October 21, 2008 // Franchising.com // Innovation and continued technological improvements were the themes of the MYOB Excellence in Franchising Awards announced in Sydney last night.
The pioneering internet based communicator and trainer – aptly named "Gloria" - developed by Gloria Jean's Coffees earned the company the award for Franchise Innovation of the Year. With master franchise partners in 35 countries Gloria Jean's Coffees have addressed the need for a unified training and development program to deliver consistent results. In response to this they have created a world first in global communications that allows them to contact and train, one on one, every member in their team, worldwide. "Gloria" has tremendous functionality designed to facilitate communication, deliver consistent training and provide a 24 hour a day resource of manuals and tools to all team members globally. "Gloria" has fundamentally changed the way Gloria Jean's Coffees communicates as an organisation driving consistency and best practice across the brand.
Franchise Export of the Year went to Ecowash Mobile, a waterless mobile car washing and detailing franchise system founded in 2004 by Jim Cornish and Stewart Nicholls. With strict water restrictions in place and a population that is becoming increasingly time poor, Jim and Stewart recognised that car owners would look to smarter, greener ways to keep their cars clean while reducing their environmental impact. As a result, the demand for Ecowash Mobile and its waterless concept has grown quickly. In only 4 years, Ecowash Mobile has grown into a multi-award winning international franchise operation with over 100 mobile units servicing all states of Australia, the Middle East, Europe and the USA – establishing itself as the number one mobile waterless car washing franchise in the world.
The MYOB Excellence in Franchising Awards are the peak small business awards for the $130 billion franchising sector. Other category winners awarded on the night included:
- Franchisee of the Year - Mark Maumill and Jason Love of Banjos Corporation
- Franchise Woman of the Year - Deb Shugg, CEO of Award Group
- Emerging Franchise System of the Year - Mr Rental
- Franchisor of the Year (overall) - 7-Eleven Stores
- Food Franchisor of the Year - The Coffee Club Group
- Service Franchisor of the Year – Hotondo Homes
- Retail Franchisor of the Year – 7-Eleven Stores
- Media Campaign of the Year - Bakers Delight
- Supplier of the Year – Pacnet
According to Steve Wright, Executive Director of the Franchise Council of Australia ""The annual Awards recognise and reward hard working Australians in the small to medium sized business sector and provide a platform for these companies to showcase their products and services on the national stage."
"The robust state of franchising is clearly evident in the calibre and quantity of all submissions received. Nominations in all categories were up on last year's figures with the Franchisee of the Year Award attracting the highest number of entries."
"The Minister for Small Business, Dr Craig Emerson, awarded the franchising sector a mark of 8.5 out of 10 at Friday's opening to NFC08 – this year's national conference for the franchise sector. These awards are the outstanding examples that underpin such a strong endorsement and provide ongoing encouragement for the continuing high achievement of Australian franchise systems both here and abroad" said Wright.
The Franchise Council of Australia is the premier body representing this dynamic sector in Australia and is a representative voice to Government. With a vision to developing excellence at every level of the sector, the Franchise Council of Australia is committed to ensuring professional development, business growth and strong networking opportunities for all its franchisors, franchisees and suppliers.
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