For the second year in a row, franchise companies of The Dwyer Group, Inc. will commit $100,000 to Ronald McDonald House Charities®. In addition to donating $100,000 to the charity in 2010, our franchises donated $82,000 through plumbing, electrical services, appliance repair/maintenance, glass installation/replacement, heating and air conditioning work at Ronald McDonald Houses across North America.
The national sponsorship includes Aire Serv, Glass Doctor, Mr. Appliance, Mr. Electric and Mr. Rooter Plumbing, as well as The Grounds Guys. As part of the renewed sponsorship, franchise owners will continue to donate their services, labor and supplies.
Ronald McDonald House Charities was established in memory of McDonald's founder and franchise icon Ray Kroc in 1984. The cornerstone program, the Ronald McDonald House®, provides a “home-away-from-home” so families can stay close by while their child gets the health care they need.
"The families that RMHC supports derive strength from each other, volunteers, staff and corporate donors like The Dwyer Group,” said Marty Coyne, president and CEO, Ronald McDonald House Charities. “On behalf of the 12,100 children and families we serve every day through RMHC core programs, I thank The Dwyer Group for this amazing commitment to our families.”
Visit RMHC at http://rmhc.org/ if you are interested in making a contribution to this wonderful program.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
VetFran Program on “20 To Watch” List for 2011
Franchise Times magazine included the VetFran Program - founded by my father, the late founder of The Dwyer Group - to its “20 To Watch” List for 2011. Each year the magazine predicts the industry’s top movers, shakers and money makers, and it’s a huge honor for the VetFran Program to be recognized in this list.
As the former chair of the International Franchise Association’s VetFran Task Force, I am a big supporter of the VetFran program, which gives honorably discharged U.S. veterans incentives and discounts on purchasing franchises. Helping veterans transition into entrepreneurship is a great way for us to say ‘thank you’ for serving our nation.
Since the VetFran program was re-launched in 2002, more than 350 franchising companies have participated in the program. To date, more than 1,500 veterans have purchased their own franchises with the help of the VetFran program.
The Dwyer Group celebrated its 200th franchisee through the VetFran program in November. Army veteran Lonnie Oldham – along with his wife Nancy and son Clayton – opened a Mr. Rooter Plumbing franchise in San Angelo, Texas. They were able to save $6,500 because of the VetFran Program.
Altogether, The Dwyer Group has given more than $1 million in discounts to veterans through the VetFran program. This is a milestone I think Don Dwyer Sr., late founder of VetFran and The Dwyer Group, would be proud. He established the program after the Gulf War as a way to honor our veterans and re-launched after 9/11.
If you’re interested in using the VetFran Program to open a franchise, you can visit
www.franchise.org/vetfran.aspx to learn more. Go to www.franchisetimes.com/ to find out the other 19 to watch in 2011.
Here’s wishing you a world class day.
As the former chair of the International Franchise Association’s VetFran Task Force, I am a big supporter of the VetFran program, which gives honorably discharged U.S. veterans incentives and discounts on purchasing franchises. Helping veterans transition into entrepreneurship is a great way for us to say ‘thank you’ for serving our nation.
Since the VetFran program was re-launched in 2002, more than 350 franchising companies have participated in the program. To date, more than 1,500 veterans have purchased their own franchises with the help of the VetFran program.
The Dwyer Group celebrated its 200th franchisee through the VetFran program in November. Army veteran Lonnie Oldham – along with his wife Nancy and son Clayton – opened a Mr. Rooter Plumbing franchise in San Angelo, Texas. They were able to save $6,500 because of the VetFran Program.
Altogether, The Dwyer Group has given more than $1 million in discounts to veterans through the VetFran program. This is a milestone I think Don Dwyer Sr., late founder of VetFran and The Dwyer Group, would be proud. He established the program after the Gulf War as a way to honor our veterans and re-launched after 9/11.
If you’re interested in using the VetFran Program to open a franchise, you can visit
www.franchise.org/vetfran.aspx to learn more. Go to www.franchisetimes.com/ to find out the other 19 to watch in 2011.
