1851

There&rsquo;s a reason that parents choose <a href="http://www.safewaydriving.com/franchise-opportunities/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-franchisee-gary-fowler-partnered-with-safeway-driving-to-make-his-community-a-safer-place-10234" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SafeWay Driving</a> for their teens: the brand&rsquo;s passion for teaching young drivers how to handle themselves behind the wheel is evident in everything they do. The methodical approach <a href="http://safewaydriving.1851franchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-franchisee-gary-fowler-partnered-with-safeway-driving-to-make-his-community-a-safer-place-10234" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SafeWay Driving</a> implements gives parents peace of mind as their kids prepare to drive on their own. So when Gary Fowler, parent to a coming-of-age driver, learned about SafeWay Driving, not only did he want to enroll his daughter in the program, but recognized an opportunity to bring a better driving school into his own community in Sienna Plantation, Texas, as well.

With his family rooted in Sienna Plantation, which is located southwest of Houston, Fowler wasn&rsquo;t satisfied with the available options for drivers education when his daughter was reaching the age when she&rsquo;d learn to drive. That&rsquo;s when Fowler, a partner and certified business transition expert at B2B CFO&reg;, met a SafeWay Driving investor through his consulting work. The SafeWay Driving story struck him as unique and smart, and he sought out more information from there.

&ldquo;Eventually, I started meeting with the people who run the day-to-day operations, and really appreciated their passion and excitement about everything they do,&rdquo; Fowler said. &ldquo;SafeWay Driving stood out to me as a business model and as a driving school for my daughter. The standards and training for both the instructors and the students are stronger than most of the competitors. Obviously, I wanted to feel like my daughter was as prepared as she possibly could be for her license.&rdquo;

Soon after, Fowler signed on with SafeWay Driving as a franchisee and opened in March of 2015. By March 2016, his business had doubled.

&ldquo;Gary has been a fantastic addition to the SafeWay Driving team,&rdquo; said Ann Littman, CEO of SafeWay Driving. &ldquo;His business experience coupled with his desire to give back to his community makes him an ideal franchisee for the brand. There&rsquo;s a real demand in the greater Houston area for more quality driving programs, and watching Gary&rsquo;s business grow has been exciting.&rdquo;

Just as his business started to take off, Fowler met Renee Woods, a former marketer turned stay-at-home parent who actively volunteered in her community. The two met while volunteering, and they eventually got to talking about Fowler&rsquo;s recent business venture. Excited about the concept and the career opportunity it presented for her, Woods was brought on to manage the young business&rsquo;s local marketing efforts.

&ldquo;I had two teen drivers, and when I learned about SafeWay and considered it as a program for my kids, the consistency of instructor training provided by corporate stood out to me,&rdquo; Woods said. &ldquo;My kids had attended another driving school and what they were being taught just wasn&rsquo;t consistent.&rdquo;

Once Woods joined the team, the business continued to skyrocket. Becoming involved in the local high school, Woods now works on establishing and growing relationships amongst the different subgroups within the school, like the football team, band and dance team. According to Woods, this type of involvement has partnership at its core. Rather than simply trying to sell a product, Woods and Fowler both agree that the goal is to keep the community&rsquo;s roads safe and prepare students to be as prepared as possible.

&ldquo;Renee has done so much for the growth of our business, especially through community involvement,&rdquo; Fowler said. &ldquo;We really want the best for these kids, and I think it shows. We talk with the parents and they see that.&rdquo;

How Franchisee Gary Fowler Partnered With SafeWay Driving to Make His Community a Safer Place

1851 Franchise

Opening in March 2015, Fowler leveraged the demand for SafeWay Driving in the greater Houston area and has watched his business boom. 


