Chemex International has held its first two regional franchise meetings since being acquired by Taylor Made Franchising in July 2022.
Taylor Made Franchising owns, or part-owns nine franchise operations, StumpBusters, Wilkins Chimney Sweep, PVC Vendo, Chemex, Iconic Window Cleaning, Mister Tacho, Broadway Wine Company, (WIBN) Women in Business Network and Wagging Tails.
Over two days in Swindon and Preston, Chemex franchisees came together with head office staff and representatives from new owners Taylor Made Franchising.
In both meetings, director of Taylor Made Franchising and managing director of Chemex David Callister, and franchise manager Alan McLean delivered presentations introducing themselves and Taylor Made Franchising to the network and laying out their vision of the future for Chemex.
Topics for discussion included marketing, digital marketing, operations, training, products, strategic and national accounts.
Franchisees were also given the opportunity to submit questions prior to the meeting, which were discussed openly and issues addressed.
As a result of the meeting and input from the franchisees who attended, a variety of changes have been implemented and a commitment has been made to help franchisees target specific sectors. Additional marketing support has been put in place to fulfil this promise.
Franchisees also expressed an interest in further training which will be implemented with sessions planned three times a year. Steve Payne, owner of Chemex North Oxfordshire is going to work with head office staff to deliver product training sessions for new franchisees.
Ian Ellison, owner of Chemex Stockport said: “The Northern franchisee meeting was really positive. David and Alan did a great presentation, explaining what was going on ‘behind the scenes’ which was very useful. They were both very approachable and I wouldn’t hesitate to go to them with any issues I have. I learned a lot and feel positive about the future of the business following the meeting.”
James Tyler, owner of Chemex Tunbridge Wells and Eastbourne said: “The Southern meeting went very well. Everything I heard was what I wanted to hear; it was nice to get together with my fellow colleagues, there were some very experienced franchisees in the room which is always nice. Although I have been running my franchise for three years, there’s always more to learn. I have a good feeling about the new owners and look forward to working with them going forwards.”
Alan McLean, franchise manager at Taylor Made Franchising said: “They were both very positive meetings and it was great to put faces to names. We encouraged franchisees to submit questions to us in advance so we could address the big issues of the day and discuss priorities for the business. The discussions we had were open and honest and we’ve made some immediate changes as a result. Those who attended gave us great feedback and we’re implementing changes as a result. We’d like to thank them for their time and confirm our commitment to helping them build strong, successful businesses with first-class backup and support from us, their new franchisor.”