Here’s wishing you a world class day.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Here's to Optimism
I count my blessings that The Dwyer Group has experienced such incredible growth and strength. And last week, the International Franchise Association released a forecast for 2011 that projects a 2.5% jump for the industry and some 194,000 new jobs: www.franchise.org/Franchise-News-Detail.aspx?id=52727. This is another incredible sign of the role small-business ownership will continue to play in moving our great country forward. The opportunity to be in business for yourself and not by yourself still thrives, and everyone at The Dwyer Group and across our franchise brands is excited to be a part of it.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Today is a monumental day in the history of The Dwyer Group. Majority ownership of the company by TZP Group is officially complete in a transaction that is valued at $150 million. www.dwyergroup.com/press/ Those kind of numbers used to seem like a dream to me. That kind of growth and financial support seemed like the stuff you only read about in The Wall Street Journal – the stuff other companies, bigger companies, announced. As we prepare for 2011 and the 30th anniversary of The Dwyer Group, I am inspired by how far we have come in three decades as a business. And I’m excited about where we are headed as well. Our management team remains in place, our company name shines brighter than ever, our franchise brands are leaders in the service industry, and we are ready to grow to the next level with our new partners at TZP.
At The Dwyer Group, we like to tell people to “Make it a World-Class Day.” Those are inspirational words that motivate us at every turn. For me, they continue to be ambitious words to do something great with your life. At The Dwyer Group, we are making it a world-class day today. And there will be many more like it in the days, weeks and years ahead. I count my blessings this holiday season for being a part of such a wonderful company. And here’s to a very Happy New Year!
At The Dwyer Group, we like to tell people to “Make it a World-Class Day.” Those are inspirational words that motivate us at every turn. For me, they continue to be ambitious words to do something great with your life. At The Dwyer Group, we are making it a world-class day today. And there will be many more like it in the days, weeks and years ahead. I count my blessings this holiday season for being a part of such a wonderful company. And here’s to a very Happy New Year!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Veterans Day 2010
As we observe Veterans Day this week and honor those who have served this great country, I invite everyone to find a way to thank our men and women in uniform and all who came before them. There are no words that do justice to the freedom and peace we enjoy as a nation thanks to our brave members of the military. The sacrifices they have made are too great to go unnoticed. So take a moment on this day and every day to find an opportunity and recognize them.
Shake the hand of a returning soldier when walking through a crowded airport. Say a prayer for our fallen heroes during Sunday church service. Give thanks to our retired and active military and fly a flag at your home with pride. No gesture is too small for their duty to serve that is so great.
We at The Dwyer Group also thank them by counting more than 200 veterans as franchise owners who have come through the VetFran program www.leadingtheserviceindustry.com/VetFran.asp. It’s one way to make every day Veterans Day as we continually add to our franchise network across the Dwyer brands with true leaders from the ranks of our U.S. Military. Together, we can all make a difference.
Shake the hand of a returning soldier when walking through a crowded airport. Say a prayer for our fallen heroes during Sunday church service. Give thanks to our retired and active military and fly a flag at your home with pride. No gesture is too small for their duty to serve that is so great.
We at The Dwyer Group also thank them by counting more than 200 veterans as franchise owners who have come through the VetFran program www.leadingtheserviceindustry.com/VetFran.asp. It’s one way to make every day Veterans Day as we continually add to our franchise network across the Dwyer brands with true leaders from the ranks of our U.S. Military. Together, we can all make a difference.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Founder's Day 2010
In less than 24 hours, our company will be celebrating its annual Founder's Day. It's special to us at The Dwyer Group because we wouldn't be where we are today if our late Founder, Don Dwyer Sr., didn't take that entrepreneurial leap of faith almost 30 years ago to start it all.
We can appreciate our franchise family and where we're headed because we can also appreciate where we started and how far we've come. History is important, and we pay homage to our history at The Dwyer Group. We celebrate Don's vision each and every Founder's Day and remember him well.
We invest in time together away from the office. We enrich ourselves in more than work, itself, because we value the people who keep our business thriving and keep Don's vision alive. As our Code of Values teaches, we like "Having Fun in the Process" at The Dwyer Group. Remembering our Founder, breaking bread together, playing games and enjoying what life has given us, is great fun indeed.
We would have none of that if one man, one founder, didn't "Dare to Dream."