This brand page has been paid for by 1851. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

how-franchisee-gary-fowler-partnered-with-safeway-driving-to-make-his-community-a-safer-place

Lawn Doctor

Design with photo of John Perry and Lawn Doctor logo

How a 20-Year Industry Veteran Tripled His Sales With a Lawn Doctor Franchise

lawn-doctor-franchise-success-story-john-perry

Fitness Premier

The Secret to Fitness Franchise Success? It's Not Just the Workouts

fitness-premier-franchise-marketing-support

Fresh Coat

Photo of Fresh Coat vehicle with ladders on top

The Rise of Home Improvement Franchises: Why Now Is the Time to Invest

why-invest-home-improvement-franchise-fresh-coat

HomeTeam Inspection Service

Photo of HomeTeam inspector in red polo and khaki pants, walking by branded vehicle

Real Estate Today: Behind the Drywall: The Truth About Home Inspections

purpose-of-home-inspection

Dog Training Elite

Dog Training Elite Franchise - DTE - National Service Dog Month - 1851 Franchise

Celebrating Service Dogs: Why Proper Training Changes Lives — And How Dog Training Elite Is Leading the Way

dog-training-elite-national-service-dog-month

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Design with American and Federal Reserve flags against light blue background

Federal Reserve Expected To Cut Rates by Quarter Point, a Move That Could Boost Franchise Growth

fed-rate-cut-boosts-franchise-growth

Potbelly to be Acquired by RaceTrac in $566 Million Deal 

racetrac-acquires-potbelly-in-566-million-deal

Health Care Hiring Slowdown Highlights In-Home Care Franchise Opportunities - 1851 Franchise Agg

Health Care Hiring Slowdown Highlights In-Home Care Franchise Opportunities 

health-care-hiring-slowdown-in-home-care-franchise-opportunities

Caribou Coffee Names Scott Kennedy CEO, Eyes Continued Growth

caribou-coffee-names-scott-kennedy-ceo-eyes-continued-growth

McDonald’s Launches New Extra Value Meals as Consumer Demand for Value Continues to Climb

mcdonalds-launches-extra-value-meals

DevHub - Meet the Supplier - 1851 Franchise

DevHub: Scalable Digital Marketing for Franchises and Multi-Location Brands

devhub-meet-the-supplier

Mike Revak - Chief Business Officer - Sky Zone - Franchise Marketing Leaders - 1851 Franchise

Top 25 Franchise Marketing Leaders: Mike Revak — President and Chief Business Officer, Sky Zone

top-25-franchise-marketing-leaders-mike-revak-chief-business-officer-sky-zone

Top 25 Franchise Marketing Leaders: Cathy Chavenet — Chief Marketing Officer, Paris Baguette

top-25-franchise-marketing-leaders-cathy-chavenet-chief-marketing-officer-paris-baguette

BooXkeeping: Making Bookkeeping Cool for Franchisors, Franchisees, and Small Business Owners

booxkeeping-making-bookkeeping-cool-for-franchisors-franchisees-and-small-business-owners

Hely and Hiral Patel Bring Their Longtime Dream to Life With The Brass Tap

brass-tap-franchise-pasadena-maryland-hely-hiral-patel

1851 Keyword - The Secret To Succeeding With a Part-Time Franchise Is Picking the Right Model

The Secret To Succeeding With a Part-Time Franchise Is Picking the Right Model

part-time-franchises-picking-the-right-model

Franchisee spotlight graphic with photo of Ricki Oberoi and Layne's Chicken Fingers logo

Multi-Unit Wendy’s Operator Signs 12-Unit Deal With Layne’s Chicken Fingers

ricki-oberoi-laynes-chicken-fingers-growth

1851 Franchise Deep Dive graphic with Sparkle Squad logo

Sparkle Squad Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

franchise-deep-dive-sparkle-squad-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data

Design with school-aged child standing on pencil with text "Education Franchises" and "<$500K"

Top Education Franchises Under $500K To Explore in 2025

top-education-franchises-under-500k

How Franchisee Gary Fowler Partnered With SafeWay Driving to Make His Community a Safer Place

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS