community-based franchise opportunities

The International Franchise Association’s new accelerator program seeks to increase franchise business ownership to narrow wealth gap

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — HomeFront Brands, a property service franchise platform comprising five emerging brands, today announced its support for the International Franchise Association (IFA)’s new Franchise Ascension Initiative, an accelerator program established to support individuals from underrepresented communities with education, mentorship, resources and financial support so they can successfully launch a career in franchise ownership.

By increasing diversity in the franchisee talent pipeline, the Franchise Ascension Initiative aims to narrow the wealth gap and provide qualified individuals with business ownership opportunities.

“Franchising is one of the greatest pathways to business ownership and creating generational wealth,” said IFA President and CEO Matt Haller. “This program ensures that access to opportunity is available to everyone, regardless of background. What better way to bridge the wealth gap than by opening more doors for minority business owners. With the support of our generous partners like HomeFront Brands, the Ascension Initiative will further help franchising change lives and communities.”

As a Founding Supporter, HomeFront Brands will donate $10,000 annually over the next five years for a total contribution of $50,000. The company’s donations will help launch the accelerator program, which will begin accepting applications in the coming months. The first group of participants is expected in late 2024.

“HomeFront Brands is committed to supporting diverse and underserved communities as part of our core values of community, accountability, respect, excellence and service,” HomeFront Brands Chairman and CEO Jeff Dudan said. “We’re excited to be a part of the IFA’s Franchise Ascension Initiative and proud to work toward the goal of helping qualified individuals reach their goals of business ownership.”

According to data from Oxford Economics, Black-owned franchises earn 2.2 times more than Black-owned independent businesses; Hispanic-owned franchises earn 1.6 times more than Hispanic-owned independent businesses; and Asian-owned franchises earn 1.4 times more than Asian-owned independent businesses.

The Franchise Ascension Initiative will select capable candidates for a rigorous six-month education program to help them build the essential skills they need to be successful franchisees. Building on IFA’s extensive library of franchise educational materials, the program will be specifically curated for participants, along with individualized mentorship. The program will culminate in a pitch contest with potential franchise opportunities.

HomeFront Brands offers community-based franchise opportunities to aspiring entrepreneurs seeking to build a dynasty and create generational wealth. By leveraging data-driven insights and enterprise-level solutions with a focus on community-based franchising, HomeFront Brands has seen tremendous growth since its inception in February 2022.

To learn more about HomeFront Brands, visit https://homefrontbrands.com/. To learn more about the Franchise Ascension Initiative, visit https://pages.franchise.org/ifa-franchise-ascension-initiative-lp/.

Window Hero Greensboro, Window Hero Winston-Salem and Top Rail Fence Triad owner Brent Chapman was presented with the honor at the IFA’s 64th annual convention in Phoenix over the weekend

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — HomeFront Brands, a property service franchise platform comprising six emerging brands, announced today that Brent Chapman was awarded as one of the International Franchise Association’s (IFA) Franchisee of the Year recipients for 2024 at the IFA convention at the Phoenix Convention Center on Feb. 17.

Chapman is the owner of three HomeFront Brands franchises in the Greensboro, Winston-Salem and High Point, North Carolina, areas. As the owner of Window Hero Greensboro, Window Hero Winston-Salem and Top Rail Fence Triad, he also earned the parent company’s Franchisee of the Year award at the HomeFront Brands’ convention, Homecoming, in November.

“Winning the IFA Franchisee of the Year award tops off the incredible year we’ve had continuing to build our Window Hero and Top Rail Fence franchise locations,” Chapman said. “To be chosen for this esteemed honor is humbling, but it shows that our commitment to customer service and quality are the keys to our success.”

The IFA’s Franchisee of the Year awards recognize leading franchise owners from IFA member brands whose outstanding performance and contributions help protect, enhance and promote the franchise business model. These individuals are nominated by their parent company and selected for their service to their communities, opening the doors for career growth and entrepreneurship, fostering a strong and vibrant workforce and supporting their fellow franchisees.

