The International Franchise Association (IFA) named Claire Lamarche and Jean-Francois Joyal, owners of UniglassPlus/Ziebart Carleton Place in Carleton Place, Ontario, as Franchisees of the Year. Lamarche and Joyal were honored at IFA’s 62nd Annual Convention in San Diego, Calif., for being outstanding franchise establishment owner-operators.
“Franchisee of the Year Awards are the highest honors presented to individual franchisees,” said Matthew Haller, president and CEO of the IFA. “These local business owners, like Claire and Jean-Francois, represent some of the best entrepreneurs in the country and we are proud to recognize their contributions to their communities, their employees and all those they serve.”
The Franchisee of the Year Award, sponsored by IFA’s partner Paychex, recognizes leading franchisees who exemplify at least one of IFA’s “Open for Opportunity” core pillars: community, workforce, diversity, equity, inclusion and veterans.
“We are so proud of Claire and Jean-Francois and their accomplishments,” said Maurice Filion, president of Uniban. “They work very hard to deliver excellent customer service and the highest level of auto glass repair quality, not to mention their commitment to giving back to their community they serve. They are certainly deserving of this recognition and a role model for our entire Uniban Canada family.”
Lamarche and Joyal were nominated by Driven Brands, the parent company of the Uniban Canada family of brands,and selected by IFA for their involvement in the local Carleton Place community, including donations to the Breakfast Club of Canada, support of the Lanark Food Bank, and contributions to the Carleton Place hospital and other local charities. They also are active supporters of the UniglassPlus marketing and business initiatives and have built a strong local network among other business owners.
A recent IFA study showed that franchising helped lead U.S. economic recovery in 2021, with exceptional job and business growth across all franchising sectors. The industry on average provides higher wages, better benefits and more leave than non-franchised businesses, as well as greater opportunities to underserved communities and aspiring entrepreneurs, according to Oxford Economics research.
