Authority Brands

19 12, 2022

Authority Brands Acquires The Junkluggers

2022-12-19T09:56:02-05:00December 19th, 2022|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

COLUMBIA, Md. — Authority Brands announced today the purchase of The Junkluggers. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The Junkluggers is an eco-friendly junk removal franchise focused on customer service and bettering the environment in communities around the country. Founded by Josh Cohen in 2004, The Junkluggers made it their mission to disrupt the junk removal industry by instituting sustainable practices to divert waste from landfills through recycling, donations to charities, and innovative concepts like Remix Market, a secondhand marketplace. The Junkluggers has franchise owners operating across 350 territories with over 90 locations spread across the United States.

Companies under the Authority Brands umbrella include leading home service brands America’s Swimming Pool Company, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, The Cleaning Authority, Color World Painting, DoodyCalls, DRYmedic Restoration Services, Homewatch CareGivers, Mister Sparky, Monster Tree Service, Mosquito Squad, One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, STOP Restoration and Woofie’s. They operate across multiple home service sectors. Authority Brands supports individual franchise owner growth by providing strong marketing, technology and operational tools and resources.

“The Junkluggers is a natural fit to our ever-expanding Authority Brands portfolio of home service brands,” said Craig Donaldson, CEO of Authority Brands. “As we celebrate Authority Brands’ 5th anniversary, we look forward to the coming years of continued growth and success, much of which is made possible by our strategic acquisitions and our partnership with mission-driven brands that align with our core values. We are excited to welcome The Junkluggers to our family of brands and support them as they continue their upward growth trajectory and expand their franchise business.”

“As we continue to broaden our Authority Brands portfolio, our team hones in on brands and entrepreneurs that are driven to succeed. The Junkluggers’ dedication to their customers and the environment makes them a key partner for our Authority Brands family and we are looking forward to supporting their success through the many resources we provide,” said Ashish Karandikar, Board of Directors member of Authority Brands’ parent company and Partner at Apax.

“The Junkluggers was created to not only help customers get rid of unwanted items, but to promote green practices in every community we operate in and with each piece of junk we lug,” said Josh Cohen, Founder and CEO of The Junkluggers. “Our new partnership with the Authority Brands network will power our mission and allow us the support and resources to expand our client network without sacrificing our passion for sustainability and customer service that have been the cornerstone to our success. I can’t wait to see what the future holds as my team and I continue to be involved and committed to the company.”

Boxwood Partners LLC represented The Junkluggers and acted as their exclusive financial advisor for the transaction.

About Authority Brands 

Headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, Authority Brands’ companies include 12 leading home service franchisors: America’s Swimming Pool Company, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, The Cleaning Authority, Color World Painting, DoodyCalls, DRYmedic Restoration Services, Homewatch CareGivers, Mister Sparky, Monster Tree Service, Mosquito Squad, One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, STOP Restoration, and Woofie’s. Together, these brands provide home services through more than 1,900 territories operated by more than 1,000 franchise owners. Authority Brands is dedicated to supporting individual franchise owner growth by providing strong marketing, technology, and operational support. See www.authoritybrands.com for more information.

2 12, 2022

Authority Brands Promotes Franchise Industry Leader Heather McLeod to Chief Growth Officer

2022-12-02T10:58:18-05:00December 2nd, 2022|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

In her new role, McLeod will oversee both marketing and franchise development growth strategies for the entire home-services system.

COLUMBIA, Md.Authority Brands, a premier home service franchisor in North America, announced the promotion of vital team member Heather McLeod from Chief Marketing Officer to Chief Growth Officer, effective immediately. In the newly created position, McLeod will be responsible for leading growth strategies within the company including marketing and franchise development initiatives.

Heading into another chapter of planned expansion, the Authority Brands executive team carved out this new position specifically aimed at managing growth within the marketing channel and identifying new business development opportunities. Serving as Chief Marketing Officer since 2017, Heather McLeod was tapped for the newly developed role. With a proven track record of success and a strong history in the marketing and development space, McLeod initially joined the Authority Brands family from The Dwyer Group (now Neighborly) and has built an impressive career in the franchise space based on empowering her teams to be successful through scalable and supportive systems and processes.

