If the kingdom of car repair seems like a sorcerer's dark lair, maybe Merlin can help. Mechanics at the company's Merlin 200,000 Mile Shop locations, formerly known as Merlin Muffler and Brake, fix mufflers, brakes, and just about anything else that can go wrong underneath a modern knight's four-wheeled steed. The company has some 50 franchise and 10 company-owned facilities, mainly in Illinois but also in Georgia, Michigan, Texas, and Wisconsin. Merlin's bag of tricks includes suspension system repair, wheel alignment, starter work, tires, fuel injection cleaning, and changing belts and hoses. Subsidiary Merlin's Franchising Inc. licenses repair shops to individuals. President and CEO Frank Smola owns Merlin.