The fastest growing home-care franchise system in North America is set to hit Australia, following the announcement Vancouver-based, Nurse Next Door has secured a master franchisee down under.

Amber Biesse and Matt Fitton are the Melbourne entrepreneurs spearheading the Australian expansion, which serves as the brand’s inaugural international deal, outside of the over 150 franchise now operating throughout Canada and the U.S.

“Having been entrepreneurs for the better part of our careers, Amber and I are excited to bring Nurse Next Door’s award-winning senior care to our home market,” said Fitton.

“From its bold and vibrant brand to its focus on ‘Happier Aging’, we fell in love with what Nurse Next Door was doing in North America. We know this is a concept that can thrive in Australia and one we are proud to be part of.”

The announcement of the Nurse Next Door Australian master franchise signing comes in response to a growing domestic demand for home care services, spurred by the nation’s ageing population.

Cathy Thope, President and CEO of Nurse Next Door said Australia, and in particular Melbourne presented a similar set of economic and social challenges to North America, opening up the potential for strong growth within the aged care sector.

“Countries around the globe are experiencing the same rapidly growing population of seniors as we are in North America,” said Thorpe.

“We’re excited to leverage the tremendous success we’ve had domestically and start impacting the lives of seniors in Australia and across the globe.”

Thorpe said the brand would be ramping up global expansion in 2019, aiming to add three more countries to its portfolio in the next 12 months.