Franchise News

Mr. Handyman is looking to lend a hand in more metro Atlanta cities.

The Ann Arbor, Mich.-based franchise home repair and maintenance company plans to open six locations in the Atlanta area over the next three years. Mr. Handyman already has locations in Marietta, Sandy Springs, Cumming and Lawrenceville and the company sees growing demand for home maintenance and repair companies in Georgia.

The new locations in Atlanta are part of larger company plan to add 50 new franchises around the country by the end of 2008.

"With 75 percent of American homes over 25 years old, the need for home repair companies like Mr. Handyman is growing at a rapid pace," said Todd Recknagel, president of Mr. Handyman. "Mr. Handyman is the solution for time-starved property owners in Atlanta's who are coping with the stress of repair, maintenance and improvement needs."

PRESS RELEASE:
Contact: John Rotche
President DUCTZ International,
LLC 1-877-DUCTZ-USA (382-8987)
john.rotche@us.ductz.com

DUCTZ Picked as a Leading Home-Improvement Business Opportunity.

ANN ARBOR, MI, May 1, 2008 – Inc. magazine’s Candee Wilde, names DUCTZ, Entrepreneur magazine’s #1 duct-cleaning franchise, one of her “Candee’s Picks” in the “Franchise” section of the May issue.

Responding to the question, “How do you expect the weak housing market to affect home –improvement business opportunities?”Candee answers: “It likely will help those home-improvement businesses that provide high-quality products and workmanship, and control costs, so they can quote their customers a competitive price and still maintain a solid profit margin.

“Candee’s right, and our business is further insulated from the mood swings of the economy because we focus on two significant and expanding industry segments: property restoration and the insurance market,” said John Rotche, DUCTZ president.

DUCTZ International, a BELFOR company, is the world’s largest HVAC system restoration franchise.

About DUCTZ:
DUCTZ is a BELFOR Company, the premier provider of property recovery services in North America, and the world’s largest disaster restoration company with 3,200 employees in 160 locations across 25 countries. Entrepreneur magazine ranks DUCTZ among their Top New Franchises, and Top Home-Based Businesses for 2008. DUCTZ is a member of the National Air Duct Cleaner’s Association and has provided services during many public health crises, including hurricane Katrina cleanup and restoring hygienic conditions to international cruise ships, schools and hospitals across the United States.

Ductz International, LLC
731 Fairfield Court Ann Arbor, MI 48108
www.ductz.com 1-877-DUCTZ-USA (382-8987)

Kirkland DUCTZ Owner Helps Restore Monte Carlo in Las Vegas

Al Fenkner of Kirkland, WA is part of the 72-person DUCTZ National Service Team that was called in to action for the immediate restoration of conditioned air systems at the Monte Carlo Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas following the fire on January 25. All 3000 hotel rooms were evacuated after smoke and debris contaminated most of the guest room and rooftop air handling and duct systems.. The DUCTZ National Service Team was tasked with restoring the hotel’s indoor air quality to pre-fire conditions in time for the hotel’s opening on February 15.

Al Fenkner, and other members of the team cleaned and restored nearly 1,600 guest rooms and the entire air handling system that provides air to all of the hotel’s common areas. With the Monte Carlo facing a huge financial loss for every day the hotel remained vacant, the DUCTZ team committed to completing their portion of the work only ten days after they began.

“After a fire, one of the biggest health concerns is restoring the indoor air quality and eliminating dangerous contaminants from a building’s duct systems,” said Fenkner. “Upon completion of the Monte Carlo restoration project, hotel patrons will be able to rest easy knowing that the air inside the rooms is clean and safe.”

The DUCTZ National Service Team deploys specially-trained owners and technicians of DUCTZ businesses nationwide to restore indoor air quality following disasters. Depending on the severity of the disaster, service provided includes cleaning and restoration of the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system components, including ductwork.

Poor indoor air quality, as resulted in the Monte Carlo Hotel and Casino, has been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a serious public health concern. It can aggravate allergies and asthma, and have a severe negative impact on those residing in a contaminated building.

Glen Allen Foot Solutions Franchise Owner Selected As Franchisee of the Year by International Franchise Association

WASHINGTON, D.C., Sept 4th - Mary Beth and John Greco from Foot Solutions of Glen Allen, Virginia have been honored by the International Franchise Association as a Franchisee of the Year for Foot Solutions, the world’s largest franchiser focused on custom shoe inserts, specialty footwear and technology driven health and wellness products.

The award is given to IFA-member company franchisees to honor them for their outstanding performance and the contributions they have made to enhance the growth and development of the nation’s franchising industry. The Greco’s have been very successful leaders and innovators in the Foot Solutions group of more than 200 franchise locations and have been instrumental in helping new Foot Solutions franchises becoming successful.

Foot Solutions of Glen Allen has helped thousands of people overcome a myriad of biomechanical conditions since it opened its doors in 2004. Their concept is innovative because the highly trained staff uses digital computerized foot scanning technology to analyze and fit each client and their specific foot care needs. Foot Solutions 10-step fitting process means a fitting specialist will spend an average of 30 to 45 minutes with each client to ensure that they are in the properly designed shoe including customized, accommodative inserts and arch supports to fit and support each and every unique foot shape.

The company targets 18 health problems that are eliminated or greatly alleviated by their products including heel and arch pain; diabetic foot disorders, arthritis and sports injuries.

“We find solutions for people whose feet hurt,” said John Greco. “Consequently, we also help a lot of people who have knee, joint and back problems,” he said.

“Having our franchisee Mary Beth and John Greco awarded the Franchisee of the Year Award by IFA is a great honor for Foot Solutions, Inc.” stated Ray Margiano, Founder & CEO of Foot Solutions, Inc. “This award represents leadership, sharing and success and we are proud.”

The IFA Franchisee of the Year Awards will be presented during the IFA’s Eighth Annual Franchise Appreciation Day celebration in the nation’s capital on Monday, September 10th. As the association’s primary grassroots lobbying effort, Franchise Appreciation Day offers meetings between franchisees and franchise systems and congressional lawmakers and staff to discuss key issues facing the franchise industry, such as small-business health plans, immigration reform, wages and tax burdens.

Staying in touch with Congress is a priority for the franchising community, which continues to expand. According to an IFA Educational Foundation study conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers, there are more than 760,000 U.S. franchised businesses that provide jobs for more than 18 million Americans and contribute more than $1.53 trillion to the U.S. economy.

Founded nearly 50 years ago, the IFA promotes and strives to protect franchising worldwide. The association, whose membership includes nearly 10,000 franchisees and 1,300 franchise companies, is the leading source of due-diligence information for prospective franchise investors. Through its Web site, www.franchise.org, future franchisees can take advantage of a wide variety of informational and educational items including a free online course, “Franchising Basics,” plus the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Guide to Buying a Franchise.

For more information about Foot Solutions visit www.footsolutions.com. Foot Solutions Glen Allen is located at 10270 Staples Mill Road; phone 804-726-6285