“We are thrilled to have Brent represent HomeFront Brands and our property service brands, Window Hero and Top Rail Fence,” said HomeFront Brands Chairman and CEO Jeff Dudan. “Not only is Brent a great ambassador for the HomeFront Brands family, but he also represents the best in franchising. His dedication and hard work exemplify the power of franchising and its positive contributions to the business world and to the main street communities we serve.”

According to the IFA, there are more than 800,000 franchised businesses in the United States, providing about 8.4 million direct jobs and generating more than $800 billion in economic output.

HomeFront Brands offers community-based franchise opportunities to aspiring entrepreneurs seeking to build a dynasty and create generational wealth. By leveraging data-driven insights and enterprise-level solutions with a focus on community-based franchising, HomeFront Brands has seen tremendous growth since its inception in February 2022.

To learn more about HomeFront Brands, visit https://homefrontbrands.com/.

Local owner Nate Van Valkenburg takes home the prize for both his Window Hero Charleston and The Designery Charleston locations

CHARLESTON, S.C. — HomeFront Brands, the parent company of both Window Hero Charleston and The Designery Charleston, has awarded local owner Nate Van Valkenburg as the Top Producer of the Year for both his South Carolina ventures.

The awards were presented to Van Valkenburg earlier this month at HomeFront Brands’ Homecoming Convention at the company’s headquarters near Charlotte, North Carolina. The conference brought together franchisees, corporate employees and vendor partners to celebrate HomeFront Brands’ impressive growth since its inception in late 2022. HomeFront Brands is a property service franchise platform with six emerging concepts in its portfolio, including Window Hero and The Designery.

“It’s exciting when an entrepreneur wins an award in the same category for two locations, and Nate was able to accomplish that,” said HomeFront Brands Chairman and CEO Jeff Dudan. “The success of our Homecoming Convention showcased the tremendous growth HomeFront Brands has undergone during our first year. Nate Van Valkenburg is a sales champion who has set a standard of achievement that has helped HomeFront Brands excel in our expansion efforts.”

The Top Producer of the Year is bestowed upon the franchisee that has soared to the highest echelons of sales excellence, showcasing an unwavering dedication to success and an unmatched ability to drive revenue. HomeFront Brands presented Top Producer awards to a franchise owner for each of the four franchises featured at the convention.

“It’s a great honor to receive this award for both my Charleston ventures,” Van Valkenburg said. “We would not have won these awards without all the great people who make Window Hero and The Designery prosperous. From the support we’ve received at HomeFront Brands to our local staff and the clients we serve, the road to our success has been paved with support.”

Van Valkenburg attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and worked in the exterior cleaning business for several years before starting his own business. He and his wife, Ali, live in Charleston with their daughter.

For more information on Window Hero Charleston, please visit https://windowhero.com/locations/charleston/ and for more information on The Designery Charleston, please visit https://thedesignery.com/locations/charleston/.

Franchisees, Support Center Leadership and Vendors from Multi-Brand Franchise Platform Gather in Charlotte to Honor Key Accomplishments and Brand Growth

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — HomeFront Brands, the property service franchise platform with six emerging concepts in its portfolio, hosted its first-annual companywide convention in early-November. Taking place in the company’s home Charlotte market, it brought together the family of brands, including its franchisees, corporate employees and vendor partners, to celebrate impressive growth since the inception of HomeFront Brands in late-2022.

Themed “Homecoming”, the HomeFront Brands inaugural convention welcomed its more than 100 franchisees from across the country, representing all five concepts from its portfolio. The convention featured four notable keynote speakers, including Brigadier General Anthony J. Tata, who delivered an inspiring discussion on team leadership. General Tata’s impressive background includes his role as Undersecretary of Defense for Policy and commanding Army operations in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Croatia, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Panama and Haiti.

During “Homecoming,” HomeFront Brands recognized the hard-working individuals behind each brand and the corporate team. Throughout the convention, there were twenty-three different awards given out to deserving individuals across the family of brands. Notably, the company recognized its first-ever overall HomeFront Brands Franchisee of the Year. Brent Chapman, franchisee of Window Hero and Top Rail Fence in the Triad region of North Carolina, earned this honor. The full list of award winners is noted below.

