Alabama Feature Articles

Informative articles to support business buyers, franchisees, and franchisors in Alabama.

The Winner's Column - January 2012

As savvy franchise companies continue to flourish in a volatile economy, FUSR continues to bring you good news each month, highlighting brands that are adding units, increasing comp store sales, striking deals with investors, innovating, and continuing to grow, whether domestically or overseas.

Eddy Goldberg
5,492 Reads 189 Shares

The Winner's Column - December 2011

Eddy Goldberg
5,751 Reads 429 Shares

Turn Up the Volume!: "Once You Have That, Everything Else Falls Into Place."

Tom Kazbour doesn't believe the secret to success lies in studying the ABCs of business. He believes new franchisees can whiz on past most of the alphabet and focus on the letter "V."

Debbie Selinsky
13,562 Reads

Super-Sized!: Mega 99 franchisees grow bigger in 2011

There are some big franchisees out there, mega franchisees, in fact! We know because each year we rank them by number of units and brands in our "Mega 99" list. Beyond these black-and-white numbers--which are especially impressive since many began working part-time in low-level positions, or started with a single unit--are their stories of passion, creativity, long hours, and sheer will and determination to succeed. Multi-unit franchisees have many stories to tell, and their journeys to where they are today are filled with ups and downs.

Multi-Unit Franchisee
9,339 Reads 1,023 Shares

The Winner's Column

As savvy franchise companies continue to flourish in this challenging economy, FUSR will continue to bring you good news each month, highlighting brands that are adding units, increasing comp store sales, striking deals with investors, and continuing to grow despite the economy - maybe even because of it. And, as the U.S. struggles through its "jobless recovery," growth-oriented franchisors continue to look overseas for expansion opportunities.

Franchise Update
5,464 Reads 93 Shares

The Winner's Column

Eddy Goldberg
8,455 Reads 93 Shares

Gunning for Growth: Young Multi-Unit Franchisee is Expansion-Minded

In the mid-1990s, when the stock market was on fire and Darrell Lamb spent most of his days on the phone in an unending quest for new investors, he had a chance to invest in an Express Oil Change franchise. Lamb had some great advisers to rely on. His uncle was president of the company and his dad, an Alabama optometrist with a keen interest in growing ventures, was an investor.

John Carroll
7,818 Reads 1 Shares

Discovering Oil: Multi-unit Operator Strikes it Rich with Oil Change Franchises

Darrell Lamb remembers toiling away in the heyday of the mid-90s stock market. He was always searching for new investors, and on the lookout for hot investments. One day some of his advisers told him about an opportunity - a chance to invest in the Express Oil Change franchise. He had reason to trust the advisers since they were his uncle, who was president of the company, and his dad, an Alabama optometrist who was always interested in investing in growing ventures.

Multi-Unit Franchisee
7,005 Reads 1 Shares

All in the Family: For some broods, there's no place like home in franchising

When your grandfather is one of the co-founders of a successful franchise concept and system, it might seem natural for subsequent generations to be involved. But that wasn't always the case for Justin and Sally Haddock. "My grandfather, Jack Fulk, along with Richard Thomas, co-founded Bojangles'," says Justin. "My mother and father followed suit and they have been franchisees since 1980." In fact, his folks still operate 39 Bojangles' locations today.

Kerry Pipes
2,625 Reads

Mobile Attic comes out on top in our store redesign contest

Mobile Attic is on top these days, literally and figuratively. The Elba, Ala.-based firm is the winner of this year's Franchise Update Store Redesign contest. This entitles the five-year-old company to a redesign by Total Resource Group of Lincolnwood, Ill. We'll show you the new design when it's done.

Ripley Hotch
4,236 Reads 59 Shares

99 BIG Franchisees: Alice J. Schleicher

It's all her son's fault! Twenty-eight years ago, says Alice Schleicher (pronounced "Slisher"), her then 16-year-old, Rick, came home and said, "'Mom and Dad, I saw a restaurant and I want to buy it.'" It was a KFC in Sellersburg, Indiana. "We kind of looked at each other and said, 'Okay, well, we'll buy it.'" She envisioned having four someday. So far, she's exceeded that by 50.

Eddy Goldberg
8,688 Reads

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99 BIG Franchisees: Tommy & Donna Haddock

More than 26 years ago, North Carolinians Tommy and Donna Haddock bought their first Bojangles' franchise. Things worked out so well, with him taking care of store operations and her working on insurance, workers comp and other "bureaucratic red tape," that they've never felt the need to try another franchise organization.

Debbie Selinsky
5,877 Reads 79 Shares

Help from Franchisees

At February's Franchise UPDATE Multi-Unit Conference in Dallas, attendees dug into their pockets to help Rocco Fiorentino's Little Rock Foundation. Multi-unit operators are known for generosity to charities, but the record for amounts may well go to Batteries Plus. Batteries Plus Multi-Unit Franchisee Leonard Cyphers, who owns three Atlanta-area Batteries Plus stores, was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson's disease in 1997 at age 48. He is managing his disease with diet, medication, and exercise, and the help of a pioneer in Parkinson's research, Dr. Ray Watts.

2,228 Reads 7 Shares

Sometimes It's All Serendipity

Mary Carol McDaniel and her husband Frank own three (soon to be four) Pump It Up franchises in Alabama and Tennessee. But unlike most multiple unit franchisees, they didn't do a lot of research or planning or interviewing of franchisors to decide on a concept. It walked up to them.