 0 | 0.0% |
| WAWashington | 4 | 1 | 25.0% |
| WIWisconsin | 4 | 0 | 0.0% |
| NYNew York | 3 | 0 | 0.0% |
| AZArizona | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
SBA 7(a) lending trend
Borrower profile
Source: SBA 7(a) + 504 FOIA loan-level data, matched by FranchiseVerdict
A 21.5% charge-off rate means roughly 1 in 5 franchisees failed to repay their SBA loan. Investigate what changed.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 21.5% — 34% above the 16.0% national norm, i.e. higher lender-observed risk.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Mac Tools presents HIGH RISK due to active litigation over franchisee misclassification, shrinking franchise base, undisclosed financial performance, and franchisor financial instability.
Why this reads harsher than the B grade: the grade weighs financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency across the whole filing, while this summary lists individual flags without that weighting. The flags are worth checking with current owners; neither is investment advice.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (defendant).
11 cases disclosed: 5 pending (Rubalcaba PAGA, Rammohan securities class action, Callahan derivative, Applebaum derivative, Vladimir Gusinsky derivative); 6 concluded (Murrieta PAGA settlement $1.5M, Streedharan/Madriz settled, Starke MD consumer protection settled $1.08M, Iron Horse replevin settled, Dawley arbitration settled $25k, Nigel Clarke arbitration settled debt forgiveness). Also FTC/state consent decrees re Made-in-USA labeling (1999).
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Ernst & Young LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Item 21 financials are the audited consolidated statements of the ultimate parent guarantor, Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. (NYSE: SWK), not the franchisor Stanley Industrial & Automotive, LLC. Amounts in millions; FY2025 ended Jan 3, 2026, FY2024 ended Dec 28, 2024. Net worth is Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. shareowners' equity. Item 8 states the franchisor's own total revenue as $371,568,447 (FY ending 2026-01-03 (fiscal 2025)); the statements above are the parent's.
ⓘ These are the parent company's consolidated financials (the parent guarantees the franchisor), not this brand's standalone results — the figure reflects the whole corporate group, not this brand alone.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 56 / 100 verdict
- 01HIGHActive litigation involving misclassification claims and securities violations suggests systemic franchisor practices may expose franchisees to legal liability
- 02MINORDeclining unit count (1.2% YoY contraction) indicates system-wide performance deterioration and potential franchisee churn
- 03MINORUnprotected territory creates direct competition risk from other Mac Tools franchisees in same market
- 04MINORFixed $1,200 annual royalty structure may mask true profitability if revenue disclosure is withheld intentionally
- 05MINORHistory of labor code violations and breach of warranty settlements indicates recurring compliance and performance gaps
- 06MINORLow franchise fee ($8,000) relative to total investment ($137k-$418k) suggests high equipment/inventory requirements with unclear ROI
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | No territory protection |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 1 year |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 3 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 5 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | New York, New York |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | OH |
| Litigation count | 11 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
11 cases disclosed: 5 pending (Rubalcaba PAGA, Rammohan securities class action, Callahan derivative, Applebaum derivative, Vladimir Gusinsky derivative); 6 concluded (Murrieta PAGA settlement $1.5M, Streedharan/Madriz settled, Starke MD consumer protection settled $1.08M, Iron Horse replevin settled, Dawley arbitration settled $25k, Nigel Clarke arbitration settled debt forgiveness). Also FTC/state consent decrees re Made-in-USA labeling (1999).
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 44 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 120 hrs
- Training location
- Dublin, Ohio (Columbus metro area)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 0 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisor
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Mac Tools proprietary Business Software
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Mac Tools proprietary Business Software
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
30 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Mac Tools franchise?
The total investment to open a Mac Tools franchise ranges from $138K – $418K, with an initial franchise fee of $8K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Mac Tools franchise owners earn?
Item 19 of the Mac Tools FDD discloses outlet figures from $19K to $2.0M but no single average across all outlets. These are gross sales figures, not profit; the Revenue section shows what the filing reports and on what basis. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Who owns Mac Tools?
Mac Tools is franchised by Stanley Industrial & Automotive, LLC (Mac Tools Division). Its parent company is Stanley Industrial & Automotive, LLC. The ultimate parent named in the FDD is Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.. Source: FDD Item 1, 2026 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Mac Tools FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the Mac Tools FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Mac Tools's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Mac Tools has a charge-off rate of 21.5% across 73 loans, meaning 21.5% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
How many Mac Tools franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Mac Tools has 832 total units in the United States, including 832 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 111 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Mac Tools a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Mac Tools as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 56 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.