Some of the top multi-unit franchisees in the country were recently honored at the Multi-Unit Franchising Conference in Las Vegas with the prestigious Most Valuable Performer (MVP) Awards.
Dozens of candidates were nominated and evaluated before a list of twelve winners (including a tie in one category) were selected. A panel of judges looked for franchisees who demonstrated outstanding performance in growing both their organizations and their brands.
To be nominated for the awards, multi-unit franchisees are required to have at least five operating units and been in a franchise system for at least two years.
Here are this year’s winners:
-The Mega-Growth Leadership Award for achieving excellence in growth and expansion goes to Eric Danver, a franchisee with Hand & Stone.
-The Spirit of Franchising Award for extraordinary and enduring performance, growth, and community giving goes to Austin and Lisa Campbell, franchisees with Sola Salons.
-The Single-Brand Leadership Award for achieving leadership with a single brand goes to Tony Mattiaccio, a franchisee with Ziebart.
-The Influencer for Former Pro Athlete Award for achieving excellence in franchising as a former professional athlete goes to Shaquille O’Neal, a Big Chicken and Papa John’s franchisee.
-The Veteran Entrepreneurship Award for outstanding, performance, leadership, and innovation by a military veteran goes to Wyatt Batchelor, franchisee with Jimmy John’s and KFC.
-The Influencer for Husband & Wife Team Award for demonstrating excellence in franchising as husband and wife goes to Scarlett and Jason Dalton, franchisees with Camp Bow Wow.
-The Noble Cause Award for passionate, unwavering support for those in need goes to Alex Tyler, franchisee with Goldfish Swim School.
-The American Dream Award for achieving remarkable success in their new country goes to Tabbassum Mumtaz, franchisee with Pizza Hut, KFC, and Taco Bell.
-The Innovation Award for bringing a new and unique contribution to their brand goes to Michael Chalmers, franchisee with Spherion Staffing and Recruiting.
-The Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion Award for demonstrating exceptional commitment to the promotion of diversity, equality, and inclusion in their organization goes to Antonio McBroom, franchisee with Ben & Jerry’s.
-The Multi-Brand Leadership Award for achieving brand leadership with multiple brands was a tie between Rent A Center franchisee Shirin Kanji and Dunkin’/Baskin-Robbins franchisee Raj Patel.
Each winner was recognized with an award during a general session at this year’s annual Multi-Unit Franchising Conference held April 25-28 at Caesars Forum.