Dryer Vent Wizard (DVW), recently presented awards to outstanding franchisees at its annual conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. DVW specializes in dryer vent repair, replacement, alteration, cleaning and maintenance for residential and commercial clients.
"We presented eight awards to franchisees who made significant contributions to our growth in 2013," said Terry Reuer, CEO of DVW. "It's the most awards we've presented in one year, which is meaningful as we celebrate our 10th year in business during 2014."
Carl Hein, who services residential and commercial customers in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minn., received DVW's "Hall of Fame" award for consistent growth and developing best practices that he shares with other franchisees. Hein is only the fourth recipient of the company's "Hall of Fame" award.
Franchisee Jim Buie, a resident of Tarboro, North Carolina, was named "Franchisee of the Year." Buie services the N. Carolina "Triangle," which includes Raleigh, Chapel Hill and Durham. "It's not unusual for me to work late to accommodate a customer's schedule," said Buie, who joined DVW in 2006.
Tyler Johnson of Ontario, Canada was named DVW's "Pioneer" winner.
"Johnson is our first franchisee in Canada," added Reuer. "He has helped our company build an international presence and is enabling us to bring valuable services to our neighbors in Ontario."
"Rookie of the Year" was presented to new franchisees Jeff and Lori Knudtzon in Nevada who service Reno/Sparks, along with Carson City and North Lake Tahoe. They produced record sales among new DVW franchisees.
"Early on, I really got involved in the local chamber, builders association, and other groups to raise brand awareness," said Knudtzon, who utilized his background and experience in supply and home center management.
Growing up in the construction and home maintenance business, Matthew Burrow of South Carolina received the "Shining Star" award. Burrow joined DVW in 2012 and credited his previous hands-on experience to helping him grow his franchise in the Greenville and Spartanburg area.
"I appreciated that the company also named my wife Rachel on the award, because she keeps an eye on the finances and helps us stick with our plan," said Burrow.
Larry Butterfield of Canton, Mich., received the "System Builder" award. Butterfield's service area includes the four Michigan counties of Wayne, Washtenaw, Monroe and Lenawee. Butterfield has assisted in building DVW's brand by participating in discovery and training days with new franchisees and contributing to the technical development of tools that help measure dryer vent efficiency.
Among the "Most Improved Players" were franchisees Doug and Janice Bitter of Virginia and Joe Emery of Wisconsin.
The Bittners, who joined DVW in 2006, grew their business substantially during the past year in the Virginia communities of Alexandria, Arlington, Herndon, Leesburg and Great Falls.
"We've spent a lot of energy on building our brand and business relationships in the area," said Doug Bittner. "Because of our focus on customer service, we've experienced a lot of referrals from friends and neighbors."
Emery, who services the northern Milwaukee area in Wisconsin, revealed he increased his business in 2013 by nearly 150 percent.
"I hired an employee, bought a second van and acquired more commercial work," said Emery, who recently completed a dryer vent installation for an 85-unit condominium complex.
Reuer added that much of the company's success has been built on franchisees' willingness to share information and help each other. She said, "This is reinforced every time we gather at our annual conference and present these awards."
Headquartered in Farmington Hills, Michigan, Dryer Vent Wizard is a member of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). With more than 70 franchise owners, DVW serves more than 9,000 communities of all sizes throughout U.S. and Canada. For more information and to learn more about franchise opportunities, visit www.DryerVentWizard.com or call 866-498-SAFE (7233) in the U.S. and 866-395-SAFE (7233) in Canada.
Contact Information
Media Contacts:
Terry Reuer
Dryer Vent Wizard
586-619-2160, ext. 550
Margaret Blohm, APR
Margaux & Associates, LLC
313-406-3467
Franchise Ranking History
Franchise 500: #273 (2014), #304 (2013), #433 (2012), #302 (2011),
Top New: #18 (2011),
Top Home-Based: #79 (2014), #83 (2013), #97 (2011)