Print PageCanadian Franchise Association Announces Winners of the CFA Awards of Excellence in Franchising
(Toronto, ON) May 11, 2010… The Canadian Franchise Association (CFA) is pleased to announce that Expedia CruiseShipCenters is the Grand Prize winner of the 2010 CFA Award of Excellence in Franchising and Gold Winner in the Category of Traditional Franchises – Mature/Established.Open exclusively to CFA Franchise System members who have been franchising for three years or more, the CFA Award of Excellence in Franchising recognizes excellence in franchise operations. Winning systems must demonstrate a dedication to superior franchisee relations, team work and communication. The Award was presented to the British Columbia-based company on May 3, 2010 during a gala awards presentation dinner at the 19th annual CFA National Convention in Mont Tremblant, Quebec.
“It is a true honour to win these prestigious awards”, says Michael Drever CEO and Founder of Expedia CruiseShipCenters. “Winning the Gold Award of Excellence in the Category of Traditional Franchises – Mature/Established is important because it represents direct feedback from the Franchise Partners we serve. Then to be further recognized as the top franchise system in the country through the CFA Award of Excellence in Franchising Grand Prize is simply amazing because we are competing with the best of the best in franchising in Canada.”
This year, 31 CFA member franchise systems participated in the CFA Award of Excellence in Franchising competition. The winning franchise systems are decided based on the results of a survey completed by CFA member franchisors and franchisees about their experiences with their franchise system and colleagues. The CFA Award of Excellence in Franchising is sponsored by CFA and administered by InfoFeedback, a third-party research firm. Considered the ultimate prize in Canadian franchising, the CFA Award of Excellence in Franchising is given annually to franchise systems that have demonstrated the strongest, most mutually rewarding relationships with its franchisees.
“The CFA Award of Excellence in Franchising truly sets a benchmark for franchises throughout Canada and we are honoured to present the awards to this year’s winners,” says Lorraine McLachlan, CFA President and CEO. “A solid relationship between franchisor and franchisee is vital to the system’s success and these companies’ results show that they offer outstanding support to their franchisees.”
The CFA Award of Excellence in Franchising competition includes four categories to enable franchise systems to be rated against their peers. Entries are separated into Traditional Franchises (i.e. those with bricks and mortar locations) and Non-Traditional Franchises (i.e. mobile, home-based, etc.). Within these groups, entrants were grouped based on the length of time the franchise system has been operating (3 to 10 years and 11+ years). These categories better reflect the wide range of franchise opportunities in today’s marketplace and create a more even playing field for the ranking of each entry. From amongst the winners in each category, the franchise system with the highest overall score is awarded the 2010 CFA Award of Excellence in Franchising Grand Prize.
The 2010 CFA Award of Excellence in Franchising winners are:
Traditional Franchises (i.e. bricks and mortar locations)
New / Emerging (franchising 3 - 10 years)
Gold: Premier Homecare Services
Silver: UCMAS Mental Math
Bronze: Cobs Bread
Mature / Established (franchising 11+ years)
Gold: Expedia CruiseShipCenters
Silver: BioPed Footcare Centres
Bronze: White Spot Restaurants
Non-Traditional (i.e. mobile, home-based, etc.)
New / Emerging (franchising 3 - 10 years)
Gold: Sunshine Grounds Care
Silver: Nurse Next Door Home Healthcare Services
Bronze: ActionCOACH Canada
Mature / Established (franchising 11+ years)
Gold: CertaPro Painters
Silver: CARSTAR Automotive Canada
Bronze: The Dwyer Group
"The Award of Excellence in Franchising is about education," says Cheryl Kostopoulos, President, Pak Mail Centers Canada and Chair of the CFA Award of Excellence in Franchising Committee. "It's about CFA members’ commitment to excellence and highlighting the fact that, when the franchisor and the franchisees work together, there is no better way to do business. This is what CFA is all about. It reflects our core values: how to do franchising right."
For more information about the CFA Award of Excellence in Franchising and a list of past winners, click here.
About the Canadian Franchise Association (CFA)
With almost 500 corporate members nation-wide, representing many of Canada’s best-known brands, the Canadian Franchise Association is the National Voice for Franchising in Canada and works with all levels of government to ensure the development of industry-made solutions. CFA promotes excellence in franchising and educates Canadians about franchising, specific franchise opportunities and proper due diligence through its many events, programs and publications.
About ExpediaCruiseShipCenters
Established in 1987, Expedia CruiseShipCenters is recognized as one of the leading cruise and vacation sellers in the world. The company includes over 120 franchises and a team of more than 3,000 professional Cruise Consultants. For more information, please visit www.cruiseshipcenters.com
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For more information, and/or to arrange an interview with CFA President & CEO Lorraine McLachlan, please contact:
John Sacke
Sacke & Associates
E-mail: johns@sackepr.com
Tel: 416-493-5723 ext. 201
Cel: 647-886-0750
Kenny Chan
Assistant Manager, Communications
E-mail: kchan@cfa.ca
Tel: 800-665-4232 ext. 232