Franchise Leaders Deliver “Franchising Equals Jobs” Message to Congress
Jani-King of New York franchisee, Christopher Foell, was honored in September by the International Franchise Association with its annual Franchisee of the Year Award. Franchise owner-operators representing 36 franchise systems were recognized during the IFA’s 14th Annual Public Affairs Conference for their outstanding performance and the contributions they have made to enhance the growth and development of franchising.
“I am proud to recognize Chris as Jani-King’s representative for Franchisee of the Year,” said Jerry Crawford, President of Jani-King International. “Chris is a successful and well respected franchise owner in the New York region and he routinely shares his knowledge with other local franchisees to help them to be successful. We are fortunate to have such an outstanding business owner as part of our team and we congratulate Chris on this honor.”
“The franchising community is an important part the U.S. economy due to the hard work of franchisees,” said IFA Chairman Steve Romaniello, managing director, Roark Capital Group. “The IFA is proud to recognize the outstanding efforts of Mr. Foell with the Franchisee of the Year Award and thank him not only for his work to promote franchising, but for the contributions he makes every day to showcase how local business owners propel the economy in communities across the country.”
The Franchisee of the Year Award is a major component of the IFA’s Public Affairs Conference, which brought more than 400 franchise business leaders together in Washington, D.C. to carry the key messages of franchising to lawmakers on Capitol Hill. During the two-day event franchise industry leaders met with over 200 congressional offices about issues important to the future of franchising such as tax certainty, healthcare reform immigration and access to credit. The Public Affairs Conference is a powerful way to help forward IFA’s advocacy efforts and further increase awareness about how franchising can contribute to economic recovery and job growth. The event is supported by founding sponsor ADP Small Business Services.
During their visits to Washington, IFA members highlighted the economic impact of franchising. According to a study conducted for the IFA Educational Foundation by PricewaterhouseCoopers on the economic impact of franchising, there are more than 825,000 franchised businesses in operation across the country, which is indirectly responsible for providing 18 million jobs and generating $2.1 trillion in economic output.
“As Washington works to strengthen and renew our economy, lawmakers should remember that franchising counts in local communities all across the country, Romaniello said. “With sound regulatory policies, franchise businesses can create the jobs necessary for sustained economic recovery and growth.”
About the International Franchise Association
The International Franchise Association is the world’s oldest and largest organization representing franchising worldwide. Celebrating 50 years of excellence, education and advocacy, IFA protects, enhances and promotes franchising through government relations, public relations and educational programs. Through its awareness campaign highlighting the theme, Franchising: Building Local Businesses, One Opportunity at a Time, IFA promotes the nearly 18 million jobs and $2.1 trillion of economic activity generated by franchising. IFA members include franchise companies in over 90 different business format categories, individual franchisees and companies that support the industry in marketing, law and business development.