“Since her first day with the company Heather has played an integral role in growing our Authority Brands profile. Her diligence and strong work ethic have played a large part in our overall success in the last five years,” said Craig Donaldson, CEO of Authority Brands. “As we celebrate the official mark of half a decade in business with unprecedented success in the industry, I am confident that Heather is the perfect person to continue to propel our business forward as we expand and continue to diversify our home services portfolio. Her unique approach to team leadership and vast knowledge of the franchising industry inspires confidence as we look forward to many more years of success with her at the helm of our growth division.”

McLeod joined Authority Brands’ The Cleaning Authority in 2015 and became a vital part of the formation of the Authority Brands family of industry-leading home service brands, largely due to her focus on customer experience, rigorous attention to process detail, and passion for team collaboration.

McLeod founded the Howard County, Maryland chapter of IFA’s Women’s Franchise Network in 2020 and is an active member of the IFA Marketing & Innovation Committee. She also sits on the Board of Directors of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Baltimore and serves on the University of Louisville College of Business YUM! CGFE Board of Advisors. She received her Certified Franchise Executive designation in 2016 and her Master’s in Business Administration from Baylor University in 2010.

Authority Brands currently has 12 home services franchisors which encompasses more than 1,000 franchise owners nationwide, with plans for more in the near future. In her new role, McLeod will focus on growth strategies and implementation for the companies within Authority Brands’ impressive portfolio including America’s Swimming Pool Company, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, The Cleaning Authority, Color World Painting, DoodyCalls, DRYmedic Restoration Services, Homewatch CareGivers, Mister Sparky, Monster Tree Service, Mosquito Squad, One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, STOP Restoration, and Woofie’s. Authority Brands supports individual franchisee growth by providing strong marketing, technology and operational tools and resources.

To learn more about Authority Brands’ companies and the executive team, please visit https://www.authoritybrands.com/.

About Authority Brands

Headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, Authority Brands’ companies include 12 leading home service franchisors: America’s Swimming Pool Company, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, The Cleaning Authority, Color World Painting, DoodyCalls, Homewatch CareGivers, Mister Sparky, Monster Tree Service, Mosquito Squad, One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, STOP Restoration, and Woofie’s. Together, these brands provide home services through more than 1,900 territories operated by more than 1,000 franchise owners. Authority Brands is dedicated to supporting individual franchise owner growth by providing strong marketing, technology, and operational support. See www.authoritybrands.com for more information.

15 11, 2022

Authority Brands Acquires DRYmedic Restoration Services

2022-11-15T10:39:42-05:00November 15th, 2022|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

COLUMBIA, Md. — Authority Brands announced today the purchase of DRYmedic Restoration Services. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded by Carlos Hesano and Benjamin Gergis in 2014, DRYmedic helps bring families and businesses back to life after disaster. What started as a family business with one truck has grown to serve the Detroit, Michigan region with over 40 trucks, providing a full range of disaster restoration services that take clients from cleanup to complete recovery from fire, flood, storm, mold and asbestos.

Companies under the Authority Brands umbrella include leading home service brands America’s Swimming Pool Company, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, The Cleaning Authority, Color World Painting, DoodyCalls, Homewatch CareGivers, Mister Sparky, Monster Tree Service, Mosquito Squad, One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, STOP Restoration and Woofie’s. They operate across swimming pool repair and maintenance, plumbing, the residential cleaning, indoor and outdoor painting, pet waste removal, at-home care, electrical and heating, tree care, pest control services, ventilation and air-conditioning (“HVAC”), restoration sectors, and grooming and pet services, respectively. Authority Brands supports individual franchisee growth by providing strong marketing, technology and operational tools and resources.

“DRYmedic is the perfect addition to the Authority Brands portfolio, complementing the suite of professional home services our brands provide,” said Craig Donaldson, CEO of Authority Brands. “This year marks Authority Brands’ 5th anniversary and over that time, we have achieved impressive growth, responding to the increased demand for home services by expanding our portfolio with thoughtful concepts that benefit owners and clientele alike. We are thrilled to support DRYmedic as their business expands and provide resources to help the company achieve their growth goals.”

“When considering new brands to join the Authority Brands family, we look for entrepreneurs who have a clear vision for the future of their company. DRYmedic has achieved a lot on its own, and now with the support of our system they are primed to grow exponentially. We look forward to DRYmedic scaling with the resources Authority Brands can provide,” said Ashish Karandikar, Board of Directors member of Authority Brands’ parent company and Partner at Apax.

“We created DRYmedic to fill a need – the need to bring our community top-quality, professional restoration and disaster cleanup services. Now that we are joining forces with the Authority Brands network, our company will have the right resources and support to continue serving our clients while expanding our reach and ability to help more people,” said Carlos Hesano, Founder and CEO of DRYmedic.