That was the theme of our annual convention this past summer, and it merits repeating. We can be dreamers at The Dwyer Group and we can realize those dreams because Don Dwyer dared to be the first. Thank you, Dad!
We can appreciate our franchise family and where we're headed because we can also appreciate where we started and how far we've come. History is important, and we pay homage to our history at The Dwyer Group. We celebrate Don's vision each and every Founder's Day and remember him well.
We invest in time together away from the office. We enrich ourselves in more than work, itself, because we value the people who keep our business thriving and keep Don's vision alive. As our Code of Values teaches, we like "Having Fun in the Process" at The Dwyer Group. Remembering our Founder, breaking bread together, playing games and enjoying what life has given us, is great fun indeed.
We would have none of that if one man, one founder, didn't "Dare to Dream."
That was the theme of our annual convention this past summer, and it merits repeating. We can be dreamers at The Dwyer Group and we can realize those dreams because Don Dwyer dared to be the first. Thank you, Dad!
Friday, September 24, 2010
We live our Code of Values by treating others as we would like to be treated...
Below is an interview I did recently for Operation Franchise, a magazine for the military entrepreneur.
A Driving Force Behind VetFran: Dina Dwyer-Owens Continues Father’s Legacy
Mar. 10, 2010 by Heidi Bohi
One way or another, every undertaking The Dwyer Group® identifies as a priority, leads back to its Code of Values™ that has been guiding the franchise giant since 1981 when the late founder Don Dwyer established this service-industry family of companies.
It should come as no surprise, then, that 47-year-old CEO Dina Dwyer-Owens, the middle of six children in the Dwyer dynasty and her father’s successor, continues to be the driving force behind growing and elevating the International Franchise Association’s (IFA) VetFran Program – also started by her father – which encourages franchisors to offer their best discounts and incentives to honorably discharged veterans who are considering buying a franchise.
Giving back to the country’s veterans embodies the 10-point code that is based on company beliefs such as “loyalty adds meaning to our lives,” and “in building our country through the free enterprise system.” Men and women in the military live by a Code of Conduct that is similar to the Dwyer way of thinking.
“At Dwyer, we believe in treating others the way we want to be treated and if I was in the military and came home and wasn’t offered the same opportunity as others, I’d be disappointed,” Dwyer-Owens says from her Waco, Texas, office. “This is about treating people with respect and gratitude,” which is another fundamental principal of The Dwyer Group creed.
When the Gulf War ended in early 1991, the patriotic Dwyer – who served a two-year military stint in the early ‘50s – was serving on the IFA board and began thinking about the sacrifices the men and women of Desert Storm had made for their country. He wondered what could be done to thank these soldiers who had put their lives on the line to protect free enterprise – the first principle behind franchising – that allowed people like Dwyer himself to go into franchising.
“He had a vision,” Dwyer-Owens says of her father’s original inspiration. “He wanted to give men and women the opportunity to live the American dream – as they were the ones protecting the American dream.”
With the war over, downsizing was the term of the day, and unemployment was at an all-time high of 20 percent. With the help of other Dwyer Group colleagues, he brainstormed the idea of VetFran, officially known as the Veterans Transition Franchise Initiative, and in his unstoppable fashion, wrote one letter at a time to move ahead and ultimately garner the support of the IFA, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Financing the effort almost completely out of his own pocket, Dwyer was driven by a personal passion for doing what he could to make sure veterans were not unemployed. He was committed to the belief that veterans make good business owners because military personnel are used to living by a core set of values similar to his own company’s Code of Values, and the franchise model is consistent with the way military personnel are trained to think, offering proven systems of success similar to the military’s mission where there is no question of what is suppose to be done, or how it should be accomplished.
“The military loves systems,” Dwyer-Owens says. “That’s why they make good franchisers.”
At the same time, the discipline and leadership skills instilled in military personnel is directly transferable to those who go into franchising, and it is a business opportunity that allows them to explore a second career without making drastic lifestyle changes.
But, just as VetFran started to build momentum, Dwyer died of a sudden heart attack in 1994 at the age of 60. Although the program was not discontinued, with his vision gone, it fizzled out until after the 9/11 terrorist attacks when Dwyer-Owens was elected to the IFA board and gave a presentation on her father’s important initiative, convincing the group to make it a full-blown project and priority.
