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7-Eleven named top franchise, Tasmanians win franchisee award

Sarah Stowe

Convenience retailer 7-Eleven has been awarded the national title Franchisor of the Year 2008 in the MYOB Excellence in Franchising Awards held on 18th October in Sydney.

The franchised business which counts 367 stores owned by 323 franchisees from 27 different countries was also the winner of the Retail Franchisor of the Year Award, beating eight other nominees in that category.

As winner of the Food Franchisor of the Year award The Coffee Club was in the running for the overall title, along with Hotondo Homes, the winner of the Service Franchisor of the Year Award.

The winning Franchisees of the Year were named as Mark Maumill and Jason Love, the first Tasmanians to take a national title in the Franchise Council of Australia awards. The pair run eight BanjoÕs bakery/cafe outlets and were the regional winners for Victoria and Tasmania, pipping other regional winners to the post.

Multi-unit franchisees from Hairhouse Warehouse, Endota Spa and Frontline Recruitment (which had two state winners) were the finalists in this franchisee sector.

The founder and CEO of Award Bookkeeping Company, Debra Shugg, scooped the Franchise Woman of the Year award.

Nine franchises fought for the Media Campaign of the Year title: Autobarn, Brazilian Beauty, Caltex Australia, Chooks Fresh & Tasty, Hairhouse Warehouse, Hotondo Homes, JimÕs Mowing and Mr Rental were nominees, alongside the winning Bakers Delight, which entered its community-focused, print-based Top Sports Program campaign.

The four year old waterless mobile car washing franchise Ecowash Mobile, which has expanded into the Middle East, the US and Europe, was named the national winner of the Export of the Year 2008.

Thanks to its online communication tool, Gloria, Gloria JeanÕs Coffees was awarded the Innovation Award, and Mr Rental won the Emerging Franchise System of the Year 2008.

For the first time a Supplier of the Year award was included in the proceedings, and this was won by Pacnet, a telecommunications service provider.

The awards gala night was the culmination of the annual National Franchise Convention, a three day event aimed at franchisors, industry advisors, and for the first time, franchisees.

A special franchisee stream of seminars ran across two days of the convention, held at the Sydney Convention Centre at Darling Harbour.