United Water Restoration is looking to grow their territories via new franchising efforts and targeted media campaigns.
United Water Restoration handles home and commercial restorations following water, fire or storm damage and offers mold remediation services and trauma cleanup. Founded in 2008, it has 30 franchisees that control 95 territories. The brand wants to add to both those numbers.
A 73 percent increase in total sales to start the year was one signal for United Water that it had an attractive model worth growing. In the first half of 2022, systemwide sales were $8.2 million, while for the same period this year total sales are at $14.2 million. Average revenue for 20 franchise locations was just over $1 million in 2022.
“Franchise expansion has always been our Achilles’ heel,” President Robert Moore said. “We’re finally clicking and understanding what it takes to be successful.”
Robert “Bob” Moore, president of United Water Restoration.
Moore, who joined United Water in 2019, has worked in several different industries over the past 30 years, including as a franchisee of ServiceMaster Clean and Domino’s, and was the senior manager of field training for Dunkin’.
“I’ve worked on both sides of the fence,” said Moore. “I love it, and I love working with entrepreneurs. That’s what’s kept me in franchising.”
Franchise growth has been the focus for United Water Restoration for the past 18 months, he said, both through working with existing franchisees to expand and attracting new owners to the system.
“It’s been a combination of both,” said Moore. “The ones that are already in and doing well are looking to invest in more territory, but we also want to bring in brand new folks.”
In order to attract new franchisees, Moore and his team researched markets that would work well for United Water. Finding roughly 10 new markets, United Water then began a targeted marketing campaign that, instead of casting a wide net across the United States, aims to connect with entrepreneurs in these specific white spaces.
United Water helps out with pretty much anything that can go wrong in a home. Fire, mold and other forms of damage are their bread and butter.
These efforts have been bolstered through broker groups. Even when they didn’t work out perfectly, these relationships were educational and helped the brand in the long run when it came to finding new franchisees, Moore said.
As for the franchisees they’re trying to attract, Moore is open to any entrepreneurs looking to make their mark. “We have franchisees who are successful who have zero experience in our industry, and that’s one of the things I like about it,” he said. “It doesn’t require having experience in our industry to be successful.”
Business ownership experience is preferred, Moore said, but what he really wants to see from candidates is their “hunger.” The company helps ensure those interested in the concept understand the model and wants owners who aren’t afraid to work hard.
The cost to open a United Water Restoration territory ranges from $154,776 to $582,127.
To help with achieving its growth goals, the company added some key players to its corporate team, including Director of Operations Chrissy Gregory and Tiffany Wagner, who is director of digital marketing. Gregory has already revamped the training program for franchisees, Moore said.
“Our owners are willing to invest because they’re still in the business,” said Moore. “They understand that it can be a challenging business and support is key.”