Lifelong Entrepreneur Bruce Wishnia Achieves Record-Breaking Growth With ServiceMaster Restore Franchise in New Jersey

Bruce Wishnia has been an entrepreneur for the past 50 years, starting his first jewelry business at age 18 and transitioning into home improvement, real estate development and construction. After a pipe burst in one of his rental properties, a $90,000 insurance settlement opened his eyes to the restoration industry. Though he initially built his own independent restoration business, Wishnia realized the power of a national brand and identified a major gap in the affluent Morris County market. Seeking a strong name to back his operations, he invested in ServiceMaster Restore. Since opening in 2020, Wishnia has closely followed the franchisor's system, applying his decades of political and public sector networking experience to secure major contracts. Now, his ServiceMaster Restore franchise is one of the fastest-growing in the country, achieving an impressive $10 million in revenue last year.

Wishnia sat down with 1851 Franchise to discuss his journey into restoration and 50 years as a business owner. Here's what he had to say:

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What do you want us to know?

Bruce Wishnia: I have always owned my own business. I've never had a job in my life. I started my first business when I was 18. It was a jewelry business because my dad was in that trade, so I opened a little shop for myself. My father was an immigrant from Poland after World War II. He started by sweeping floors in a jewelry factory and eventually owned one himself. I kind of grew up in that business, so all I ever knew was working for myself.

1851: What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Wishnia: From the late 1980s through the late 1990s, I mostly worked in home improvement. Then, around 2000, I started building houses and redeveloping properties. Around 2004, while I was building a lot of properties, I kept a number of them as rentals. One of them had a pipe burst, and it ended up being a good thing. I hired a public adjuster, and he got me a $90,000 settlement while I completed the repairs for $50,000. That was my "aha" moment.

I ended up working with him more, and he started giving me fire restoration jobs. We were already doing drying and emergency services as an independent company, but I realized it was challenging without the backing of a franchise. You can do it, but I saw the value of having a recognized franchise name behind the business.

1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?

Wishnia: When you've lived the life I have as an entrepreneur, you make mistakes. While I was building the restoration business as an independent company, I invested in a gym franchise, which wasn't the best business move for me. However, that business introduced me to someone who helped me discover franchising in the restoration industry.

What I want people to know is this: don't invest in a franchise if you're not willing to change and follow the system. You're paying royalties for a reason. If you're not willing to follow the franchisor's system, don't bother investing in it.

1851: What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?

Wishnia: When I looked at Morris County, New Jersey, which is a very affluent area, ServiceMaster had no presence. There were other major restoration brands there, and I knew I could fill that gap for ServiceMaster. One thing led to another, and I got an interview with them. It wasn't hard for me to convince them I was the right person because that's what I've been trained to do.

1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth?

Wishnia: We did $10 million last year, and we were by far the fastest-growing new franchise in the country. We went from $3 million to $3.7 million, then to $5 million, and then to $10 million because we landed one gigantic job.

This year, we're expecting to do $7 million, $8 million or $9 million without one giant project. We'll have several large jobs, but nothing that's a one-hit wonder. I took the experience I gained from development and networking for public sector contracts and applied it to what we're doing with ServiceMaster.

1851: Is there anything else about your story you want us to know?

Wishnia: My story is that I put my head down and do what I have to do to make the whole team successful. It's not "I"; it's "we." I try to work as smart as I work hard. Hard work alone isn't enough, but if you work smart in addition to working hard, you can accomplish a lot.

You have to be open-minded and willing to listen and learn. Just because you own the business or the franchise doesn't mean you know everything. You have to make it about the team because, by yourself, you're only going to accomplish so much.

1851: What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming franchise owners?

Wishnia: My advice is to go in with both eyes open. Listen twice as much as you talk, learn the franchisor's system and work it the best you can.

I would strongly advise against getting into ServiceMaster if your goal is to stay a one-man operation with two trucks and four employees. It's a waste. If you're going to do it, do it right.

Also, if you can do it now, why wait and circle back? Just do it. Don't tell yourself, "I've got time. I'll make a note and come back to it." Just get it done. That's how you become successful.

ABOUT SERVICEMASTER RESTORE®: 

With approximately 2,000 franchised and licensed locations around the world, ServiceMaster Restore and ServiceMaster Recovery Management (SRM) serve customers through a global network of franchises available 24/7/365 to provide residential and commercial restoration services resulting from damage caused by water, fire, smoke or mold. SRM is the large-scale commercial catastrophic disaster restoration unit of ServiceMaster Restore. ServiceMaster Restore is a business unit of Atlanta-based ServiceMaster® Brands, a leading franchise provider of needs-based residential and commercial services. More information can be found at servicemasterrestore.com and srmcat.com.

About ServiceMaster® Brands: 

ServiceMaster® Brands is a leading franchisor of residential and commercial services in the restoration, cleaning, moving, junk removal and bioremediation industries. Founded in 1929, the company is home to over 3,200 franchisees across 4,600+ locations serving over 1 million homes and businesses each year. ServiceMaster was founded with a deep commitment to its franchisees and has franchise opportunities available in ServiceMaster Restore®, ServiceMaster Clean®, Merry Maids®, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK*® and TWO MEN AND A JUNK TRUCK®. Visit servicemaster.com/franchising to learn more.