Home Services Franchise Opens New Florida Location

By: The Glass Guru | 0 Shares 304 Reads

October 08, 2020 // Franchising.com // Roseville, CA - Last month, The Glass Guru announced the addition of the organization’s latest glass services franchise location open in Florida. The Glass Guru of Altamonte Springs is the 4th location for the company in the Sunshine State.

The Glass Guru’s newest franchise owner, Mr. Tom Hewitt completed his initial franchise training in early August 2020. Contrary to most of his fellow franchisees, Hewitt completed most of his training virtually, due to COVID-19 specific travel restrictions. The Glass Guru had to quickly adapt its initial franchise training practices during the pandemic, moving much of it to the cloud and virtual meetings.

Born in Scotland, UK, Tom Hewitt has been in the glass business since the age of 15. After an exhaustive apprenticeship, he worked as a Glazier, garnering valuable experience in the glass industry. Hewitt subsequently immigrated to South Africa for an opportunity to work for the largest glass company in that country. He ultimately formed his own commercial glass business, completing numerous high-rise projects in Africa and the EU.

With their daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren moving to the US, Tom and his wife Dianne soon decided to look for opportunities in America. When they began seeking business opportunities, they immediately gravitated to The Glass Guru. It simply made sense to tap into a franchise opportunity in a market category that Tom was familiar with.

The Hewitts ultimately followed the extensive E2 visa process to begin their business venture in the US. An E-2 visa involves an investment of capital to establish a new business venture or purchase an existing business, thus justifying the immigration to the US.

“As the former owner of a commercial glass company in South Africa, I had a great deal of experience in the glazing trade. My introduction to the trade was a five-year glazing apprenticeship! What excites me the most about The Glass Guru opportunity is offering my expertise and service standards to our local community here in Florida. My biggest concern is getting to know the local market a bit more, as it’s certainly different to South Africa, and commercial glazing in general. I definitely see rising to the current challenges, and ultimately envision me managing a very successful location within the first two years of operations. “
Tom Hewitt - Owner, The Glass Guru of Altamonte Springs, FL

With experience in facilitating the E2 visa candidates, it's clear to the team at The Glass Guru that comprehensive business support is critical for those taking the E2 route. The team had been working with the Hewitts for over a year prior to them kicking off their new location. Now that the new Florida location is open, the team is excited to see the potential of this new market.

The Altamonte Springs location marks yet another new location for The Glass Guru in a year plagued by a pandemic, economic shutdowns, and more. The organization has been nimble in addressing the needs of franchise candidates and new owners during the pandemic, implementing virtual discovery and training options to limit required business travel. The franchise support team has also focused on doubling its efforts to support franchisees in the field during these uncertain times. WIth the critical guidance in place to help them navigate the uncertain environment, individual franchise locations have responded in-kind.

The Glass Guru organization has posted 2 record revenue months (June and July) and an August revenue number that’s 2nd all-time in the company's history. The company as a glass services franchise has been considered an “essential business” from the beginning, highlighting yet another example of the economic resilience of the home-services sector, namely The Glass Guru franchise.

About The Glass Guru

The Glass Guru Franchise Systems, Inc. has been a leading glass and window restoration, repair, and replacement franchise since 2007, and continues to be one of the fastest growing brands in the industry. In addition to offering a proprietary, money-saving restoration service for failed insulated windows, the company’s 75+ full-service locations across North America are a one-stop solution for all of your residential glass needs. For more information visit The Glass Guru website.

SOURCE The Glass Guru

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