JOIN FRANCHISING’S ELITE

What do the names Jim Penman (Jim’s Mowing), Bob Jane (T-Marts), Chris Malcolm (Clark Rubber building and maintenance franchise), Diana Williams (Fernwood), Roger Wilson (Forty Winks), Amos Bush (Autobarn), Roger Gillespie (Bakers Delight) and Ray King (Capt'n Snooze) all have in common?

Their names are all synonymous with franchising in Australia and all are Franchise Council of Australia Hall of Fame inductees.

The FCA Hall of Fame committee is now calling on nominations for 2008 inductees, who will be announced at the Chairman’s Dinner at the National Franchise Convention on October 15 in Sydney.

Chairman of the FCA Hall of Fame committee, Clark Rubber Managing Director Chris Malcolm, said being inducted into the Hall of Fame was the pinnacle of personal success in the industry.

“Becoming a Hall of Fame inductee is a recognition by your peers of being recognised as an individual who has contributed significantly to the advancement of franchising and to the benefit of FCA and the Australian franchising community,” Mr Malcolm said.

“There are many wonderful people associated with the franchising sector in this country, which comprises of more than 960 franchise systems, employing 600,000 people in over 70,000 workplaces and represents annual sales of approximately $128 Billion.”

When the Hall of Fame was established in 2003, the selection panel searched back to the origins of franchising in Australia and by meticulous process of elimination identified the ground-breakers, influencers, quiet achievers, selfless contributors and outstanding performers who endured the trials and built the foundations of the sector’s success.

Now, it is members of the Hall of Fame themselves who invite new entrants. The sole criterion is an outstanding contribution to franchising – whether as franchisor, franchisee, academic, consultant, politician, financier, bureaucrat – whomever (full details at www.franchise.org.au)

Mr Malcolm said being inducted to the FCA Hall of Fame in 2003 had “one of the most profound impacts on me personally, as was the case when Clark Rubber was awarded the Franchise Council of Australia Franchisor of the Year. 

Nominations for the awards are now open and close on June 30. For details, go to www.franchise.org.au, or e-mail awards@franchise.com.au

Hall of Fame Inductees

Bryce Bell - Bryce Bell was the Founder of the Franchisors Association of Australia (now FCA) in 1983 and of the Auckland, NZ Chapter six years later.

Amos Bush - Amos began his own independant automotive retail business in 1970 and in 1985 the Autobarn cooperative was formed.

Evan Christou - Evan Christou's involvement in franchising is now the subject of Pizza Haven's television commercials.  With his brothers he built from scratch the Pizza Haven network, which commenced in 1984.

Jack Cowin - Jack Cowin is Australia's most successful fast food entrepreneur.  He built the Hungry Jacks network in Australia.

Geoff Davis - Geoff is a co-founding shareholder and Director of Wendy’s, since 1979.

Roger Gillespie - Roger Gillespie has built the Bakers Delight network into one of Australia's premier homegrown franchise systems. 

Bob Jane - Bob Jane is founder and managing director of Bob Jane T Marts.  Bob Jane started selling tyres in 1962. 

Ray King - Ray King built Captain Snooze into one of Australia's best-known brands, and was one of the pioneers of franchising in Australia.

Bob Lapointe - Bob Lapointe has had almost a lifetime involvement in franchising.  He moved to Australia in 1967 to start KFC as the founding Managing Director. He was also instrumental in the development of Pizza Hut in Australia in 1970.

Chris Levy - Chris Levy was the founding president of the Franchise Association of Australia, and one of the pioneers of franchising in Australia. 

Chris Malcolm - Chris Malcolm has been active in franchising for over 15 years, starting Clark Rubber Franchising retail franchise (2006 FCA Franchisor of the Year) in 1995.

Jim McCracken - Jim McCracken's contribution to franchising has been so substantial that the Victorian Outstanding Contribution to Franchising Award is called the Jim McCracken Award. Jim was a founding director of the Franchisors Association.

Bill McGowan - Bill McGowan has taken the Fastway Couriers system to the world, with Fastway currently franchised in 15 countries.

Stephen Penfold - Stephen Penfold has been responsible for the introduction of three franchise systems into Australia, including Kwik Kopy.

Jim Penman - Jim Penman is a franchise industry icon, and probably one of the first names mentioned when the general public think of franchising in Australia. Mr ‘Jim’s Mowing’.

Tom Potter - Tom Potter established the Eagle Boys Pizza system and built it to a major chain comprising 170 stores across Australia and NZ.

Lenard Poulter - Len Poulter founded Lenard's Poultry in 1987, identifying a niche market for value-added chicken products.

Peter Ritchie - Peter Ritchie is a former chairman and chief executive officer of McDonalds Australia. 

Warwick Sheddon - The late Warwick Sheddon was one of the franchising communities most loved members and was a co-founder of the Oz Design network.

Professor Andrew Terry - Professor Andrew Terry is Australia's leading franchise academic.  He has published over 100 articles on franchising in journals and magazines throughout the world.

S.G. Paddy Thompson - The late Paddy Thompson was born and educated in Ireland, and migrated to Australia in 1965 after a distinguished career in the British Colonial Service. He joined the Imperial Printing Group and in 1967 was entrusted with the development of Snap Printing.

Bill Vis - Bill Vis is one of the pioneers of home services franchising in Australia.  Bill Vis established the VIP Lawn Mowing concept in 1972.

Diana Williams - Diana is Executive Chairman & Founder of Fernwood Women’s Health Clubs. The first Fernwood club opened in 1989.

Roger Wilson - Roger Wilson is General Manager (C.E.O) of Forty Winks Franchising Pty Ltd, which has 89 franchised stores in every state and territory of Australia.

This article appears courtesy of The Franchise Review Magazine - the official Journal of the Franchise Council of Australia

29-May-2008