With Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, the residential plumbing franchise owned by Authority Brands, new franchisees aren’t stepping into the market alone. Right away, they get access to BuyMax — the purchasing arm within Authority Brands. It’s a level of support that puts them in a stronger position than a typical independent shop.
"The great thing about being a franchisee in a big system is that you have a tremendous amount of support,” said Richard Willard, vice president of customer success at Authority Brands. “All 15 Authority Brands concepts, combined, do about $2.2 billion a year in annual sales. BuyMax leverages the buying power of the Authority Brands network to secure better deals on products and services for Benjamin Franklin Plumbing franchisees.”
In recent years, the plumbing industry has experienced significant price swings driven by supply chain issues, tariffs and global disruptions. Willard says the impact on independent businesses has been severe, but BuyMax helps stabilize the experience for franchisees.
“We have contracts with vendors where they can't raise our prices or they can't raise them by a certain amount,” Willard said. These agreements are designed to help Benjamin Franklin Plumbing franchisees manage pricing more effectively than many independent operators by leveraging the buying power of the broader system.
BuyMax also secures private-labeled products for Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, giving franchisees access to branded items backed by manufacturer alignment. While independents may pursue private labeling on their own, doing so at a comparable level can be complex and costly without the scale of a larger system.
“Nobody's going to private label a product without a huge commitment from buying," Willard said.
In addition, major manufacturers want national partners with a reliable reputation and footprint, which Benjamin Franklin Plumbing offers as one of the “highest rated plumbing organizations with coverage across almost every state in the country.” This scale allows BuyMax to establish private-label partnerships that deepen customer trust, strengthen warranties and reinforce brand loyalty.
Buying the first service truck is often one of the biggest financial challenges for new franchisees. BuyMax Fleet makes this easier by guiding owners through the process.
"If you have not worked in the plumbing industry, you have no idea what to do,” Willard said. “Well, that’s where you have this great team from Benjamin Franklin Plumbing that leads in.” The BuyMax team helps franchisees understand what they need, provide a schedule and ensure everything is set up correctly.
On the fleet side specifically, Willard notes that it goes far beyond just locating a truck. “It’s upfitting the vehicle,” he said. “It’s wrapping the vehicle. It’s financing that vehicle, whether that’s through a traditional loan or a corporate lease.”
This approach can save franchisees time, money and effort while giving them flexibility as their business grows.
Thanks to BuyMax’s national relationships with preferred manufacturers, franchisees are not paying off-the-shelf prices for their equipment. They can buy at a lower cost and still receive a rebate directly from the manufacturer. “If they're buying a preferred vendor price with a rebate from a distributor that also has a rebate, they're now doubling up on rebates,” Willard said.
For contractors buying high-volume items, Willard points out that a 2% to 5% rebate can become “a huge win over time” and potentially accelerate profitability.
BuyMax also invests heavily in training to ensure technicians know how to sell, install and service products correctly. Willard describes this as a critical part of franchise success.
“It really doesn't matter how good a product is if your people don't know how to sell it correctly or how to install it correctly or how to service it correctly,” he said. BuyMax addresses this through regional account managers who conduct on-site training, vendor-led sessions and live demos at conferences and conventions.
Willard also highlights the selling advantage of private-label products. If a technician offers a standard brand-name sink, homeowners can immediately search online for the price. “But if it’s a private branded product, they do not have the ability to do that,” he said. “You can’t shop against a private-label product and that empowers the tech in the home.”
One significant benefit of BuyMax is that franchisees don’t pay an additional fee to access the program itself. As a division of Authority Brands, BuyMax’s services and purchasing agreements are built into the system, with franchisees paying only for the products and services they choose to purchase.
“Working with BuyMax gives Benjamin Franklin Plumbing franchisees the opportunity to save money while supporting long-term growth,” Willard said. These kinds of savings make it difficult to put a single number on the program’s overall financial impact.
With BuyMax behind them, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing owners start with built-in advantages most independents can’t match: protected pricing, private-label products, fleet support, stacked rebates and hands-on training — all at no extra cost. That scale can turn everyday purchases and decisions into meaningful savings and faster ramp-up.
As BuyMax grows, Authority Brands is sharpening its focus on what matters most — franchisee profitability. Starting in 2026, BuyMax is adding more upfront discounts and purchasing incentives so Benjamin Franklin Plumbing owners can lock in stronger margins right out of the gate. Those changes are meant to boost revenue faster and keep the full weight of the network working in each owner’s favor.
For candidates weighing their options, that Fortune 500-level buying power isn’t just a perk; it’s a durable edge that can shape profitability from day one.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/benjamin-franklin-plumbing.
