Ben Whitehouse joined the Spring-Green family earlier this year as part of our Green Industry Franchise Program. Like many soon-to-be franchisees, Whitehouse had a corporate business background and became interested in his own lawn care business from a desire to build something of his own. Ben and a friend started Whitehouse Lawns in 1998, but after 12 years in business, decided he needed further support to grow the way he wanted. That’s when he discovered Spring-Green.
“I wanted to scale out my business more than I’ve been able to do on my own,” Whitehouse said. “Visiting the corporate office and seeing the way the different departments—marketing, business planning, the call center and the corporate team as a whole—work together to make a strong, successful franchise drew me to Spring-Green.”
Taking advantage of our Green Industry Program, Whitehouse converted the lawn care portion of his business to a Spring-Green franchise. He serves the southwest suburbs of Charlotte, N.C., including Pineville, where his business began, as well as the Fort Mill and Rock Hill areas of South Carolina. The choice to convert his lawn business to a Spring-Green franchise has been a great asset. “My business has improved,” he says. “I have a much better pricing structure with vendors through Spring-Green and a bigger marketing reach. The support center provides excellent support, too. They’re available when I need them, and they are absolutely invested in my success.”
The Green Industry Program provides a discount applied toward start-up expenses, which may include the initial marketing campaign fee, for qualified candidates who currently own or are employed by “Green Industry” businesses. There is also a Roll-In program allowing owners of independent Green Industry businesses financial assistance and start-up discounts if they want to convert the lawn and tree care service portion of their independent business to a Spring-Green franchise. Whitehouse has seen the benefits of these programs firsthand.
“The Green Industry Program was helpful for getting into the franchise, and that was really appealing. Coming in, I knew the industry and I understood the business model. I had experience with it which made me even more confident in becoming a Spring-Green franchisee.”