Franchising stars honoured at NAB FCA Excellence in Franchising Awards Gala Dinner

Wednesday 10 October 2012

The Franchise Council of Australia honoured franchising’s best and brightest at the NAB FCA Excellence in Franchising Awards Gala Dinner on Tuesday night.

7-Eleven was awarded the major accolade of the evening – Established Franchisor of the Year.

CEO of the convenience retailer, Warren Wilmot, was very proud of the win.

“We are thrilled to win Established Franchisor of the Year in 2012. We are proud to participate in a program that celebrates excellence in franchising, and are honoured to have been recognised for the fourth time by the FCA.

“This ongoing success is due to the hard work of not only our head office and state teams, but also each of our individual franchisees and their staff,” Mr Wilmot said.

Luxottica were awarded Emerging Franchisor of the Year, having recently moved to a franchise model as a way to allow their employees a career path towards owning their own business.

Director of Franchising and Acquisitions for the brand, Peter Baily said the model also provided a great opportunity for independent optical  businesses to improve their profitability and value by converting to either the OPSM or Laubman & Pank brands.

“This award has highlighted a lot of hard work by our team, but also proves we are on the right track as the best practice tools we have been building have been recognised by the peak body in franchising,” Mr Baily said.

Multi-unit Franchisees of the Year, Michelle and Tony Graham of PoolWerx in Queensland were blown away at receiving the award at national level.

“It’s humbling to be recognised by an association where people think what you do is worth an award – especially when we think we’re just doing our job,” Ms Graham said.

The awards, proudly supported by NAB also included the induction of two new members into the Franchise Hall of Fame – Christine Taylor, founder of Aussie Pooch Mobile and John O’Brien, founder of PoolWerx.

“It’s very special to be recognised by your peers personally, not just for what you’ve achieved but for the way you’ve done it,” Mr O’Brien said.

The event, one of the most anticipated on the franchise calendar, was held in the Royal Theatre at the National Convention Centre Canberra at the culmination of the National Franchise Convention.

The awards held at state and national level each year represent the pinnacle of franchise achievement and are a celebration of the hard working teams and individuals in the industry.

FCA Executive Director Steve Wright said in difficult economic times the Australian franchise sector has outperformed the rest of the small business market.

“These outstanding businesses and individuals are great examples of the entrepreneurial skill and determination that has made the sector so resilient,” Mr Wright said.

NAB FCA Excellence in Franchising Awards 2012 Winners
Established Franchisor of the Year – 7-Eleven Stores
Emerging Franchisor of the Year – Luxottica Franchising
Multi-Unit Franchisee of the Year – Michelle and Tony Graham, PoolWerx
Franchisee of the Year, two or more staff – Craig Mason, Sign-a-rama
Franchisee of the Year, less than two staff – Daniel Conroy, Mister Minit
Franchise Woman of the Year – Carolyn McManus, The Coffee Club
Supplier of the Year – FC Business Solutions
Franchise Executive of the Year – John Pascoe, Battery World Australia
Field Manager of the Year – Shane McMillan, Mister Minit
Excellence in Marketing – Fastway Couriers
International Franchising - Gelatissimo
Franchise Innovation - Battery World Australia
Franchisor Social Responsibility – Bakers Delight & Bendigo and Adelaide Bank
Franchisee Community Service – Jo and Maurie Patterson, Bakers Delight
Contribution to Franchising – Philip Ciniglio, Market Minds

Franchise Hall of Fame
Christine Taylor, Aussie Pooch Mobile
John O’Brien, PoolWerx

For more information, please contact: Stephanie Wells, FCA Marketing Communications Manager, Franchise Council of Australia             1300 669 030       or email – stephanie.wells@franchise.org.au