Expanding Its Footprint

Gary Findley, CEO of Restoration 1, explains his plans for the brand and why he’s looking for an ambitious master franchisor to launch the company’s franchise concept in the UK

Restoration 1 is a recognised national leader in the emergency restoration industry for mould, water, fire and smoke damage, handling jobs of all sizes across the nation for residential and commercial properties.

The company has been a trusted name in home remodelling and restoration since 2008 and started in Pompano Beach, Florida. In 2016, I was offered and accepted the position as president and moved the company headquarters to Waco, Texas.

Most trusted

Restoration 1 continues to expand its footprint and has anchored itself as the fastest growing and most trusted emergency mitigation and restoration franchise in North America.

Since taking the helm at Restoration 1, my focus has primarily been on developing a strategic direction for the company and its network of franchisees. With my vision, integrity and passion, the company added over 75 locations in 2016, exceeding my target of 100 locations by the end of the year.

Restoration 1 was recently ranked in Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500, the world’s most comprehensive franchise ranking. Recognised by entrepreneurs and franchisors as a top competitive tool of measurement, the Franchise 500 moved Restoration 1 from number 383 in 2016 to 96 this year because of its exceptional performance in areas including financial strength and stability, growth rate and brand power.

EY elements

Having been in franchising for over 25 years, representing over a dozen brands, I look for these five major factors when purchasing a franchise:

• Low investment.
• Low overheads.
• High margins.
• No bricks and mortar.
• Recession resistant.

During my many years of franchising and helping people choose a business, these are key elements I would look for in a business today and have been instrumental in my personal decision making.

Not every good idea makes a good franchise and not every franchise is a good idea. What makes a great franchise system is three things - your support, your staff and the success of your franchisees. If franchisees aren’t happy, nobody’s happy.

Ideal franchisee

Our ideal franchisee is a driven, service focused, passionate entrepreneur who’s looking to own their own business. We have many coming out of corporate America with little or no experience in the industry who have been very successful following our proven business model.

We equip our franchisees with a 12-day training programme that fully prepares them to offer their services as soon as they return home. In addition, continued education is offered throughout the year.

On top of this, we provide superior support from the home team, while an experienced field consultant meets with them weekly to analyse and strategise for the growth of their Restoration 1 franchise.

Our ethics, professionalism, quality and availability are carried out at each of our franchise locations. Our team is committed to giving franchisees the support system they need to succeed in these same areas. Restoration 1 franchisees can reach their full potential with our superior training, technical support and in-territory support. We offer old fashion service in a high tech environment.

The main way we differ from our competition is that we represent the individual home or business owner. We work directly with the homeowner’s insurance company or adjuster to keep it as simple as possible.

We help our customers throughout the process, causing the least amount of disruption in their life. We treat the home or business as if it were our own. Customers always come first. We offer a free full inspection and evaluation. While not all inspections or evaluations will result in jobs, we can give the client free advice on the best way to handle their specific situation.

People before profit

At Restoration 1, we put people before profit. In addition, regardless of how extensive the damage is, Restoration 1 has the equipment and techniques to repair and restore their property. Customers are amazed at how quickly and thoroughly we work to get their properties back to their pre-damaged state.

We only use high quality materials and operate above code requirements, so that our customers can relax, knowing their properties are receiving the best restoration services available. We even offer 24/7 emergency services. Disasters don’t wait for a convenient moment to strike, but we want to be available when they do. Addressing the issues early on can make a big difference in the extent of the damage.

New services

This year Restoration 1 is adding content cleaning, reconstruction and a national catastrophe team to the services we already offer. We will also be adding new operating software for our franchisees to assist them in becoming more profitable. In addition to these things, we will continue to add to our staff industry experts, who will add to our core team.

The restoration business is an estimated $60 billion a year industry, providing emergency restoration services for mould, water, fire and smoke damage.

Our goal is to find a master franchisor to bring this profitable concept to the UK this year and to have a total of 500 locations in North America over the next four years.