March 31, 2026 // Franchising.com // TROY, Mich. – Ziebart brought its franchise family together to celebrate a year of standout achievements, meaningful milestones, and the people behind the brand’s continued momentum. Centered on the theme “Double Down on Success” as a fitting nod to the host city of Las Vegas, the conference recognized franchise owners, store leaders, and operators from across the Ziebart system for their performance, leadership, and commitment to delivering exceptional customer experiences.
Among the most meaningful moments of this year’s conference was the presentation of the inaugural Heart of Ziebart Award to Zach Mattiacio, Chief Financial Officer of The Mattiacio Group. The Heart of Ziebart Award was created to recognize an individual who captures the essence of the Ziebart brand; someone who inspires others across the franchise system, is always willing to lend a helping hand, brings people together, and exemplifies the values at the core of Ziebart.
“Success at Ziebart has always been about more than performance metrics alone,” said Thomas A. Wolfe, President & Chief Executive Officer of Ziebart. “The Heart of Ziebart Award was created to recognize someone who reflects the values of this brand in everything they do, and Zach is that person. His leadership, character, and ability to bring people together have made a lasting impact across our franchise family.”
Zach Mattiacio co-owns Ziebart’s largest franchise operating group alongside his siblings; their father, Tony Mattiacio, founded and remains CEO of The Mattiacio Group. Zach Mattiacio was unable to attend this year’s Ziebart conference. His siblings accepted the Heart of Ziebart Award on his behalf, which included an inspiring video that was played in his absence.
“It means more than I can put into words to receive the very first Heart of Ziebart Award. When I think about what the Heart of Ziebart means, it’s about lifting someone up when needed, it’s about sharing an idea that might help someone at another store, it’s about passionately doing everything you can for the Ziebart family,” Zach Mattiacio said in the video. “This brand is bigger than business… We are one Ziebart, one family, and I promise to continue doing whatever I can from wherever I am to build, protect, and strengthen the Ziebart brand.”
In addition to the Heart of Ziebart Award, The Mattiacio Group led this year’s honorees with recognition with nine traditional awards. Among those, the highly coveted Dealer of the Year Award. That honor capped off a milestone year for the family-operated franchise group following its acquisition of The Harris Group’s 17 stores in July 2025. In total, The Mattiacio Group now owns and operates 26 Ziebart stores open across New York, Florida, Indiana, and Ohio with another in development.
Their stores were recognized with the following awards:
Ziebart recognized dozens of owners for achieving sales success and delivering exceptional customer service. Other franchisees honored included:
“These awards reflect the strength of our franchise system,” Wolfe said. “The successes we’re celebrating is the result of franchisees and store leaders who continue to raise the bar, invest in their businesses, and create meaningful growth while staying true to the values that define Ziebart.”
SOURCE Ziebart
Ziebart International Corporation is headquartered in Troy, MI, representing a franchise network of vehicle protection and appearance services.