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September 2019: Franchisee of the Month

Franchisee of The Month

by Rose Mango

Shane and Tiffany Ogle
Mobility City

Shane Ogle was a public safety officer when an injury caused him to pivot as that career came to an end. Shane still desired to serve his community and was on a mission to find the best way to do that. Having a clear understanding of wheelchair life after caring for his Grandparents, “I witnessed firsthand how debilitating mobility issues can be while caring for my grandparents,” Shane and Tiffany approached A Mobility City franchise and found it was just the ticket to a new life for both of them.

Together they invested in Mobility City in East Tennessee and serve customers in Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Hamblen, Hancock, Jefferson, Knox, Sevier,
Scott and Union County. The Ogle family were thrilled to have found a unique way to help people and the additional benefit to owning a franchise is they were able to bring their son Nick and daughter Madison on board, and now has become a family run business.

“I feel blessed to have the opportunity to continue helping others after more than two decades as an officer. I wanted to work for myself in a field where I could continue to serve my community.” Shane went on to say that meeting Diane and Vinny Baratta, CEO’s and Founders of Mobility City, inspired the Ogles to jump in and become the first Mobility City franchisee. “The Baratta’s have more than 35 years of experience!” said Ogle. They have plans to expand Mobility City together.

The Mobility City franchise services, rents, repairs and sells mobility equipment, including power wheelchairs, scooters,
lift-out recliners, hospital beds, manual wheelchairs rollators/walkers and bathroom aids. Mobility City is also a retail dealer for major brands. It offers warranty and non-warranty repairs even for items purchased elsewhere.

Shane also said that referrals and repeat customers are vital to his business, noting that he and he and his family take great joy in getting to know their customers and serving their clients on a long-term basis.

If you are interested in making a difference in your community and make money doing it then Mobility City is for you, they have great territories available. For more information, visit www.mobilitycity.com or call 954-771-7555.

Franchisee of The Month

by Rose Mango

Shane and Tiffany Ogle
Mobility City

June 2019: Franchisees of the Month

Audra2019-06-04T11:07:11-04:00May 31st, 2019|Tags: brand reputation, family-run business, formula for success, Kitchen Tune-Up, turnkey business|

Franchisees of The Month

by Jill Abrahamsen

Joel and Jessica Winters
Kitchen Tune-Up, Castle Rock, CO

Joel Winters knew he made the right choice in becoming a Kitchen Tune-Up® franchisee early on. He couldn’t believe the warm welcome from the Home Office team that he and his wife Jessica received when arriving for training. “It really spoke volumes about the company and the culture. This is a family-run business, not a cold, corporate machine,” he says.

Before deciding to invest in Kitchen Tune-Up in 2018, Joel and Jessica did their due diligence and explored options in different business sectors. “Nothing really excited us. But when we looked at Kitchen Tune-Up, Jessica loved it right away. I wasn’t so hot on the concept initially, but then I examined the details,” Joel says. “The more I looked, the more I liked. I love the fact that it’s a turnkey business, it provides a niche service, and the brand has a great reputation.”

A Family Affair
Dave Haglund launched Kitchen Tune-Up in 1986. His daughter Heidi Morrissey joined the company in 2003 and took the top spot as President when her father retired. Haglund developed the original concept, a “Tune-Up” that’s an inexpensive way for customers to get a new look in their kitchens (and bathrooms) without the hassle of a major overhaul. The company continues to offer the 1 Day Tune-Up in addition to refacing, redooring, new cabinets, Granite Tune-Up, organizers, and more.

Ramping Up
The Winters were busy within weeks of opening in Castle Rock, Colorado. “The company has a formula for success that works. If you follow it, you will make money. It’s as simple as that,” Joel says. “As soon as we activated our website, the leads started to pour in. The company has a well-executed marking plan. We met our initial 12-month goals in the first six months.”

The couple divvies up responsibilities by pulling from their strengths. “I’m an ops guy, so I take care of running the day-to-day business, which includes managing two teams of subcontractors who do the hands-on work. I tried doing some of the work myself and almost cut my finger off,” he jokes. “Jessica is a natural people person and works on sales and service. She really enjoys consulting with our clients and working on the design process. The best part for both of us is the ‘reveal’ at the end of a job. More often than not, our customers are overjoyed, and that’s a great feeling.”

A Welcome Change
As Joel and Jessica get ready to open a second location, they’re excited for continued growth. Kitchen Tune-Up has been a refreshing change for Joel, who logged more than 20 years in corporate America and had to wear a suit and tie every day. “I spent years building companies for other people, and now I’m investing in myself,” he says.

For more information, visit KTUfranchise.com.

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