Franchisee panel information

 
Born and educated in Leicester, Peter completed a degree at Loughborough University before spending a further five years training in the Accountancy profession. With the opportunity to move into the technology industry, he trained with IBM and has held senior positions in the software and services sector. He is now an EMDA approved High Growth Business Coach working with ambitious high growth companies across the Midlands.

In 2009 he invested in a Revive! Franchise with his son Peter.

 
Robert has been part of the McDonald’s business for over 28 years, starting as a Trainee Business Manager back in 1981, and purchasing his first restaurant Redditch in April of 1992. Throughout his 17 years as a franchisee, Robert has progressed from a single-restaurant operator to a five-restaurant multi-site operator, purchasing Oakenshaw in 1994, Moons Moat in 2000, Stratford Upon Avon in 2006 and Northfield in 2008.

The key to being a successful franchisee in McDonald’s is people: externally the customers and the communities within which franchisees operate, and internally the employees. Recently, Robert has overseen the successful re-image of his flagship Drive-Thru restaurant in Oakenshaw, Redditch, and this followed significant reinvestment in upgrading his customers’ experience across his group. Robert has also demonstrated the high regard that he feels towards his local community, throwing himself whole-heartedly into a wide variety of community-based activities, including involvement with the Redditch Chamber of Trade, the Redditch Town Centre Partnership and the Stratford Upon Avon Town Centre Partnership.

From an internal perspective, Robert has worked tirelessly and selflessly to create a motivated and fun environment for his employees. The majority of his management teams have developed with his leadership from hourly paid positions, and Robert has a number of people within his organisation that have worked for him for his entire tenure as a franchisee, this being testament to his strong people values.

 
Ken Bevis is one of Signs Express' first franchisees having joined the network in 1992. Starting his career in the armed forces at the age of 16, Ken continued his military duty up until the age of 27 when he became involved in the transport industry. He soon used his entrepreneurial skills to run his own independent refrigerated transport company up until his early 40s when he began his search for a new challenge.

Ken opted for the franchising route which has proved very fruitful. As one of the first Signs Express franchises to open its doors, Ken has watched the network grow and develop to 80 centres nationwide as well as seeing his own business prosper. In fact, he now has one of the largest sign manufacturing centres in the East of England and Ken's business continues to grow year on year. A valued member of the Signs Express network, Ken has celebrated numerous awards in both the franchise and sign sectors, including most recently Signs Express' Franchisee of the Year Award 2009.

In the summer of 2003 Jamie made the decision to change his career. He was a senior manager for an American corporate (GE Consumer Finance) and had spent the last three years managing large IT programmes and company mergers across multiple business functions around the globe.

Jamie recalls, “Sitting on a beach while on honeymoon in the Caribbean, I was reading a book called “Stupid White Men” by Michael Moore which takes a humorous approach towards how many of the world’s economic and social issues are caused by globalisation and corporate domination. I realised I was a Stupid White Man and it was time to change.”

Jamie realised that he had achieved what he wanted from a corporate life and now needed to do something completely different. He made the decision to move from the south-east of England back to Scotland where he intended to buy land and build his dream home in the Scottish Borders. Whilst this is one of the most beautiful areas of Britain, it is economically challenged, therefore he had to be careful in his choice of new career. After looking at businesses for sale in the region and being thoroughly uninspired (they were all failing B&B’s and restaurants), he turned his attention to franchising.

I joined Auditel in September 2008. My corporate life was spent primarily in IT Management roles, although, unusually, I trained as a lawyer. I became IT Director of the largest manufacturing division of Arjowiggins, a multi-national paper manufacturer, and spent over ten years in Belgium and France.

My last role before taking redundancy in March 2008 was to lead a project to select a partner and then to implement a global telecoms (voice and data) outsourcing deal worth about 4m Euros annually. so IT and telecoms are areas where I feel comfortable. Living in Llanelli, I enjoy following rugby, in particular the Scarlets and, when time allows, I play golf. 

Peter, along with his wife Rani, have been the franchise owners of Martin & Co Worcester for nearly 18 months. In that time he has successfully established Martin & Co as the agent of choice in the Worcester area. Peter has many years experience in the property industry as a developer, investor and landlord.

Like all Martin & Co offices, the Worcester office prides itself on the high level of service that it delivers to their clients. Peter has developed such a good relationship with his clients, that one client recently asked him to buy ten properties on his behalf, and of course the team of three (in addition to the franchise owners) at Martin & Co Worcester very quickly had all ten of them tenanted. The Worcester office are the clear market leader in their area and have consistently exceeded their business plan targets. With a property portfolio the size of an office that has been trading for several years (and not 18 months) the future looks extremely promising for the Martin & Co Worcester office.

The Worcester office is a valued member of the Martin & Co network. The hard work that Peter and his staff have put in was rewarded earlier this year when they were recognised as the “Best letting agent” in the Central region (ESTAs 2009).

Prior to joining the Martin & Co network Peter worked for Enterprise Inns PLC as a Senior Manager, where he was responsible for licensee recruitment and training.

Garth Allison opened a FASTSIGNS signs and graphics franchise in Sheffield in May 1995 having spent the previous 23 years working in the Financial Services Industry involved in sales and sales management. Redundancy in 1994 provided him with the opportunity to go into business for himself. Garth spent significant time researching opportunities in the UK and America before deciding on FASTSIGNS as the best match to his selection criteria. The main factors being business to business, management franchise, premises based and the opportunity to work on the business rather than in it-this provides flexibility and the chance to do other things.

Since 2004 Garth has reduced his involvement in the business significantly and his son Paul is now responsible for the day to day activities with Garth attending only the weekly sales meeting and monthly management meetings.

14 years on and FASTSIGNS Sheffield continues to trade successfully, employing 8 staff and producing significant turnover and profits.

James Fleck owns three Subway stores with his sister Andrea. In addition, he is also a Development Agent for the chain and, on behalf of Subway International BV, is responsible for helping other people set-up Subway franchises in the Five Counties in the heart of England.

Originally from Ontario in Canada, James started working in his local Subway store as a Sandwich Artist when he was 17 years old. Three years later, by which time he was managing the store, James was visiting relatives in Evesham in Worcestershire when he noticed a big gap in the takeaway sandwich market the UK.

His entrepreneurial spirit meant he had always dreamt of owning his own business, so he quickly arranged to move to the UK and opened his first Subway store in Evesham in June 1999. This was only the 23rd store in the UK and Ireland and James wanted to help develop the chain and increase awareness of the brand. He became a Development Agent for a territory covering Staffordshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire in 2000.

Since then the chain has witnessed rapid growth - there are now more than 60 stores in his territory and almost 1,500 in the UK & Ireland.