Case Study - John and Jane MacKeddie
A franchisee who beat serious illness and still managed to grow his business by over 30per cent during the worst downturn for a generation was voted GreenThumb Franchisee of the Year.
John MacKeddie and his wife Jane received their much-deserved award at the annual national franchisees meeting of Europe's largest lawn care franchise.
GreenThumb Ltd now has almost two hundred franchisees and their business grew as a whole by around 25per cent year on year – despite the fact the UK economy as a whole was officially in recession.
Franchisees from all over the UK met at the company's headquarters in St Asaph, Denbighshire, to celebrate another year of growth and to award the best-performing franchises.
In the last 12 months, John and Jane MacKeddie have not only survived the recession and seen their business grow by 30 per cent -- but John also beat a brain tumour.
Their "inspiring" performance, even without John's personal battle, saw them named Franchisees of the Year by GreenThumb, the UK's biggest lawn treatment company.
The couple, who launched their North Lincolnshire franchise, based in Brigg, just five years ago, beat 190 other entrants from around the UK to win the accolade.
"This caps the most amazing year for us, a real roller coaster," said Jane. "It's a tribute to our staff – they have been absolutely amazing.
"With John out of the frame and with the recession biting, the business was put to the test.
"But thanks to the dedication of the staff and the sound business model we had in place, we've come through with flying colours."
Yet the year started ominously when John fell ill in January. His eyesight began to fail and he had to stop work when he was diagnosed with a brain tumour.
Luckily, tests showed the tumour was benign. Surgeons removed it in April and doctors told the couple the outlook was good – however, John would still need months off work as he underwent radiotherapy.
Jane, meanwhile, was working full time at her job as audit manager for the NHS.
However, their team of a dozen staff, led by Ernie Mosey, stepped into the breech when their boss became ill. And GreenThumb North Lincolnshire still managed to add nearly 1,000 new customers during the year, growing the business by almost a third.
Explained John: "I think that our success is due to getting the right people in the right roles. They will always put the customer first – and that's the key to success whatever the economic climate."
The GreenThumb team in Lincolnshire North now treats more than 3,000 lawns in the area – not bad for a business that started in 2004 with just seven!
Presenting the award, Stephen Waring, GreenThumb CEO said: "John and Jane and their colleagues have given an inspiring example of how to thrive in a recession.
"We're delighted that John has overcome his health challenges this year, but the award is not a sympathy vote – they were worthy winners based simply on their performance.