She followed in many of her father’s footsteps, not only as the CEO of the company, but as the unrelenting influence and force behind growing VetFran into a measurable success. One of her first actions was to make the plan as user friendly as possible. Rather than drag franchisors through financing details, she recommended that participating franchisors simply provide the best possible deal they can offer a veteran. She was not shy about reminding franchisors of her father’s vision: The country cannot have unemployed veterans and they make good franchise owners.
Support Systems
While the idea of launching a small business in today’s economy may go against the grain of reason for most entrepreneurs, according to IFA, their efforts to make owning a franchise more approachable for the nation’s military veterans are working. In one year, 129 new veteran franchisees have joined the ranks of small business owners using discounts voluntarily offered by IFA member companies, bringing the number of former military personnel who acquired franchises via the VetFran Program to more than 1,500. The award-winning program was lauded by both Veterans Affairs and the American Society of Association Executives, which last year honored IFA with its Award of Excellence for creating an “outstanding program, which has resulted in significant benefit to American society.”
Discounts offered to veterans by the franchise systems range from reduced initial franchise fees to waivers of training costs and free product inventories. It is up to the individual franchisors to determine what kind of incentive they will offer as participants in VetFran.
The program receives no government funding but is officially endorsed by the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs’ Center for Veterans Enterprise, which helps promote small business ownership for veterans.
“Our veterans are coming back to a very weak job market and they don’t make a ton of money in the military to begin with. Then when they come back, they have a hard time taking care of their families. We can help them get into their own business and make it easier to transition into civilian life.”
Comparable Values
Just back from the 2010 annual IFA Convention in San Antonio, Texas, where VetFran was again one of Dwyer-Owens’ favorite programs to advance, she tells one of her favorite stories to illustrate how The Dwyer Group’s work with veterans directly reflects the company’s Code of Values. She was at the Dallas airport trying to get back to Waco, Texas, after the flight had been canceled. After chatting with several Army soldiers who were also trying to return to Waco from Afghanistan, she decided to rent a car and invited the men to accompany her.
As she began telling the men about what she does for a living and explaining the Code of Values, she says one of them handed her a card from his wallet and said, “In the military, we have something similar to what you have,” referring to The Dwyer Group’s Code of Values. In fact, she says, the Army also has a core of values card and, she says, her father may have gotten the idea of developing his company’s Code of Values from the military.
Either way, she says, this is another reminder of why the VetFran Program is so important and why it makes perfect sense for the men and women who are exiting military service to consider becoming a franchisee for their next career.
http://operationfranchise.com/business-education/a-driving-force-behind-vetfran-dina-dwyer-owens-continues-father%e2%80%99s-legacy
A Driving Force Behind VetFran: Dina Dwyer-Owens Continues Father’s Legacy
Mar. 10, 2010 by Heidi Bohi
One way or another, every undertaking The Dwyer Group® identifies as a priority, leads back to its Code of Values™ that has been guiding the franchise giant since 1981 when the late founder Don Dwyer established this service-industry family of companies.
It should come as no surprise, then, that 47-year-old CEO Dina Dwyer-Owens, the middle of six children in the Dwyer dynasty and her father’s successor, continues to be the driving force behind growing and elevating the International Franchise Association’s (IFA) VetFran Program – also started by her father – which encourages franchisors to offer their best discounts and incentives to honorably discharged veterans who are considering buying a franchise.
Giving back to the country’s veterans embodies the 10-point code that is based on company beliefs such as “loyalty adds meaning to our lives,” and “in building our country through the free enterprise system.” Men and women in the military live by a Code of Conduct that is similar to the Dwyer way of thinking.
“At Dwyer, we believe in treating others the way we want to be treated and if I was in the military and came home and wasn’t offered the same opportunity as others, I’d be disappointed,” Dwyer-Owens says from her Waco, Texas, office. “This is about treating people with respect and gratitude,” which is another fundamental principal of The Dwyer Group creed.
When the Gulf War ended in early 1991, the patriotic Dwyer – who served a two-year military stint in the early ‘50s – was serving on the IFA board and began thinking about the sacrifices the men and women of Desert Storm had made for their country. He wondered what could be done to thank these soldiers who had put their lives on the line to protect free enterprise – the first principle behind franchising – that allowed people like Dwyer himself to go into franchising.