Additionally, the brand revealed its new tagline at the conference, “The family of brands that C.A.R.E.S.” This highlights the company’s five core values: community, accountability, respect, excellence and service.

“Being able to come together as a true family of brands for the first time ever is a remarkable reminder of how far HomeFront Brands has come since our founding,” said Jeff Dudan, Chairman and CEO of HomeFront Brands. “This year has been one of incredible expansion, both for the company as a whole and our concepts. We’re feeling energized going into 2024 knowing that we will continue to see exponential growth across all brands.”

While in Charlotte, everyone in attendance had the opportunity to partake in a charitable giveback event in partnership with Operation Homefront, one of two charitable organizations that HomeFront Brands announced as partners during the convention, the other being The Carson Scholars. To further build-upon the company’s commitment to these organizations, during the convention the group built bikes to donate to Operation Homefront, and donated $20,000 to both charities. The convention also provided opportunities for connection between brands and franchisees, as well as professional growth. Franchisees were able to partake in multiple breakout sessions of varying topics, such as sales, marketing, hiring and utilizing vendors.

HomeFront Brands offers community-based franchise opportunities to aspiring entrepreneurs seeking to build a dynasty and create generational wealth. By leveraging data-driven insights and enterprise level solutions with a focus on responsible franchising, the brand is accelerating the growth of its portfolio of property service franchise concepts.

For more information about HomeFront Brands and its portfolio of concepts, visit https://homefrontbrands.com/.

Multi-Brand Franchise Platform Kicks Off First-Annual Franchise Convention Sharing Major News of Charitable Partnerships with Two Deserving Nonprofits

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — HomeFront Brands, the property service franchise platform with six emerging concepts in its franchise portfolio, announced today its partnerships with two prominent national nonprofit organizations, Operation Homefront and The Carson Scholars Foundation. Reflecting its own recently established tagline, “The family of brands that C.A.R.E.S” (the company’s five core values: Community, Accountability, Respect, Excellence, and Service), HomeFront Brands announced the charitable partnerships to its franchise community, corporate employees and vendor partners during the company’s inaugural franchise convention, taking place November 5, 6 and 7 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“We are beyond grateful to partner with two remarkable organizations that align so perfectly with our mission and values at HomeFront Brands,” said Jeff Dudan, Chairman and CEO of HomeFront Brands. “These partnerships reflect our shared commitment to nurturing the next generation of leaders and expressing our profound appreciation to the courageous individuals who have selflessly served our nation. I, as well as the rest of my team, am looking forward to the meaningful impact we can make now and into the future in tandem with Operation Homefront and The Carson Scholars Foundation.”

Since 2002, Operation Homefront has been proudly serving America’s military families. The nonprofit organization provides relief and recurring family support programs and services throughout the year to help military families overcome short-term difficulties so that they don’t become long-term hardships. Prior to the partnership announcement, HomeFront Brands made an initial donation of $20,000 to the organization, and in addition, has set a goal to raise more than $50,000 in 2024 for its military families. Additional commitments of the partnership include helping to provide transitional homes for veterans, awarding recipients of the nonprofit’s Military Child of the Year with laptops to support their educational endeavors, participating in the organization’s 11 days of impact for Veterans Day and more. HomeFront Brands is recognized as a one star partner of Operation Homefront.

The Carson Scholars Foundation is a nonprofit organization that seeks to combat the American education crisis by rewarding excellence in the nation’s youth through its Scholarship programs and by developing reading rooms in libraries and schools across the country through The Ben Carson Reading Project initiative. Through an initial donation of $20,000, HomeFront Brands will be donating a state-of-the-art reading room to a deserving school in the Charlotte, North Carolina area, reaffirming its commitment to promoting literacy and education within its local community. The donation will mark the beginning of a nationwide expansion effort, where HomeFront Brands aims to replicate the reading room donation in schools across the country.