Greenwich Capital Group represented DRYmedic and acted as their exclusive financial advisor for the transaction.

About Authority Brands

Headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, Authority Brands’ companies include 12 leading home service franchisors: America’s Swimming Pool Company, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, The Cleaning Authority, Color World Painting, DoodyCalls, Homewatch CareGivers, Mister Sparky, Monster Tree Service, Mosquito Squad, One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, STOP Restoration, and Woofie’s. Together, these brands provide home services through more than 1,900 territories operated by more than 1,000 franchise owners. Authority Brands is dedicated to supporting individual franchise owner growth by providing strong marketing, technology, and operational support. See www.authoritybrands.com for more information.

24 10, 2022

One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning Celebrates Women In The Trades With Hvac Entrepreneur Recruitment (Her) Contest Franchise Fee Giveaway

2022-10-24T10:19:51-04:00October 24th, 2022|Tags: , , , |

COLUMBIA, Md.One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, the #1 largest1 HVAC service provider and franchisor in the United States, announced today the launch of its annual HVAC Entrepreneur Recruitment (HER) Contest to highlight women in the HVAC industry and find female entrepreneurs who are interested in owning their own business in a leading industry. The contest highlights One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning’s ongoing dedication to diversity and encourages women in the trades to join the HVAC leader’s team of strong, experienced franchise owners, technicians, managers, and executives.

To help combat the earnings gap in which women have earned 97% of what men earned in 20212, One Hour’s HER contest will honor one grand prize winner with a complimentary set up and new franchise initial training fee to help her open her own One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning franchise in her community. Women holding an active HVAC license and certification in the United States or wishing to obtain licensing and certification can visit One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning’s HER Contest landing page to download the entry form and enter for a chance to win. Entries are currently open and close at 5pm ET on January 31, 2023. The total prize is valued at approximately $43,000.

“At One Hour, we truly value the women in our HVAC family and the breadth of contributions they are responsible for within our franchise system and the dedication they show to their teams and customers. Currently 7% of women in the U.S. own an HVAC company3 and we would love to help that percentage skyrocket as we are dedicated to diversity and inclusion and pride ourselves on creating a space for women in the field,” said Mark Dawson, CEO of One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning. “We are excited to unearth even more talented female entrepreneurs and open the door to many more women in HVAC.”

For nearly two decades, One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning has helped an expansive franchise network of qualified leaders and HVAC technicians achieve success while creating space for entrepreneurs to enter the trade space. The company’s dedication to driving entrepreneurs to their highest potential and offering franchisees a solid network of support and the tools for success has led to One Hour bringing top-rated HVAC services to over 300 locations around the United States.

To learn more about the contest, view official rules, or to nominate a woman in HVAC, please visit https://marketing.onehourheatandair.com/oha-her-contest-1.To learn more about franchising opportunities with One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning in your area, visit https://www.onehourheatandair.com/franchise. One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning is part of the Authority Brands family.

1 Source: https://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/market-research-reports/hvac-service-franchises-industry/ 
2 Source: Women Earn 97¢ For Every $1 Earned By Men https://www.zippia.com/lead-hvac-technician-jobs/demographics/  
3 Source: https://hvactraining101.com/women-of-hvac/?fbclid=IwAR1gR1sCnss_yeTZwIx3cRQZkIg4kYpCZWlzLXaXTWzjfoJGQOnRsIEQJdI

About One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning  
With more than 370 locations, One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning is the #1 largest HVAC service provider in the United States. With comfort and convenience a top priority, the company offers an extensive line of products and services, including maintenance, installation and repair, that keeps HVAC units running at peak performance year-round. One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning is part of Authority Brands, the parent company to leading home service brands across the plumbing, HVAC, electrical services, residential cleaning, at-home care, swimming pool repair and maintenance, tree care, restoration, pet waste removal, and pest control services sectors. For more information, visit www.onehourheatandair.com and www.authoritybrands.com.

About Authority Brands  
Headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, Authority Brands’ companies include 12 leading home service franchisors: America’s Swimming Pool Company, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, The Cleaning Authority, Color World Housepainting, DoodyCalls, Homewatch CareGivers, Mister Sparky, Monster Tree Service, Mosquito Squad, One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, STOP Restoration, and Woofie’s. Together, these brands provide home services through more than 1,900 territories operated by more than 1,000 franchise owners. Authority Brands is dedicated to supporting individual franchise owner growth by providing strong marketing, technology, and operational support. See www.authoritybrands.com for more information.

