The international HVAC franchise is seeing greater franchise growth than this time last year.
Aire Serv, the Neighborly-owned HVAC franchise with more than 200 locations internationally, is celebrating the signing of nine new franchise agreements throughout the month of July. This figure is triple the number of agreements signed in July 2019, and marks a 10-year high for deals closed within this timeframe.
“Typically, summer is a tough time for HVAC franchise development because it’s the busiest season for those already working in the business, and overwhelmed HVAC technicians do not feel they have the time to put toward researching and considering conversion of their existing business to an Aire Serv franchise,” said Aire Serv president Steve Truett. “However, the spike in franchise development we’ve experienced this summer is a testament to the fact that the ‘busy season’ is no longer a barrier to change. For those who want to take control of their destinies, the Aire Serv franchise system is an attractive option for enabling growth.”
These new agreements will expand the brands presence in at least six U.S. states, which are primarily scattered across the Sunbelt and Gulf Coast regions. The franchisees behind these agreements are both existing Neighborly partners looking to expand their portfolios, as well as individuals completely new to Neighborly’s family of home service brands.
“We are thrilled that new business development is still on the rise for Aire Serv despite the ongoing pandemic, as this speaks to the recession-resistant, essential value of our business,” said Truett. “More than half of these summer agreements resulted from discussions that began in April of this year, confirming that the American Dream is still alive through franchising even in times of economic downturn.”
This upswing in demand for Neighborly’s home service brands is indicative of the sentiment shared by Neighborly president and CEO Mike Bidwell, in a recent feature penned for Global Franchise: “The opportunity to invest in the home services industry is more attractive than ever,” said Bidwell. “And, with many careers becoming uncertain, home service franchise owners can feel confident that their services will continue to be needed not just throughout the remainder of this pandemic, but for decades to come.”