Benjamin Franklin Plumbing
SPONSORED
BuyMax transforms small plumbing businesses into procurement powerhouses with the potential to outbid, outstock and outprice independent competitors.
With Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, the residential plumbing franchise owned by Authority Brands, new franchisees aren’t stepping into the market alone. Right away, they get access to BuyMax — the purchasing arm within Authority Brands. It’s a level of support that puts them in a stronger position than a typical independent shop.
"The great thing about being a franchisee in a big system is that you have a tremendous amount of support,” said Richard Willard, vice president of customer success at Authority Brands. “All 15 Authority Brands concepts, combined, do about $2.2 billion a year in annual sales. BuyMax leverages the buying power of the Authority Brands network to secure better deals on products and services for Benjamin Franklin Plumbing franchisees.”
In recent years, the plumbing industry has experienced significant price swings driven by supply chain issues, tariffs and global disruptions. Willard says the impact on independent businesses has been severe, but BuyMax helps stabilize the experience for franchisees.
“We have contracts with vendors where they can't raise our prices or they can't raise them by a certain amount,” Willard said. These agreements are designed to help Benjamin Franklin Plumbing franchisees manage pricing more effectively than many independent operators by leveraging the buying power of the broader system.
BuyMax also secures private-labeled products for Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, giving franchisees access to branded items backed by manufacturer alignment. While independents may pursue private labeling on their own, doing so at a comparable level can be complex and costly without the scale of a larger system.
“Nobody's going to private label a product without a huge commitment from buying," Willard said.
In addition, major manufacturers want national partners with a reliable reputation and footprint, which Benjamin Franklin Plumbing offers as one of the “highest rated plumbing organizations with coverage across almost every state in the country.” This scale allows BuyMax to establish private-label partnerships that deepen customer trust, strengthen warranties and reinforce brand loyalty.
Buying the first service truck is often one of the biggest financial challenges for new franchisees. BuyMax Fleet makes this easier by guiding owners through the process.
"If you have not worked in the plumbing industry, you have no idea what to do,” Willard said. “Well, that’s where you have this great team from Benjamin Franklin Plumbing that leads in.” The BuyMax team helps franchisees understand what they need, provide a schedule and ensure everything is set up correctly.
On the fleet side specifically, Willard notes that it goes far beyond just locating a truck. “It’s upfitting the vehicle,” he said. “It’s wrapping the vehicle. It’s financing that vehicle, whether that’s through a traditional loan or a corporate lease.”
This approach can save franchisees time, money and effort while giving them flexibility as their business grows.
Thanks to BuyMax’s national relationships with preferred manufacturers, franchisees are not paying off-the-shelf prices for their equipment. They can buy at a lower cost and still receive a rebate directly from the manufacturer. “If they're buying a preferred vendor price with a rebate from a distributor that also has a rebate, they're now doubling up on rebates,” Willard said.
For contractors buying high-volume items, Willard points out that a 2% to 5% rebate can become “a huge win over time” and potentially accelerate profitability.
BuyMax also invests heavily in training to ensure technicians know how to sell, install and service products correctly. Willard describes this as a critical part of franchise success.
“It really doesn't matter how good a product is if your people don't know how to sell it correctly or how to install it correctly or how to service it correctly,” he said. BuyMax addresses this through regional account managers who conduct on-site training, vendor-led sessions and live demos at conferences and conventions.
Willard also highlights the selling advantage of private-label products. If a technician offers a standard brand-name sink, homeowners can immediately search online for the price. “But if it’s a private branded product, they do not have the ability to do that,” he said. “You can’t shop against a private-label product and that empowers the tech in the home.”
One significant benefit of BuyMax is that franchisees don’t pay an additional fee to access the program itself. As a division of Authority Brands, BuyMax’s services and purchasing agreements are built into the system, with franchisees paying only for the products and services they choose to purchase.
“Working with BuyMax gives Benjamin Franklin Plumbing franchisees the opportunity to save money while supporting long-term growth,” Willard said. These kinds of savings make it difficult to put a single number on the program’s overall financial impact.
With BuyMax behind them, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing owners start with built-in advantages most independents can’t match: protected pricing, private-label products, fleet support, stacked rebates and hands-on training — all at no extra cost. That scale can turn everyday purchases and decisions into meaningful savings and faster ramp-up.
As BuyMax grows, Authority Brands is sharpening its focus on what matters most — franchisee profitability. Starting in 2026, BuyMax is adding more upfront discounts and purchasing incentives so Benjamin Franklin Plumbing owners can lock in stronger margins right out of the gate. Those changes are meant to boost revenue faster and keep the full weight of the network working in each owner’s favor.
For candidates weighing their options, that Fortune 500-level buying power isn’t just a perk; it’s a durable edge that can shape profitability from day one.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/benjamin-franklin-plumbing.
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