The Franchise Council of Australia honoured franchising’s best and brightest at the NAB FCA Excellence in Franchising Awards Gala Dinner.

7-Eleven was awarded the major accolade of the evening – Established Franchisor of the Year.

CEO of the convenience retailer, Warren Wilmot, was very proud of the win.

“We are thrilled to win Established Franchisor of the Year in 2012. We are proud to participate in a program that celebrates excellence in franchising, and are honoured to have been recognised for the fourth time by the FCA,” he said.

“This ongoing success is due to the hard work of not only our head office and state teams, but also each of our individual franchisees and their staff.”
Luxottica were awarded Emerging Franchisor of the Year, having recently moved to a franchise model as a way to allow their employees a career path towards owning their own business.

Director of franchising and acquisitions Peter Bailey said the model also provided a great opportunity for independent optical  businesses to improve their profitability and value by converting to either the OPSM or Laubman & Pank brands.

“This award has highlighted a lot of hard work by our team, but also proves we are on the right track as the best practice tools we have been building have been recognised by the peak body in franchising,” he said.

Multi-unit Franchisees of the Year Michelle and Tony Graham of PoolWerx in Queensland were blown away at receiving the award at national level.

“It’s humbling to be recognised by an association where people think what you do is worth an award – especially when we think we’re just doing our job,” Ms Graham said.

The awards held at state and national level each year represent the pinnacle of franchise achievement and are a celebration of the hard working teams and individuals in the industry.

FCA executive director Steve Wright said in difficult economic times the Australian franchise sector has outperformed the rest of the small business market.

“These outstanding businesses and individuals are great examples of the entrepreneurial skill and determination that has made the sector so resilient,” he said.

NAB FCA Excellence in Franchising Awards 2012 Winners
Established Franchisor of the Year – 7-Eleven Stores
Emerging Franchisor of the Year – Luxottica Franchising
Multi-Unit Franchisee of the Year – Michelle and Tony Graham, PoolWerx, Indooroopilly, Samford, The Gap and Keperra
Franchisee of the Year, two or more staff – Craig Mason, Sign-a-rama, Joondalup
Franchisee of the Year, less than two staff – Daniel Conroy, Mister Minit, Ipswich
Franchise Woman of the Year – Carolyn McManus, The Coffee Club, Cairns and Townsville
Supplier of the Year – FC Business Solutions, Victoria
Franchise Executive of the Year – John Pascoe, Battery World Australia
Field Manager of the Year – Shane McMillan, Mister Minit, NSW
Excellence in Marketing – Fastway Couriers
International Franchising – Gelatissimo
Franchise Innovation – Battery World Australia
Franchisor Social Responsibility – Bakers Delight & Bendigo and Adelaide Bank
Franchisee Community Service – Jo and Maurie Patterson, Bakers Delight, Caneland
Contribution to Franchising – Philip Ciniglio, Market Minds
Franchise Hall of Fame
Christine Taylor, Aussie Pooch Mobile
John O’Brien, PoolWerx