Australian Franchise News – 21-08-12
Mt Gravatt owners Caroline and Paul Attard have taken out the highest accolade at the PoolWerx National Convention recently, being crowned ‘National Franchise Partner of the Year’ for their outstanding contribution to the national network and business performance.
The Attards, who also operate a PoolWerx retail store in Balmoral and five mobile service vans as part of their pool and spa care business, also took out the ‘Queensland Franchise Partner of the Year’ and ‘Outstanding Team Contribution’ awards.
Having experienced 20 percent growth most years since opening the Mt Gravatt store in 2006, the extra commitment to supporting fellow franchise partners within the PoolWerx network is what led to their recognition ahead of 105 peers across Australia and New Zealand.
Mr Attard said they were absolutely delighted with the awards which he put down to their commitment to the PoolWerx model.
“When we think about the other top performing franchise partners in the network it’s absolutely humbling to receive this sort of recognition,” he said. “To take out the ‘National Franchise Partner of the Year’ award is something we never expected.
“We are lucky to have a fantastic team of people in our business and these awards are testament to their hard work and dedication. We have five pool technicians and three retail staff who are totally committed and they are a huge part of our business.
“PoolWerx has been operating for almost 20 years and by committing yourself to the system and using the tools it provides, we’ve established a successful business in the local area.”
He said a focus on customer service over the last 12 months had been crucial to their continued growth.
“Many businesses have taken a hit over the last year due to economic conditions but our focus on delivering high quality service has seen us retain strong customer relationships while generating new ones.
“We’ve also broadened our strategy to target the commercial market and now service all Sam Riley swim schools in the local area along with body corporate clients and local gyms contributing to around 40 percent of our business.
“The PoolWerx brand has brought a lot of credibility to the industry and our clients trust us to maintain their pools safely and within the legislation.”
On top of their duties as business owners, Mr and Mrs Attard also contributed substantially to the PoolWerx network nationally. Paul is a member on PoolWerx’s regional and national advisory committees and he has just been asked to be the national chair for the committee. While Caroline has played a crucial role helping new franchise partners learn PoolWerx’s point of sale system.
“It is hugely beneficial to get together regularly with other franchise partners and share business experiences and we feel strongly about doing what we can to mentor others to grow their business as we have benefited immensely from mentoring over the years.”
CEO and founder of PoolWerx John O’Brien said the ‘National Franchise Partner of the Year’ award was not to be taken lightly.
“Caroline and Paul have worked extremely hard over the years establishing their business and now they are reaping the rewards of their commitment,” he said. “To take out three categories is a fantastic achievement and it’s my pleasure they are the recipients of the Franchise Partner of the Year award.
“Not only are they astute business people, they both go the extra mile to contribute to the national PoolWerx network and they are an incredible asset to the brand.”
Next month, PoolWerx Mt Gravatt will hold its annual open day where locals can enjoy a free sausage sizzle, activities for children and take the opportunity to speak to a team of pool and spa care experts about anything from energy efficient pool equipment to how the latest pool safety legislation affects them.