Mr Electric’s parent company launches VetFran

Mr Electric’s parent company launches service to help military veterans into franchising.

To celebrate Armed Forces Day 2018, which was held on the 30th of June, Mr Electric’s parent company Dwyer Group has launched its VetFran service in the UK.

The franchising programme is aimed at those who have served in the armed forces, to give them a new career once they leave the military and allow them to make their civilian life successful by running their own franchise.

It was launched by Dwyer Group, which is one of the largest groups of home service brands, in the United States 27 years ago. VetFran’s aim was to thank the brave men and women who had served in the military for their service to the country by helping them transition back into civilian life. By offering career opportunities through its franchises, which include the UK’s leading electrical services franchise Mr Electric, it hoped to make the sometimes-difficult adjustment to normal life easier.

Following its launch in the UK, armed forces veterans can get 15% off the franchise purchase fee for their initial base territory and there are special vendor incentives for those who qualify. Success stories from Dwyer Group’s other brands prove how fantastic the opportunity can be. Sue Mark, who served for 22 years as a Navy engineer before purchasing a Bright and Beautiful housekeeping franchise, now has a team of 13 housekeepers and says that her skills from the Navy were handily transferrable to franchising. She is already reaping the financial benefits of the scheme, despite only setting up her franchise 2 years ago.

Drain Doctor franchisee Allan Rook echoed this, adding that despite having run his own business prior to joining the army, the support from head office has allowed him to capitalise on his armed forces skills and run a successful franchise for an incredible 21 years.

“The success of the VetFran program in the US has inspired us to launch the scheme in the UK and we’re proud to provide the opportunity to help transition military personnel and current veterans to become franchisees”, explains Jeff Meyers, Vice President of International Operations at the Dwyer Group. “We are very fond of what the military does and the people they turn out as they have a great skill set to translate to franchised businesses - both using leadership skills, hard work and the mindset to follow a proven system.”

He added that he hoped to see many veterans taking advantage of this fantastic opportunity.

VetFran’s programme offers support to veterans and their spouses, allowing them to access franchise opportunities through education, financial assistance and industry mentorship. Mr Electric’s parent company wants to extend its thanks to the UK and hopes that more veterans will join the electrical services and maintenance franchise, or one of its four other successful brands.