21 09, 2022

BCI Leads Significant Investment in Authority Brands

2022-09-21T10:05:08-04:00September 21st, 2022|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

COLUMBIA, Md. and VICTORIA, BC — Authority Brands, a residential services franchising platform in North America, today announced that British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (“BCI”), one of the largest institutional investors in Canada, has agreed to acquire a significant minority stake in the company, alongside funds advised by Apax Partners LLP (“Apax Funds”), which will retain majority ownership.

Authority Brands is the premier home service franchisor in North America. Its family of home service franchise brands are leaders in their industry, providing homeowners with services from the property line to the roof line. Authority Brands’ companies include 12 leading home service franchisors: America’s Swimming Pool Company, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, The Cleaning Authority, Color World Painting, DoodyCalls, Homewatch CareGivers, Mister Sparky, Monster Tree Service, Mosquito Squad, One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning, STOP Restoration and Woofie’s. Together, these brands provide home services through approximately 860 franchise owners across North America.

Since the Apax Funds’ initial investment in 2018, Authority Brands has grown from two home service franchisors to the current 12, expanding into new geographies and services and building out a powerful infrastructure.

“We are proud to have partnered with the Authority Brands team to help build, both organically and through strategic acquisitions, a leading residential services franchising platform,” said Ashish Karandikar, Partner at Apax. “We continue to see significant room for growth by Authority Brands and are pleased to join with BCI and members of the leadership team in the next phase of the company’s journey as they extend their platform through M&A, and strategic initiatives including franchise development, technology transformation and international expansion.”

“As a long-term investor, we seek to invest in market-leading companies with strong management teams, multiple levers for growth, and resilient business models that create shareholder value, such as Authority Brands,” said Dave Hong, Senior Managing Director, Private Equity at BCI. “We look forward to working with Authority Brands and Apax to generate compelling risk-adjusted returns for our pension plan and insurance fund clients.”

“We could not be more pleased than to continue to build the premier residential services franchisor in partnership with Apax and BCI,” said Craig Donaldson, Chief Executive Officer of Authority Brands. “Both partners will add substantial value as we aim to capture further share in the highly fragmented home services market, including by evaluating M&A opportunities in new service verticals.”

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to be completed in Q4 2022, subject to customary closing conditions.

Apax was advised by Harris Williams, Boxwood Partners, William Blair & Company, Moelis & Company (financial advisors), Kirkland & Ellis, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, DLA Piper, and Lathrop GPM (legal counsel), and Ernst & Young (financial and tax advisor).

About BCI

British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI) is amongst the largest institutional investors in Canada with C$211.1 billion under management, as of March 31, 2022. Based in Victoria, British Columbia, with offices in Vancouver and New York City, BCI is invested in: fixed income and private debt; public and private equity; infrastructure and renewable resources; as well as real estate equity and real estate debt through our independently operated platform company QuadReal Property Group. With our global outlook, we seek investment opportunities that convert savings into productive capital that will meet our clients’ risk and return requirements over time.

BCI’s private equity program actively manages a C$24.8 billion global portfolio of privately held companies and funds with long-term growth potential. Leveraging our sector-focused teams in business services, consumer, financial services, healthcare, industrials, and technology, media and telecommunications, we work with strategic private equity partners to source and manage direct and co-sponsor/co-investment opportunities.

For more information, please visit bci.ca.

About Apax Partners LLP

Apax Partners LLP (“Apax”) is a leading global private equity advisory firm. For nearly 50 years, Apax has worked to inspire growth and ideas that transform businesses. The firm has raised and advised funds with aggregate commitments of more than $60 billion. The Apax Funds invest in companies across four global sectors of Internet/Consumer, Tech, Services, and Healthcare. These funds provide long-term equity financing to build and strengthen world-class companies. For more information see: www.apax.com.

Apax Partners is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK.

About Authority Brands

Authority Brands is the premier residential services franchising platform providing services from the property line to the roof line. Authority Brands’ companies include 12 leading home service franchisors: America’s Swimming Pool Company, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, The Cleaning Authority, Color World Painting, DoodyCalls, Homewatch CareGivers, Mister Sparky, Monster Tree Service, Mosquito Squad, One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning, STOP Restoration and Woofie’s. Together, these brands provide home services through approximately 860 franchise owners across North America. Authority Brands, which is headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, is dedicated to supporting individual franchise owner growth with a full suite of marketing, technology, and operational support, allowing them to focus on providing exceptional service to homeowners. Please visit www.authoritybrands.com for more information.

