It is Part of the multi-million dollar American franchise giant ServiceMaster which has 7,000 franchisees in over 40 countries, the UK arm has an annual network turnover of £50 million.
Based for the last 10 years in Wigston, Leicestershire, the company is led by Managing Director Steve Emmerson, who has been in franchising for 32 years and Managing Director of ServiceMaster for the last five. Emmerson was a previous board member and chair of the bfa and currently represents franchising on the CBI’s SME committee. ServiceMaster were one of the founding members of the bfa, helping to draw up the code of ethics, which are still used today.
Asked what he puts the success of the ServiceMaster group down to Emmerson said: "Our business model; we are an ethical company to work with; we understand that a franchise is like a marriage between two partners, each with their own skills and responsibilities. We pin our values to the wall and act towards them."
The company’s mission statement, drawn up in 1929 by ServiceMaster’s founder in the US Marion E. Wade, reflects Steve’s words; ‘Excel with customers, Help people develop, Grow profitably, Honour God in what we do.’
Emmerson continued: "Our corporate objectives are not prescriptive in any way in terms of faith or the lack of it, they encompass, however, the spirit and essence of our credo and are fundamental to the way we conduct ourselves and our business."
Reflecting on the tough economic times the country has recently experienced Emmerson said: "There are definitely signs of recovery; we’ve come through the recession as strong if not stronger than most because we had solid business models in place."
Looking forward to the next 55 years Emmerson said: "Our models are robust and thrive on leading our sectors in technology and innovation. Our future will see us embrace new technologies, the likes of which will increase our efficiency within our market, and champion new communication routes with customers and prospective customer alike, whilst not losing sight of our fundamental franchising foundation."
Published: 11 February 2014
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