“He had a vision,” Dwyer-Owens says of her father’s original inspiration. “He wanted to give men and women the opportunity to live the American dream – as they were the ones protecting the American dream.”
With the war over, downsizing was the term of the day, and unemployment was at an all-time high of 20 percent. With the help of other Dwyer Group colleagues, he brainstormed the idea of VetFran, officially known as the Veterans Transition Franchise Initiative, and in his unstoppable fashion, wrote one letter at a time to move ahead and ultimately garner the support of the IFA, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Financing the effort almost completely out of his own pocket, Dwyer was driven by a personal passion for doing what he could to make sure veterans were not unemployed. He was committed to the belief that veterans make good business owners because military personnel are used to living by a core set of values similar to his own company’s Code of Values, and the franchise model is consistent with the way military personnel are trained to think, offering proven systems of success similar to the military’s mission where there is no question of what is suppose to be done, or how it should be accomplished.
“The military loves systems,” Dwyer-Owens says. “That’s why they make good franchisers.”
At the same time, the discipline and leadership skills instilled in military personnel is directly transferable to those who go into franchising, and it is a business opportunity that allows them to explore a second career without making drastic lifestyle changes.
But, just as VetFran started to build momentum, Dwyer died of a sudden heart attack in 1994 at the age of 60. Although the program was not discontinued, with his vision gone, it fizzled out until after the 9/11 terrorist attacks when Dwyer-Owens was elected to the IFA board and gave a presentation on her father’s important initiative, convincing the group to make it a full-blown project and priority.
She followed in many of her father’s footsteps, not only as the CEO of the company, but as the unrelenting influence and force behind growing VetFran into a measurable success. One of her first actions was to make the plan as user friendly as possible. Rather than drag franchisors through financing details, she recommended that participating franchisors simply provide the best possible deal they can offer a veteran. She was not shy about reminding franchisors of her father’s vision: The country cannot have unemployed veterans and they make good franchise owners.
Support Systems
While the idea of launching a small business in today’s economy may go against the grain of reason for most entrepreneurs, according to IFA, their efforts to make owning a franchise more approachable for the nation’s military veterans are working. In one year, 129 new veteran franchisees have joined the ranks of small business owners using discounts voluntarily offered by IFA member companies, bringing the number of former military personnel who acquired franchises via the VetFran Program to more than 1,500. The award-winning program was lauded by both Veterans Affairs and the American Society of Association Executives, which last year honored IFA with its Award of Excellence for creating an “outstanding program, which has resulted in significant benefit to American society.”
Discounts offered to veterans by the franchise systems range from reduced initial franchise fees to waivers of training costs and free product inventories. It is up to the individual franchisors to determine what kind of incentive they will offer as participants in VetFran.
The program receives no government funding but is officially endorsed by the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs’ Center for Veterans Enterprise, which helps promote small business ownership for veterans.
“Our veterans are coming back to a very weak job market and they don’t make a ton of money in the military to begin with. Then when they come back, they have a hard time taking care of their families. We can help them get into their own business and make it easier to transition into civilian life.”
Comparable Values
Just back from the 2010 annual IFA Convention in San Antonio, Texas, where VetFran was again one of Dwyer-Owens’ favorite programs to advance, she tells one of her favorite stories to illustrate how The Dwyer Group’s work with veterans directly reflects the company’s Code of Values. She was at the Dallas airport trying to get back to Waco, Texas, after the flight had been canceled. After chatting with several Army soldiers who were also trying to return to Waco from Afghanistan, she decided to rent a car and invited the men to accompany her.
As she began telling the men about what she does for a living and explaining the Code of Values, she says one of them handed her a card from his wallet and said, “In the military, we have something similar to what you have,” referring to The Dwyer Group’s Code of Values. In fact, she says, the Army also has a core of values card and, she says, her father may have gotten the idea of developing his company’s Code of Values from the military.
Either way, she says, this is another reminder of why the VetFran Program is so important and why it makes perfect sense for the men and women who are exiting military service to consider becoming a franchisee for their next career.
http://operationfranchise.com/business-education/a-driving-force-behind-vetfran-dina-dwyer-owens-continues-father%e2%80%99s-legacy
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