“Leading by example has always been a fundamental principle at HomeFront Brands,” continued Dudan. “Embarking on these transformative partnerships will serve as a guiding light, not just for our dedicated franchisees, but for everyone affiliated with HomeFront Brands. We’re thrilled to be launching both partnerships with our initial donations, which serve as a catalyst to propel our collective efforts into action.”

HomeFront Brands offers community-based franchise opportunities to aspiring entrepreneurs seeking to build a dynasty and create generational wealth. By leveraging data-driven insights and enterprise level solutions with a focus on responsible franchising, the brand is accelerating the growth of its portfolio of property service franchise concepts.

For more information about HomeFront Brands and its portfolio of concepts, visit https://homefrontbrands.com/.

Multi-Brand Franchise Platform Promotes Accomplished Executive to Further Company’s Commitment to Being a Franchisee-First Focused Organization; Maintains COO Role. 

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — HomeFront Brands, the property service franchise platform with six emerging concepts in its franchise portfolio (Window Hero, The Designery, Temporary Wall Systems, BiltRite Home Inspections, Top Rail Fence and Mozzie Dome), announced that it has appointed Michael O’Driscoll to the role of President of Franchising. Promoted to oversee and lead the company’s operations, marketing and finance departments, O’Driscoll is heading the HomeFront Brands efforts to scale the leadership and corporate support teams, as well as its robust shared services programs, to reinforce the company’s commitment to supporting franchisees

“Over the years, I’ve had the chance to hone in on the core of what it takes to create a winning franchise business, and HomeFront Brands is the embodiment of just that,” said O’Driscoll, who brandishes a 36-year career in franchising holding executive level roles with both U.S.-based and overseas-based companies. “In early 2022, Chairman and CEO Jeff Dudan launched HomeFront Brands to be the most responsible franchise platform. His approach to put the franchisee at the center of everything we do hit home with me and it’s working wonderfully. Our first 12 months have been nothing short of extraordinary. We still have plenty of work to do to fully build out our support model for franchisees. The job will never really be done.”

O’Driscoll’s time with HomeFront Brands began less than nine months after its launch, serving as the company’s COO, a role he maintains along with his new title. His responsibilities thus far have included oversight of franchisee onboarding, franchisee coaching, call center operations, technology, data analytics, learning and development and the company’s annual convention. A key contributor to the HomeFront Brands shared services model, the franchise industry veteran brings more than three decades of experience to the President of Franchising position. Like with HomeFront Brands, the companies he has worked for have primarily been in property services, although he’s seen the sector at a global level. Launching his career in Australia, his home country, O’Driscoll has held leadership positions at the franchisor and franchise supplier levels with expertise in building models to scale, operations and finance. He is a proven company leader and successful entrepreneur in the franchise industry.

“Few are as dynamic as Michael,” said Dudan, who, before hiring O’Driscoll as a HomeFront Brands executive, turned to him as a consultant. “He was a key focal point for me in building out the company, and someone I trust implicitly to see through our goals.”

Working closely with Dudan to continue to elevate HomeFront Brands and cement it as an enterprise level business based on family values, O’Driscoll has his sights set on the company’s 10-year plan to build a 100-year company. As part of the leadership team, within the past year, HomeFront Brands and its platform’s six franchise brands, Window Hero, The Designery, Temporary Wall Systems, BiltRite Home Inspections, Top Rail Fence and Mozzie Dome, have opened more than 100 territories, with another 100-plus sold and in the process of opening. He has shaped each of the concepts as attractive franchise investments with minimized barriers to entry – lower start-up costs, fast to open, quick to generate revenue and simplified multi-concept, multi-territory ownership. He has implemented a world class learning management system which reduces training time and is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

In addition to his successes at HomeFront Brands and prior, O’Driscoll has been active in franchise advocacy and industrywide leadership, serving on Boards and committees for the Franchise Council of Australia and the International Franchise Association, for which he currently serves on the Membership Committee.