Buzz Franchise Brands is launching Grand Illuminations, a holiday lights franchise, by converting a handful of independent operators to become its first franchisees. “We expect to have six operators training here in September, and launching soon thereafter. It’s about a $100,000 investment, very consistent with our other franchise brands,” said Brian Garrison, COO of Buzz who will also serve as president of Grand Illuminations.
The launch marks the 10th anniversary since Kevin Wilson and partners started Mosquito Joe, in Virginia Beach, Virginia, with a five-employee crew. They built it to a $60-million, 280-unit brand before selling to Neighborly in 2018.
The umbrella firm Buzz Franchise Brands was born in 2015 and they started Pool Scouts that same year. It’s grown to 110 territories in 17 states. It launched Home Clean Heroes in 2017, now with 10 franchisees. And it acquired the 225-unit British Swim School in 2019.
Read more about Buzz Brands first acquisition, of British Swim School, here.
Garrison said Buzz wants more home services brands, whether through acquisition or start-up. “Our goal coming out of last fall is we want to double the number of brands under management to five or six, so Grand Illuminations is a step in that direction,” he said.
He cited Blingle, which Horsepower Brands acquired and renamed in 2021, as a competitor. “I think Blingle is the first new entrant in the market in the last 10 years, so we will be going behind them. Horsepower has a great stable of brands,” he said, adding people in the holiday lights business say “they’re turning customers away. Everything we’ve seen” points to more of a “supply problem than a demand problem.”