Franchisees of the PIRTEK USA Hydraulic Hoses and Assemblies Franchise Help One Another "Weather The Storm" at 11th Annual Franchise Conference
(Rockledge, FL)---On March 20th and 21st, PIRTEK USA corporate team members and franchisees gathered together at the Crowne Plaza Oceanfront in Indialantic, Fla. for the Rockledge, Fla.-based company's Annual Franchisee Conference entitled "Weathering the Storm." Though this was the event's eleventh year, it marked the first time PIRTEK franchisees were able to step into the spotlight and impart their own experiences and advice to their fellow franchisees and corporate counterparts through a number of presentations.
"Having our owners present made this conference one of the best ever because they are so passionate about our concept and are excited to convey this passion to their peers," said Gwyn O'Kane, vice president of franchise development for PIRTEK USA. "From the presentations from fellow franchise owners to the round tables and the Super Sessions, everyone - from our newest franchisees to some of the most successful and seasoned ones - was learning."
With presentation topics ranging from client diversification to market penetration, each presenter shed new light on their subject of choice and fielded queries from franchisees and corporate team members alike following their talks. PIRTEK USA franchises also received insight from Stephen Hill - one of eight PIRTEK owners in the Brisbane, Australia market - who stressed the importance of working with other centers to achieve optimum profitability. With the advent of the PIRTEK POW-WOW franchisee-led webinars and PIRTEK USA Mentoring Program (P.U.M.P.) over the past 12 months, O'Kane said Hill's topic was the perfect tie-in to the company's overall mission.
"This year, PIRTEK's focus has really been on helping our franchisees be the best that they can be and what better way to do that than through their peers?" said O'Kane. "Our franchisees definitely relate to one another and often listen to what one of their own has to say with an increased level of enthusiasm. Every owner responded they were taking away gems they would be applying to their own operations when they returned home."
And speaking of gems to take home, several PIRTEK USA franchisees were honored for their achievements. Stephen Goulette of PIRTEK Phillips Highway (Jacksonville, Fla.) received the Rookie of the Year Award; Prasad Donti of PIRTEK Ontario East (Ontario, Calif.) won the COG Award; Phil Kusiak of PIRTEK Piedmont Triad (Greensboro, N.C.) took the Best Sales Call Award; and Bob Kollar and Mike McArdle of PIRTEK South End (Charlotte, N.C.) received the coveted Franchisee of the Year Award. Seven franchisees were also inducted into the PIRTEK Hall of Fame for achieving over $1 million in sales in 2008 including Kollar and McArdle, Craig Heitkamp of PIRTEK Midway (Minneapolis, Minn.), Pat Monahan of PIRTEK South Philadelphia (Folcroft, Pa.), Ken Adair of PIRTEK O'Hare (Elk Grove Village, Ill.) and PIRTEK South Holland (South Holland, Ill.), Eli Dorfman of PIRTEK Madison Heights (Madison Heights, Mich.) and PIRTEK Westland (Westland, Mich.), Carl Jones of PIRTEK North Valley (Denver, Colo.), and Jidge and Tina Ruth of PIRTEK Plymouth (Plymouth, Minn.).
"The feedback we've received from our owners is that this year's conference was the best yet and I have to agree," said O'Kane, "but at this rate, next year's is going to be even better!"
About PIRTEK USA
Founded in 1996, Rockledge, Florida-based PIRTEK USA is the world's leading service provider of ETA 1 Hour On-Site Hose Replacement. PIRTEK offers a 24 hour, 7 day service that serves almost every facet of industry including construction, manufacturing, transportation, agriculture and engineering among others. When an equipment breakdown occurs, it often results in costly delays in time and labor before the proper replacement hose is located and installed but PIRTEK vans carry the component parts necessary to manufacture hose assemblies on site. Hose and fittings can also be purchased over-the-counter at PIRTEK's national network of service centers that serve as home bases to its mobile fleet. PIRTEK has locations in seven of the 10 most populous markets in the country, including Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, Dallas and Detroit. Projections call for the opening of increasing numbers of service centers each year for it is estimated the United States could support 400 PIRTEK locations.