9 09, 2022

America’s Swimming Pool Company Continues Nationwide Growth with Opening of 10 New Locations, Including First in Michigan

2022-09-09T09:38:12-04:00September 9th, 2022|Tags: , , , |

Leading Swimming Pool Service Franchise Expands into New Communities Throughout Texas, Florida, New York, New Jersey and the Midwest.

MACON, Ga.America’s Swimming Pool Company (ASP), the nation’s leading swimming pool service franchise, is expanding rapidly throughout the country, opening 10 new locations in the first half of 2022. This growth includes the brand’s first-ever territory in Michigan and a second in New York, as well as new franchises in key states such as Texas, Florida, New Jersey and Missouri. Each location provides swimming pool maintenance, repair, remodeling and cleaning programs to its respective cities and surrounding communities.

ASP openings in the first half of 2022 include the following:

Texas

  • ASP of Central Texas is owned and operated by Michael Blackburn and serves Temple and the surrounding area.
  • ASP of East Fort Worth is owned and operated by Niyi Uthman and is serving the eastern area of Fort Worth.
  • ASP of West Fort Worth is owned and operated by Jeff Jerousek and serves the western area of Fort Worth. Jerousek is also planning to open an ASP retail location in 2023.
  • ASP of Flower Mound is owned and operated by Nick Makhani and is serving Flower Mound and the surrounding area. This is the third ASP franchise purchase for Makhani, who opened ASP of McKinney in fall 2019 and recently acquired the ASP of Dallas franchise.

Florida

  • ASP of Lakeland is owned and operated by Tom and Danelle Geraci and is serving Lakeland and the surrounding area.
  • ASP of Wesley Chapel is owned and operated by Joey Wilkinson and serves Wesley Chapel and the surrounding area.

New York

  • ASP of Dutchess County is owned and operated by Lazare Pouani and is serving Dutchess County and the surrounding area. This is the second ASP to open in New York.

New Jersey

  • ASP of Northeast Jersey Shore is owned and operated by Steve Fischetti and is serving the northeastern area of the New Jersey shore. This is the second ASP franchise purchase for Fischetti, who opened ASP of Monmouth County in spring 2021.

Midwest

  • ASP of Innsbrook is owned and operated by Dustin Loeffler and is serving Innsbrook, Missouri, and the surrounding area.
  • ASP of Troy is owned and operated by Dave and Danielle Boddington and is serving Troy, Michigan, and the surrounding area. This is the first location for ASP in Michigan.

“It has been a very successful 2022 summer season, but our momentum started even earlier in the year with these fantastic new franchise owners joining the ASP family,” said Stewart Vernon, COO and founder of America’s Swimming Pool Company. “We are thrilled to be expanding in the Midwest and doing business in Michigan for the first time, as well as continued growth in established states like Texas and Florida. It’s a testament to the strength of the pool care industry and the ASP business model that continues to attract top-notch talent to seize the opportunities in their markets.”

Since its inception in 2002, ASP has continued to set a higher standard of performance and stability within the industry. The company has since cemented itself as the largest and most trusted swimming pool service in the country, with over 382 franchise locations sprawling across 23 states. Swimming pool owners nationwide trust ASP for its affordable, reliable and knowledgeable service—including maintenance, inspections, repairs and renovations.

ASP is currently looking for qualified individuals who are ready to dive into a successful swimming pool service franchise opportunity. The company has regularly been featured as a best franchise to buy and publicly recognized for its leadership, performance, and growth. Franchise opportunities are available in markets throughout the United States. For more information and to find an open ASP market by state, visit aspfranchising.com/available-territories or call (800) 734-7886.

About America’s Swimming Pool Company

ASP is the largest swimming pool cleaning, repair, and renovation franchise system in the nation. Founded in 2002 by Stewart C. Vernon, the company is based on the belief that by providing a higher quality pool service at a reasonable price, the brand would raise the industry standards for pool service. In 2005, ASP began franchising and now covers 23 states across the nation. For more information on ASP’s swimming pool franchise opportunities, click here. For more information on ASP – America’s Swimming Pool Company, visit the website or find us on Facebook.

