BFA 'FRANCHISOR OF THE YEAR AWARDS' WINNERS ANNOUNCED
 Gold Award: Countrywide Ground Maintenance |
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The British Franchise Association's (bfa) 'Franchisor of the Year Awards', sponsored by Express Newspapers and HSBC, today announces its 'Gold Award' winner, . Silver place was awarded to with bronze going to . The awards demonstrate that even during an economic downturn there are still many business success stories to be told, with this year's theme focused on 'Today's Foundations for Tomorrow's Success'.
The winner was selected from nine finalists; all strong contenders, but Countywide Grounds Maintenance's commitment in investing time and money into securing the future of their business and the many franchisee businesses making up their entire network, shone through.
Sir Bernard Ingham, president of the bfa and chairman of the judges for the awards said: "Franchisors today are under many pressures. They hold in their hands the livelihoods of many individual business owners and the means to secure their future demands, foresight, acumen and investment. This year the awards were conducted during a very difficult economic climate and the winner, Countrywide Grounds Maintenance has clearly demonstrated that the work it is doing will ensure the future success of its business."
Silver Award: TaxAssist Accountants |
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Simon Stott, managing director at Countrywide Grounds Maintenance says, "It is a magnificent honour to win the bfa franchisor of the Year Awards, it is also testament to the hard work and dedication of all the head office support staff and franchisees. We have developed new and exciting initiatives over the last 18 months with our franchisees, to ensure that Countrywide Grounds Maintenance remains the market leader and the business drives its turnover and profitability forward during these challenging times.
bfa Franchisor of the Year:
Gold: Countrywide Ground Maintenance
Silver: TaxAssist Accountants
Bronze: Wiltshire Farm Foods
Alongside the bfa Franchisor of the Year Awards are the highly-prized Express Newspapers Brand Builder of the Year and HSBC Award for Enterprise. Both sought after in the industry, these awards reward exceptional levels of insight and investment in core areas of business.
The winner of the Express Newspapers Brand Builder of the Year: Green Thumb
Bronze Award: Wiltshire Farm Foods |
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Geraldine Haenow, advertising group head at Express Newspapers explains, "This year's winner for the Express Newspapers Brand Builder of the Year Award, has shown real credence and has successfully built a reputable brand within the franchise industry over the last 12 months. Through ambitious planning and successful promotion Green Thumb has constructed a reliable platform for success and I'm sure this will accelerate its business to tackle the current unstable economic market head on."
Jeff Williams, managing director at Green Thumb says, "Winning the brand builder category is a tremendous honour. It is recognition and confirmation from industry experts that our business, and our brand, is at the forefront of franchising in this country. It's the icing on the cake following the culmination of a huge amount of hard work from everyone involved with Green Thumb, from head office staff through to our 180 plus franchisees that have helped shape, not just the Green Thumb brand, but the lawn service industry in the UK."
The winner of the HSBC Award for Enterprise: Home Instead Senior Care
Cathryn Hayes, head of franchising at HSBC says, "The HSBC Award for Enterprise finalists stand out from the crowd as franchisors. However the winner, has clearly developed creative business strategies to overcome some tough challenges, which otherwise would have hindered growth and development. It has also demonstrated perseverance and determination, establishing more effective ways of running its business."
Trevor Brocklebank, managing director at Home Instead Senior Care comments: "We are immensely proud of the changes we have already made to the lives of thousands of older people and their families across the UK. Winning this award is a a superb endorsement of all we have achieved and a huge motivator to everyone within our businesses, they have worked immensely hard to create the successful business we are today and it is fantastic to see this publicly recognised."
With the UK now in recession for the first time since 1991, 2008 has proved to be a testing time for many businesses. However, the winner's of these awards have remained resilient proving that the franchising industry, across various sectors, are certainly weathering the proverbial storm.
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