It was lawn care franchise Green Thumb’s commitment to building and maintaining their brand over the last 12 months that helped it to win the Express Newspapers’ Brand Builder of the Year Award at last month’s British Franchise Association’s (bfa) Franchisor of the Year Awards 2009.
Sponsored by Express Newspapers and HSBC, the awards recognise exceptional levels of insight and investment in core areas of business.
Managing director Jeff Williams said: “Winning this award is a tremendous honour and confirmation from industry experts that our business, and our brand, is at the forefront of franchising in this country. 
“It’s the icing on the cake following the culmination of a huge amount of hard work from everyone involved with GreenThumb, from head office staff through to our 180 plus franchisees that have helped shape, not just the GreenThumb brand, but the lawn service industry in the UK.”
The GreenThumb franchise network extends from Inverness to the Isle of Wight, with franchisees supported by a brand that is dedicated to building and maintaining the trust of the British gardening public.
Director David Griffiths added: “The quality of the products that we use, the skill and enthusiasm of our fully trained lawn technicians, the experience of a franchisor and a cumulative buying power, help to ensure that our customer experience is second to none. Our franchisees are committed to making their businesses profitable and grow through the recession.”
GreenThumb’s belief is that a business must advertise its way out of a recession, and in response to this strategy the company is yielding its highest growth ever; maintaining margins and increasing turnover month on month.
Geraldine Haenow, advertising group head at Express Newspapers said: “As this year’s winner for the Express Newspapers Brand Builder of the Year Award, GreenThumb has shown real credence and has successfully built a reputable brand within the franchise industry over the last 12 months.
“Through ambitious planning and successful promotion the company has constructed a reliable platform for success and I’m sure this will accelerate its business to tackle the current unstable economic market head on.” 
Three finalists were shortlisted for the Express Newspapers Brand Builder of the Year Award, and alongside GreenThumb were Hob Salons and Lighter Life. 
All had proven that as franchisors they have invested time and money into securing the future of their business and the many franchisee businesses making up their entire network.