About Authority Brands

Headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, Authority Brands’ companies include 12 leading home service franchisors: America’s Swimming Pool Company, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, The Cleaning Authority, Color World Housepainting, DoodyCalls, Homewatch CareGivers, Mister Sparky, Monster Tree Service, Mosquito Squad, One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, STOP Restoration, and Woofie’s. Together, these brands provide home services through more than 1,900 territories operated by more than 1,000 franchise owners. Authority Brands is dedicated to supporting individual franchise owner growth by providing strong marketing, technology, and operational support. See www.authoritybrands.com for more information.

20 04, 2022

Monster Tree Service Partners With Forestnation To Plant Trees For Arbor Day

2022-04-20T09:33:51-04:00April 20th, 2022|Tags: , , |

– Tree Care Company Launching #YouPlantWePlant Campaign in April to Grow Trees in Tanzania Forest –

DOYLESTOWN, Pa. — In honor of Earth Month and Arbor Day, leading full-service tree care company Monster Tree Service announced today a partnership with ForestNation to help reforest the planet and create sustainable development for communities in Tanzania. The #YouPlantWePlant campaign runs from April 19 to May 3. During that time, Monster Tree Service will be planting 100 Red Maple trees nationwide on behalf of its franchise locations. In return, ForestNation will plant 1,000 trees in the dedicated Monster Tree Service forest in Tanzania. 

To help Monster Tree Service reach its larger goal of 5,000 trees planted, the public is invited to join the cause by visiting the dedicated forest page to make a donation. Just 30 cents buys one tree planted in the Tanzania forest, and Monster Tree Service will plant another tree for each one donated up to 5,000.

“At Monster Tree Service, our teams of professional arborists and plant health care specialists are passionate about supporting trees and shrubs to reach optimal health and committed to providing premium services that benefit both our customers and the environment,” said Kathy Glassey, director of renewable services at Monster Tree Service. “This opportunity to encourage the nurturing of trees at an individual level and in the broader ecosystem of Tanzania is the best way to celebrate our planet and help make the world a healthier, more beautiful place together.”

ForestNation plants trees in the Eastern and Western Usambara Mountain Ranges, where heavy deforestation has ruined the livelihoods of many locals. With the help of the Monster Tree Service forest established during this campaign, sustainable development goals such as employment, economic growth and education will be reached. In fact, for every 100 mature fruit-bearing trees, there is $173 of estimated income and 10 tons of oxygen yielded per year.

“We believe that caring for and nurturing trees throughout their lives enables us to form beautiful connections between people and the world around them in a profound way,” said Andrew Frankland of ForestNation. “The professionals at Monster Tree Service are known for their holistic approach to tree care, and we are thrilled to partner with them in their mission to make the world a better place one yard – and one tree – at a time.”

About Authority Brands
Headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, Authority Brands’ companies include 12 leading home service franchisors: America’s Swimming Pool Company, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, The Cleaning Authority, Color World Housepainting, DoodyCalls, Homewatch CareGivers, Mister Sparky, Monster Tree Service, Mosquito Squad, One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, STOP Restoration, and Woofie’s. Together, these brands provide home services through more than 1,900 territories operated by more than 1,000 franchise owners. Authority Brands is dedicated to supporting individual franchise owner growth by providing strong marketing, technology, and operational support. See www.authoritybrands.com for more information.

About Monster Tree Service

Founded in 2008, Monster Tree Service is the leading tree care company in the U.S. and the only franchise offering local expert arborist teams in multiple locations nationwide. With more than 200 territories across the country, Monster Tree Service is committed to keeping trees healthy and customers satisfied. The brand provides a suite of effective and environmentally friendly services including plant health care, trimming and pruning for trees and shrubs, land and lot clearing, emergency services, tree removal and more. For more information, visit www.MonsterTreeService.com.

25 01, 2022

Authority Brands Acquires Woofie’s and Launches Emerging Brands Initiative

2022-01-25T11:16:23-05:00January 25th, 2022|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

COLUMBIA, Md. — Authority Brands announced today the purchase of Woofie’s, a Virginia-based pet care franchise. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The acquisition marks the 10th brand addition for Authority Brands since October 2018, with Woofie’s representing the company’s 12th brand in its home service portfolio.

Co-founded by Amy Reed and Leslie Barron in 2004 in Ashburn, VA., Woofie’s is the only mobile franchise in the professional pet care industry to offer the combined services of pet sitting, dog walking and mobile pet spa services. Woofie’s began franchising in 2018 and currently has four locations operating in Virginia.

