About us
Built one bay at a time.
Bernhardt Group is the family company of Nick and Mike Bernhardt — owner-operators and developers of Great Canadian Oil Change service centres since 2010.
We opened our first location in Penticton, British Columbia as a ground-up build, and grew the way we still grow today: run each store well, hire people worth keeping, and add the next location when we can do it right. Sixteen years later that has become 24 service centres across British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario, performing roughly a quarter-million oil changes a year.
Only some of our locations started as new construction. Most joined the group as acquisitions — existing Great Canadian Oil Change stores and independent quick-lubes we bought and converted — because owners who care about what happens to their shops and their people keep choosing us as their buyer.
The road so far
- 2010
First location — a ground-up build in Penticton, BC.
- 2013–2014
Into Alberta (Lethbridge) and BC's Peace Country (Dawson Creek).
- 2018–2019
Three more ground-up builds: Grande Prairie, Surrey and Squamish.
- 2020–2022
Acquisition & conversion era begins — Kelowna and Lethbridge West join, then our first Ontario location in Thunder Bay.
- 2024–2025
Fastest growth yet: nine locations added across all three provinces, from Terrace to Vaughan.
- 2026
Barrie, Kamloops and Castlegar bring the group to 24 service centres — with more underway.
How we operate
Quick. Easy. Trusted.
We're deliberately not the cheapest oil change in town — we're the one you don't have to think twice about. That means experienced, well-paid teams who stay; Valvoline-quality products with no off-brand substitutions; and straight answers about what your vehicle needs and what it doesn't.
- No appointments — drive-through service measured in minutes
- Full under-hood care: oil, filters, transmission, rad and diff services
- Experienced managers running every store — our busiest sites run two
- Community-embedded, especially in the smaller markets we serve
Leadership
Who's behind the group
Nick Bernhardt
Co-owner. Leads the head-office team and the group's long-term direction, with operations, finance and marketing all reporting to him.
Mike Bernhardt
Co-owner. Leads acquisitions and development — site selection, new builds and the projects that grow the network.
Graeme Paterson
Runs day-to-day operations across three provinces — stores, people and performance.
Aryn Phillips
Leads the group's accounting and financial reporting — month-end close, budgets, payroll and the numbers behind every store.
Kyle Laird
Leads brand and local-store marketing across the network — campaigns, community sponsorships and customer growth.
Our operating brand
Our service centres operate under Great Canadian Oil Change, a Valvoline family brand serving Canadian drivers since 1978. As one of the system's multi-unit franchisees, we combine national-brand standards, warranty-approved service and Valvoline product quality with hands-on family ownership.
Bernhardt Group is the house brand of Bernhardt Auto Ltd. and affiliated companies. Great Canadian Oil Change™ and the GCOC logo are trademarks of Valvoline Inc. or its affiliates, used under franchise agreements.