Nothing could make Al and Rhonda Glicksberg of Asheville, North Carolina happier, than serving their community as BrightStar Care® franchisees. By Patty Horansky
Nothing could make Al and Rhonda Glicksberg of Asheville, North Carolina happier, than serving their community as BrightStar Care® franchisees. The couple purchased the franchise from its previous owner in November 2013 and are currently in the process of adding their son, Scott, as a part owner of the business.
Al and Rhonda were relocating to Asheville from Sunrise, Florida, to be closer to their children and grandchildren. Rhonda, a registered nurse with hospital and home healthcare experience, and Al, a former school principal, were interested in working together. Scott was an experienced business manager in Asheville when the family spotted a newspaper ad for the sale of the local BrightStar Care franchise in July 2013, and he has served as the brand manager since.
“It happened the timing was just right,” Al said. “We decided to just go for it.”
“This just seemed like such a great match for us,” Rhonda said.
Within four months the resale to the Glicksbergs was complete. The family was drawn to BrightStar Care’s core value of treating everyone as family and its reputation of integrity and outstanding service.
Since being founded in 2002 and franchised in 2006, Brightstar Care has grown to more than 380 locations nationwide and offers premium medical and nonmedical home care to seniors and others. It is accredited by the Joint Commission, which is considered the gold standard in healthcare.
The headquarters is located in Gurnee, Illinois, and offers comprehensive training, support, proprietary technology, marketing and a scalable franchise model.
“Training was outstanding,” said Scott, who attended boot camp in sales and business management at brand headquarters, along with his mother. While there, Rhonda focused on ownership and her role as director of nursing.
Their roster of about 90 trained and vetted caregivers helps them cover their five-county territory, and the family is eyeing a second office near Hendersonville, North Carolina, so they can be closer to more caregivers and clients.
The Glicksbergs were awarded the Southeast Region Award for Exceptional Client Satisfaction and the Caregiver Engagement Score Award from BrightStar Care.
“We’re the top brand in the area, and we’re proud of that,” Al said.
Working with families to help them stay comfortable in their homes for as long as they desire is among the many rewards of ownership.
“We just love it. We embrace it,” Rhonda said. “Every day we come in is a joy to me.”
Patty Horansky