Authority Brands’ acquisition of Woofie’s marks the launch of the company’s incubator for emerging brands within the home services sector. The incubator is designed to leverage the company’s in-depth home services experience to accelerate growth and development of smaller-scale franchise concepts that have a proven system and strong management.

“Woofie’s is a great addition to the Authority Brands’ portfolio as Amy and Leslie have built a strong brand with a passionate following,” said Rob Weddle, Chief Executive Officer, Authority Brands. “Additionally, we’re excited to leverage our extensive home services experience to fuel Woofie’s expansion as well as many other emerging service brands. The launch of this initiative allows our Authority Brands’ leadership to follow their passion – helping and guiding brands with great potential. We look forward to contributing to Woofie’s future success and identifying others in the coming months and years.”

Companies under the Authority Brands umbrella include leading home service brands The Cleaning Authority, Homewatch CareGivers, America’s Swimming Pool Company, Mosquito Squad, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, Mister Sparky, One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, Monster Tree Service, STOP Restoration, DoodyCalls, and Color World Housepainting. They operate across the residential cleaning, at-home care, swimming pool repair and maintenance, pest control services, plumbing, electrical and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (“HVAC”), tree care, restoration, pet waste removal, and painting sectors, respectively. Authority Brands supports individual franchisee growth by providing strong marketing, technology and operational tools and resources.

“With the launch of Authority Brands’ incubator, we are seeking innovative emerging concepts eager to leverage Authority Brands’ expertise in building home service brands. We were impressed with Amy and Leslie’s leadership and know they are a great fit for our new incubator program. Amy and Leslie have built a company and culture that has tremendous potential, and we are excited to help them expand exponentially,” said Ashish Karandikar, Board of Directors member of Authority Brands’ parent company and Partner at Apax.

“When we launched Woofie’s in 2004, we did so to share our passion and love for pets in our local community. Now as a member of the Authority Brands family, we are excited to bring our leading pet care services to many more communities and pet lovers. The resources and experience that Rob and his team bring to Woofie’s are immense and we can’t wait to grow our brand together,” said Amy Reed, Co-founder, Woofie’s.

About Authority Brands

Headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, Authority Brands’ companies include 11 leading home service franchisors: America’s Swimming Pool Company, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, The Cleaning Authority, Color World Housepainting, DoodyCalls, Homewatch CareGivers, Mister Sparky, Monster Tree Service, Mosquito Squad, One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, and STOP Restoration. Together, these brands provide home services through more than 1,900 territories operated by more than 1,000 franchise owners. Authority Brands is dedicated to supporting individual franchise owner growth by providing strong marketing, technology, and operational support. See www.authoritybrands.com for more information.

12 01, 2022

Authority Brands Acquires Color World Housepainting

2022-01-12T11:26:44-05:00January 12th, 2022|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

COLUMBIA, Md. — Authority Brands announced today the purchase of Color World Housepainting. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The acquisition marks the ninth brand addition for Authority Brands since October 2018, with Color World Housepainting representing the company’s eleventh brand in its home service portfolio.

Founded by Tom Hodgson in 1997, Color World Housepainting has grown exponentially since its early days serving the Midwest and now has 20 franchise locations throughout the United States. Color World’s team of professional painters is highly experienced in both interior and exterior projects, using top-quality products to deliver outstanding results for residential and commercial clients. They also offer add-on services such as holiday lighting design and installation, power washing, gutter installation and repair, and minor drywall and carpentry work, allowing customers to check one more thing off their to-do list while streamlining their home improvement projects.

Companies under the Authority Brands umbrella include leading home service brands The Cleaning Authority, Homewatch CareGivers, America’s Swimming Pool Company, Mosquito Squad, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, Mister Sparky, One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, Monster Tree Service, DoodyCalls and STOP Restoration. They operate across the residential cleaning, at-home care, swimming pool repair and maintenance, pest control services, plumbing, electrical and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (“HVAC”), tree care, pet waste removal and restoration sectors, respectively. Authority Brands supports individual franchisee growth by providing strong marketing, technology and operational tools and resources.

“Color World Housepainting is an excellent addition to the Authority Brands portfolio, complementing the suite of professional home services our brands provide,” said Rob Weddle, CEO of Authority Brands. “This year mark’s Color World’s 25th anniversary and over that time, Tom and his team have achieved impressive growth, responding to the increased demand for home improvement by expanding their offerings and investing in high-quality workmanship. We are thrilled to support Color World as the business expands into new markets and provides resources to help current franchisees achieve their growth goals.”

