Australian Franchise Awards
2016 Results

Poolwerx won the top title at the Australian Franchise Awards for the third time in its 24-year history. The swimming pool service franchise is a regular award-winner on this side of the Tasman too with its Waikato franchisees having twice won the Home Services Franchisee of the Year title in the Westpac New Zealand Franchise Awards. Poolwerx now has over 100 stores in Australia and almost 400 vans on the road.

Poolwerx CEO and founder John O'Brien accepted the award with a heartfelt speech. 'I remember when I was nine years old and I knew in my heart that I wanted to succeed. I wasn’t sure what it was that I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted success,' Mr O’Brien said. He also had some key messages for what it takes to be ahead of the crowd.

'Having a culture of innovation is not enough: you also need a structure and strategy for innovation, having rewards for innovation, having people and the environment in which it’s pretty cool to make mistakes and to push the boundaries. Sometimes mistakes are good.

'If you don’t take your franchisees, or their staff or your staff along for the ride, the innovation dies on the vine. So you must really have an inclusive process on bringing people into innovation, so that they feel a part of it. Communicate it well and train them well,' he said.

Jump! Swim Schools was named Australian Emerging Franchise of the Year. Ian Campbell, CEO and Founder is a father to three young sons and has a long history with swim schools. Ian opened his first purpose-built swim school in 2011 after identifying the difficulty in teaching young beginners in big busy aquatic centres.

Franchising the business was an obvious step in business success for Mr Campbell. 'By franchising our business, we get increased brand recognition across the market, are able to reach more consumers and help them appreciate what kids are capable of in our swim schools,' he said.

Pandora Jewelry took home the award for the International Franchisor of the Year. Luce Gill, National Franchise and Commercial Manager said that feedback was the secret to adapting international learnings to the Australian shore.

'We really seek to get the franchisees' feedback on any ideas that we have. Just because there is a global promotion, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will work in the Australian marketplace in the original format and Pandora from all the way to the top is very receptive to ideas – from the clientele, to the CEO, up to the offices in Hong Kong and Denmark… we really listen to our franchisees and involve them in every step of the process,” Ms Gill said.

The full list of winners at Australia's MYOB FCA Excellence in Franchising Awards for 2016 is:

Franchisor awards

Australian Established Franchisor of the Year – Poolwerx

Australian Emerging Franchisor of the Year – Jump! Swim Schools

International Franchisor of the Year – Pandora Jewellery

Excellence in International Franchising – GJ Gardner

Franchisor Social Responsibility – Bridgestone Select

Franchisee awards

Multi-Unit Franchisee of the Year – Daniel Mesiti & Anthony Stahl, Boost Juice Chatswood, Bankstown, Eastgardens and Top Ryde NSW

Single-Unit Franchisee of the Year, Two or More Staff – Chris Wall & Robyn Mitchell, Pizza Capers Gunghalin ACT

Single-Unit Franchisee of the Year, Fewer than Two Staff – Shaun Birley & Sam Orders, InXpress Sydney CBD NSW

Franchisee Community Responsibility and Contribution – Ryan Kirkham, Bakers Delight Maroochydore QLD

Industry awards

Field Manager of the Year – Stephen Halls, Poolwerx

Supplier of the Year – Franchise Relationships Institute

Franchise Woman of the Year – Natalie Brennan, FoodCo

Franchise Innovation – Boost Juice

Excellence in Marketing – Specsavers

The winners of this year's Westpac New Zealand Franchise Awards will be announced on 12 November 2016. See preview here.

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Ian Campbell, Jump! Swim Schools, winner of the Australian Emerging Franchisor of the Year award

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