Best UK franchisees nominated for bfa awards
Top 20 finalists for the bfa HSBC Franchisee of the Year Award 2016 now announced.
Franchisee nominations come from companies of all types and size – from franchise micro businesses to international networks – and cover such diverse areas as signs, domestic services and senior care.
The Awards celebrate business excellence and are now in their 27th year.
The Finalists are:
Young Franchisee of the Year (aged 30 or under)
Luke Hodgson, Snap-on Tools, Milton Keynes
Heather Ratcliffe, Swimtime West Midlands
Ben Witcomb, Metro Rod Newport, Hereford & Gloucester
Female Franchisee of the Year
Tricia Craig, Metro Rod North East
Clare Jefferies, Home Instead Wimbledon & Kingston
Cherry Lewis-Taylor, McDonald’s Essex
Alex Scotchbrook, Tutor Doctor Surrey
Microbusiness Franchisee of the Year (less than £100,000 turnover)
Richard Bryan, Wilkins Chimney Swee Tyneside North
Mike Lethbridge, TruGreen Newbury & Basingstoke
Matthew & Jenny Snell, Trophy Pet Foods Swindon & North Wiltshire
Customer Service Franchisee of the Year
Nathan Holmes, Revive! Cambridge
Zak Patel, O2 Yorkshire
Dez Ward & Emma Lea, Molly Maid York & Harrogate
Jane Wiles & Ray Allenby, Signs Express Portsmouth
B2B Franchisee of the Year
Lee Brimecombe & Paul Nebbett, in-toto Exeter
Kevin Lawley, Minster Cleaning Services Norfolk & Suffolk
Andy Mee, Business Doctors North Bucks & Oxfordshire
Olderpreneur Franchisee of the Year (aged 55 or older)
Steve Brown, Rosemary Bookkeeping Newbury
Peter Eccles, Snap-on Tools Bridgwater
Charles Folkes, Caremark Redcar & Cleveland
Pip Wilkins, the bfa’s CEO, commented: “With around 45,000 franchise-owned businesses in the UK, we’ve had to make some very tough choices to get down to 20 finalists.
Selecting just a handful of exceptional business owners to go through is extremely difficult. These are outstanding entrepreneurs that are leading the way in franchising and we’re set for an even more difficult task ahead in choosing the winners.”
The overall UK Franchisee of the Year 2016 will be named from one of the six category winners.
All finalists will present their case to a panel of expert judges on 13 & 14 July, which this year includes Nikki Broadhurst of law firm Stevens & Bolton; Euan Fraser from AMO Consulting; and Stuart Walsh of Franchise Finance. They’re joined by Brattesani, Wilkins and Brian Smart, who will chair the panel.
Winners will be named at a black-tie ceremony on Thursday 29 September at Birmingham Town Hall. News of the finalists and winners can be followed via the hashtag #FranchiseeAwards16.