“When considering new brands to join the Authority Brands family, we look for growing market leaders like Color World that demonstrate a commitment to being the best in their industry and provide their franchise owners an opportunity to build a large business. We look forward to Color World scaling with the resources Authority Brands can provide,” said Ashish Karandikar, Board of Directors member of Authority Brands’ parent company and Partner at Apax.

“Building this business from scratch and being able to mentor the franchisees who have joined us in our growth has been very rewarding. Joining forces with the Authority Brands network and having their vast resources and support behind us now presents an entirely new level of opportunity for this brand,” said Tom Hodgson, Founder and CEO of Color World Housepainting.

Boxwood Partners represented Color World Housepainting and acted as their financial advisor for the transaction.

About Authority Brands

Headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, Authority Brands’ companies include 11 leading home service franchisors: America’s Swimming Pool Company, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, The Cleaning Authority, Color World Housepainting, DoodyCalls, Homewatch CareGivers, Mister Sparky, Monster Tree Service, Mosquito Squad, One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, and STOP Restoration. Together, these brands provide home services through more than 1,900 territories operated by more than 1,000 franchise owners. Authority Brands is dedicated to supporting individual franchise owner growth by providing strong marketing, technology, and operational support. See www.authoritybrands.com for more information.

12 03, 2021

Slingshot Partners With Mosquito Squad For A Dedicated Pest Sales And Support Team

2021-03-12T09:37:43-05:00March 12th, 2021|Tags: , , , , , |

Slingshot creates a team of customer support and sales agents exclusively for Mosquito Squad franchises for the busy summer season and Project ‘No Missed Calls.’

LEHI, Utah — Slingshot, the modern customer support and sales solution for home services providers, and Mosquito Squad, an Authority Brands company, have partnered to create a unique offering with industry specialists dedicated solely to Mosquito Squad franchises. These agents will work within Mosquito Squad’s CRM to qualify, sell and schedule customers quickly and efficiently.

Tom Swift, Chief Operating Officer at Mosquito Squad, anticipates the impact of this partnership to be significant, “By giving franchise owners a fully-dedicated team of agents ready to serve and sell 24 hours a day, we are giving them the most valuable resource of all; time. Not having  time to answer calls and respond to customers meant losing leads. With Slingshot, no more missed calls means no more missed revenue.”

With over 50 percent of franchise owners already signed up, response has been overwhelmingly positive. Greg Atwell, owner of Mosquito Squad El Paso, says, “Slingshot gave us the semblance of being a big company because we can say we’re open 24/7. Slingshot agents don’t just take calls like an answering service, they can talk to the clients about our packages and sign them up. I tell people all the time that Slingshot is just another part of our company.”

With the ability to engage customers through multiple communication channels in their Central Inbox platform, Slingshot agents will be able to respond to all Mosquito Squad leads via text, web chat, or form submits. This option has been a gamechanger for Atwell and his team, “As far as a system, I would say they are the best out there. Slingshot responding to web chats and calls after hours is priceless.”

Chris Huntsman, Slingshot’s cofounder, is determined to see it successful for both Mosquito Squad and their parent company, Authority Brands. “We feel honored that Authority Brands has trusted us with the responsibility to provide such a valuable service to their Mosquito Squad family. This partnership will continue to deliver die-hard fans and customers for every franchise owner.”

To learn more about Slingshot’s pest and home services answering service, visit getslingshot.com to learn more.

About Slingshot
Since 2014, Slingshot has helped pest control providers adapt to the on-demand economy through around-the-clock sales and customer support. With 25% of sales calls happening after-hours or weekends, Slingshot helps businesses respond to every new lead, sign more contracts, and instantly engage with current and potential customers 24 hours a day. We offer a multi-channel support platform across text, voice, email, chat, and web lead response with the ability to dynamically assign to the Slingshot team to respond and close. Find out more at www.getslingshot.com.

About Authority Brands

Authority Brands is a leading provider of home services, building brands that support the success of our franchisees, as well as bettering the lives of the homeowners we serve and the people we employ. Authority Brands is dedicated to supporting individual franchisee growth through providing strong marketing, technology, and operational support. Our goal is to have our franchisees at the local level averaging over $1 million in annual revenue. Contact us today at www.authoritybrands.com.