home services

Multi-brand franchisor earns industry recognition for performance, culture and growth as it continues accelerating through the final months of 2025

RICHMOND, Va. — Empower Brands, a franchisor of award-winning brands in the home and business services categories, is heading into the final months of 2025 with extraordinary momentum, earning recognition across multiple industry platforms for its brand performance, franchise culture and continued innovation. From systemwide rankings to partnership honors, the company’s growing portfolio continues to demonstrate enduring strength and long-term scalability as it looks ahead to 2026.

At last month’s 2025 International Franchise Professionals Group (IFPG) Conference, Empower Brands was named Runners-Up for Loyal Partner of the Year, reflecting the company’s long-standing commitment to collaboration and integrity within the franchise community. Bumble Roofing, one of Empower’s newest and fastest-rising brands, was also recognized as Runners-Up for Top Evolving Brand, underscoring its rapid growth and increasing visibility among emerging concepts.

“These honors are a direct reflection of our people, their consistency, their commitment and their passion for partnership,” said Scott Zide, CEO of Empower Brands. “From newer concepts like Bumble Roofing to legacy brands that continue to outperform, each plays a role in building the culture of trust and success that defines Empower.”

Recognition extended across Empower’s portfolio in Franchise Business Review’s 2025 awards program, which honored multiple brands for franchisee satisfaction, profitability and cultural excellence. Among the distinctions were:

• Top Franchises: Archadeck, Conserva Irrigation, FRSTeam, Jan-Pro System International, Outdoor Lighting Perspectives and Superior Fence & Rail
• Best Franchise Cultures: Archadeck, Conserva, Outdoor Lighting Perspectives and Superior Fence & Rail
• Top Franchises for Women: Conserva and Jan-Pro
• Top Low-Cost Franchises: Archadeck, Conserva, FRSTeam and Outdoor Lighting Perspectives
• Most Profitable Franchises: Archadeck, FRSTeam, Jan-Pro and Superior Fence & Rail
• Franchise Rock Star: FRSTeam

In addition, Franchise Times once again recognized Empower’s portfolio in its annual Top 400 ranking, with seven brands earning a place on the list due to their top-performing global systemwide sales: Jan-Pro System International, Superior Fence & Rail, Koala Insulation, FRSTeam, Archadeck, Outdoor Lighting Perspectives and Conserva Irrigation.

Further demonstrating its commitment to innovation, Empower Brands earned the Innovation in Support of Franchisee Profitability & Validation Award at the 2025 STAR Awards, presented by Franchise Update Media. The recognition highlights the company’s development of EPIC (Empower Partner Information Connection), a first-of-its-kind platform that streamlines how franchise consultants access brand data, territory availability and candidate registration, simplifying the path to ownership and supporting franchisee success.

Together, these achievements reflect Empower’s commitment to building franchise systems that are financially strong, people-first and positioned for sustained success.

These recognitions come during a period of continued growth and momentum for Empower Brands. In fiscal year 2025 to-date, the company has grown its network of franchise owners by 13 percent across the portfolio, increasing the total number of locations by 10 percent. This progress underscores Empower’s commitment to franchisee-first values by adding the right owners in the right markets at the right time and reflects the continued strength of its scalable, category-leading models.

With multiple new market launches, record system growth and a growing list of national awards, Empower Brands continues to build momentum heading into 2026. Each of its 10 franchise brands is actively expanding across the United States, offering franchise opportunities for entrepreneurs seeking strong unit economics, trusted leadership and proven operational models.

“As proud as we are of these accolades, what matters most is what they represent: a network of brands built to endure,” said Zide. “The energy and progress we are seeing across our portfolio right now point to an even stronger finish to 2025 and an incredibly bright path forward in 2026.”

To learn more about Empower Brands and its array of franchise opportunities, visit EmpowerFranchising.com.

RICHMOND, Va. — Empower Brands, a franchisor of award-winning brands in the home and business services categories, announced today the expansion of its Franchise Development Center of Excellence leadership team. R. Scott Sutton, Empower’s chief development officer, made the announcement in connection with its Empower Day event, where prospective new owners meet the Empower Brands team to learn about the company’s culture, support and strategy.

Stephen Schiller has joined Empower Brands as the company’s Vice President of Franchise Development and will work closely with Sutton on franchise development leadership and strategic initiatives while also driving franchise owner growth within the Outdoor Lighting Perspectives brand. Stephen is a franchise industry veteran who formerly served as an award-winning brand developer, Vice President, portfolio Chief Growth Officer and a Sales Excellence consultant for leading portfolio companies such as Neighborly, EverSmith Brands, & Home Franchise Concepts.

