The FDS regional franchise for the South East of England has been acquired by Malcolm Porter, who was formerly Head of Training & Development at Thomson Directories Ltd. Malcolm and his wife Lorraine signed a franchise agreement in Norwich in February, which grants them the rights to operate under the FDS brand, with full training and support from the head office in an exclusive territory covering the South East.

'The South East region has seen considerable expansion in franchise activity over the past five years with well over 100 franchisors headquartered in Surrey, Kent and Sussex,' says FDS Managing Director Roy Seaman CFE. 'The new office will relieve the pressure of servicing the market from our head office in Norwich and establish closer relationships with clients based there.'

As well as offering franchise consultancy and assisting with franchisee recruitment, Malcolm will attend and organise franchise seminars and conferences to raise the profile of franchising and FDS, and aims to become a leader in the local franchise industry. 'I first became aware of the FDS opportunity through The Franchise Magazine and felt that the company offered me the best opportunity to utilise my existing skills as well as becoming involved in a growing industry that I had some experience in,' he adds. 'Having worked for a leading publishing company with the number one internet offering I was looking for a company that would offer the same. FDS is an internationally recognised company with a vastly experienced industry-leading team; the number one magazine and the number one internet site; and is a full member of the British Franchise Association.'

Published: 25 March 2008

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