“We’re incredibly excited to have Stephen join our dynamic team,” said Sutton. “Stephen is a gifted leader with significant growth experience. He aligns perfectly with our culture to be franchisee-first and will be an integral part of our growth as we expand the reach of our world-class franchise brands.”

“I have tremendous respect for Scott Sutton’s leadership and have long admired the unwavering ‘Franchisee First’ commitment that defines Empower Brands under the guidance of Scott Zide, CEO,” Schiller said.  “When the opportunity arose a few months ago to join this incredible organization and contribute to its next phase of growth, it was simply one I couldn’t pass up. I’m thrilled to be part of what’s ahead.”

Jane Campbell will now serve Empower as its Vice President of Franchise Development Marketing, a new role that will be critical to the company’s aggressive growth expectations. Previously, Jane served as Empower’s Vice President of Marketing, driving consumer marketing efforts for the brands nationally and locally.

“Franchise development is one of the key growth levers a franchise has in its arsenal,” says Campbell. “From a marketing perspective, it requires strategy, messaging, and care. I’m thrilled to take this new role, telling the stories of our wonderful franchise owners and introducing new candidates to our portfolio of brands.”

Both Stephen and Jane join a seasoned franchise development leadership team that includes Sutton and Senior Vice President Erin Zide and Senior Director of Revenue Operations Cristin Smith.

“We’ve built a powerhouse team of leaders that’s firmly focused on growing our brands the right way, with the right new owners, in the right markets. The future is bright at Empower,” says Sutton.

Empower’s commitment to culture, brand excellence, and franchisee success continues to drive its reputation as a trusted platform for home service entrepreneurs and a magnet for high-caliber talent across the industry.

To learn more about Empower Brands, visit EmpowerFranchising.com.

RICHMOND, Va. — Empower Brands, a multi-brand franchisor of premium commercial and residential services, is accelerating into its next phase of growth with a strategic expansion of its leadership team. The additions spanning brand presidents, franchise operations and development, and national accounts, reflect Empower’s continued investment in its people, its franchisees, and its long-term vision to scale with purpose.

At the center of this momentum is a focus on deepening brand-level support while building shared infrastructure across the platform. As Empower’s brands continue to break into new markets, deliver record sales, and attract high-performing franchisees, the organization is bringing in seasoned leaders to help franchise owners thrive.

Justin Mayer joined the company last week as Brand President of Outdoor Lighting Perspectives (OLP), bringing a customer-first mindset and a track record of operational excellence to one of Empower’s legacy brands. His appointment reinforces OLP’s position as a category leader and sets the stage for new growth and innovation. Rich Young, long-time Brand President for OLP, will remain with the organization to ensure a smooth leadership transition.

In February, Heather Todd was promoted to Brand President of Conserva Irrigation after serving as Director of Franchise Operations. Todd, who has played a central role in Conserva’s rise, brings a franchisee-first approach and a deep understanding of what it takes to scale a service brand while staying rooted in operational integrity.

Conserva’s founder and long-time Brand President, Russ Jundt, is transitioning into a new role at Empower Brands. Jundt will lead three strategic areas across the platform: National Accounts (for Conserva and OLP), Strategic Partnerships and Procurement, and Conversion Franchising for Conserva. His new role reflects Empower’s evolution into a more integrated, future-ready organization.

To continue Conserva’s operational strength, Stacy Parkelj joined Empower last month as Director of Franchise Operations. She succeeds Todd in the role and will support the brand’s franchisees with hands-on coaching, systems leadership, and performance growth.

On the enterprise side, Brandon Yarnell has been named National Accounts Sales Manager for Conserva and OLP. He’ll work alongside Jundt to develop partnerships and build scalable solutions for clients with multi-location or commercial needs.

The leadership expansion also extends to Empower’s franchise development team. Katie Lepper has joined as Director of Franchise Development for Bumble Roofing, while Steve Griffith is the new Director of Franchise Development for Koala Insulation. Each will guide their brand’s growth strategy and recruit the next wave of franchisees.

“These aren’t just new roles, they’re key puzzle pieces in our long-term vision,” said Scott Zide, CEO of Empower Brands. “We’re scaling thoughtfully, building shared infrastructure where it makes sense, and empowering each brand to thrive with dedicated leadership. Every addition to our team is about reinforcing support for our franchisees and making sure we’re built for what’s next.”

Empower’s commitment to culture, brand excellence, and franchisee success continues to drive its reputation as a trusted platform for home service entrepreneurs and a magnet for high-caliber talent across the industry.

To learn more about Empower Brands, visit EmpowerFranchising.com.