1851

Last year, Hurricane Harvey swept through the southern coast of Texas, leaving tens of thousands of homes and businesses destroyed by winds and flooding. Few cities were affected as dramatically as Rockport, Texas, which was located directly in Harvey&rsquo;s path and lost roughly 20 percent of its population as a result.

Benny Mota is a <a href="http://www.greatclipsfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-great-clips-helped-rockport-back-on-its-feet-after-hurricane-harvey-2708159" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Great Clips</a> owner alongside his wife Annie with one salon in Rockport and another two in Corpus Christi. Mota&rsquo;s Corpus Christi locations missed the worst of the hurricane, sustaining only minor structural damages, but his Rockport location, like so many other businesses in the city, was a total loss.

It took Mota nearly five months to re-open his Rockport <a href="https://1851franchise.com/greatclips" target="_blank">Great Clips</a>, and he predicts it&rsquo;ll be a while longer before it fully bounces back.

&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;ll be another one or two years before we fully recover,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The town was hit really hard, and the economy is going to feel the effects for a long time.&rdquo;

In the weeks and months following Harvey, Mota says his community banded together to help rebuild the city.

&ldquo;Even as everyone was rebuilding their own homes and businesses, we all got together and tried to help each other, neighbor to neighbor,&rdquo; he said.

Soon after the hurricane, Mota reached out to his local Chamber of Commerce, which was working with a number of local businesses to think of ways to help the community. One of the ideas they came up with was to raise money for scholarships for students affected by the hurricane.

Harvey struck at the end of August, just as many schools were getting started. Some schools were &nbsp;demolished by the storms, displacing thousands of students.

&ldquo;Our school in Rockport was shut down, which was a terrible loss,&rdquo; Mota said. &ldquo;Kids had to go to schools miles away, athletes missed their entire season, and for seniors, their final year was taken from them.&rdquo;

Mota agreed to use his Great Clips salon to raise money for a fund that would provide college scholarships for seniors affected by the hurricane, and when he notified &nbsp;Great Clips&rsquo; corporate team, they decided to get involved as well.

&ldquo;I told Steve Hockett, [Great Clips&rsquo; CEO] about the plan, and he came back and pledged to contribute, on behalf of Great Clips Inc., to the fund on top of what we raised,&rdquo; Mota said.

&ldquo;Benny and Annie, being an incredibly optimistic couple, rolled up their sleeves and committed to reopen Great Clips, even as their staff scattered as far as Colorado to find a temporary place to live. Then, Benny had the great idea to award scholarships to high school kids at Rockport High to give back to the community, and to lend a hand-up to kids whose homes or families or support groups were devastated by the hammer of Harvey,&rdquo; said Hockett. &ldquo;Once we heard of their plan for the kids of Rockport High, Great Clips Inc. tripled the number of scholarships Benny and Annie offered as a way of supporting great people, great franchisees and a great community. It might even bring a tear of joy to your eyes, thinking about the impact our franchisees have on the communities where they live and operate salons.&rdquo;

Great Clips helped the Rockport Chamber of Commerce raise hundreds of thousands of dollars, enough for 10 full scholarships for students affected by the hurricane. And Mota said the benefits of that effort extended beyond the students who received scholarships.

&ldquo;The response was really amazing,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I think people were really inspired, and it showed how capable we are of coming together and bouncing back from destruction.&rdquo;

On a smaller scale, Great Clips also contributed to Mota&rsquo;s Rockport store to help his employees make it through the storm&rsquo;s aftermath, providing gift cards and even grants to help with the various expenses Mota&rsquo;s employees were facing.

&ldquo;Great Clips was there to help immediately,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Right off the starting block, they sent gift cards to help with groceries and things like that. They also awarded grants to a number of our employees who needed extra help. It was incredible. We were all very touched.&rdquo;

In March, Mota&rsquo;s Rockport celebrated a grand re-opening. The town still had a lot of work to do in rebuilding, as it still does today, but Mota said the event was a celebration of how far the town had come.

&ldquo;The grand re-opening was great, and not just for our store,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The Chamber of Commerce came out, and the event signified how we were able to overcome the hurricane, and how determined we were to rebuild.&rdquo;

Mota says that determination continues today, thanks in no small part to the support he and the city of Rockport have received from Great Clips, and while the community still has plenty of work to do, Mota is confident it will recover.

How Great Clips Helped Rockport Back on Its Feet After Hurricane Harvey

1851 Franchise

The hair-care franchise helped provide scholarships for students who lost their senior year after the hurricane.

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-great-clips-helped-rockport-back-on-its-feet-after-hurricane-harvey

TruBlue Home Service Ally

Why TruBlue is the Ideal Franchise for Multi-Unit Owners: Scalable Growth With a Purpose

why-trublue-is-the-ideal-franchise-for-multi-unit-owners-scalable-growth-with-a-purpose

Onigilly Japanese Kitchen

Koji Kanematsu Turned a 2,000-Year-Old Japanese Staple Into One of the Most Scalable Restaurant Franchise Models

koji-kanematsu-turned-a-2000-year-old-japanese-staple-into-one-of-the-most-scalable-restaurant-franchise-models

Lindora

Celebrating the Nurse Behind the Mission: How Melinda Endricks Is Powering Lindora’s Growth and Impact Nationwide

celebrating-the-nurse-behind-the-mission-how-melinda-endricks-is-powering-lindoras-growth-and-impact-nationwide

Sola Salons

Sola Salons Targets Chicago for Strategic Franchise Growth

sola-salons-targets-chicago-for-strategic-franchise-growth

Melting Pot

Photo of Melting Pot white chocolate fondue

How Melting Pot Franchisees Drive Year-Round Success Through Strategic Promotions and Local Marketing

melting-pot-franchise-year-round-success

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 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

DoorDash Expansion Could Reshape Delivery and Operations for Franchise Brands - 1851 Franchise

DoorDash Expansion Could Reshape Delivery and Operations for Franchise Brands

doordash-acquistions-deliveroo-sevenrooms

Crumbl Franchise Investment - TSG Consumer Partners -  1851 Franchise

TSG Consumer Partners Takes Minority Stake in Crumbl, Signaling Franchise Growth Potential

crumbl-franchise-investment-tsg-consumer

Yum Brands Reports Strong Q1 Results with Big Boost from Taco Bell

yum-brands-reports-strong-q1-results-with-big-boost-from-taco-bell

QSR: McDonald’s Gains Momentum With Chicken Innovation, Value Deals and Franchisee Support

mcdonalds-franchise-recovery-chicken-strategy-value-deals-2025

The Future of Franchising: Trends and Predictions for 2025 and Beyond

the-future-of-franchising-trends-and-predictions-for-2025-and-beyond

Franchisee spotlight image with Randy and Sandy Craft, Children's Lighthouse logo on blue background

The Crafts’ Successful Journey from New Parents to Children’s Lighthouse Franchisees

the-crafts-successful-journey-from-new-parents-to-childrens-lighthouse-franchisees

Franchisee spotlight graphic with photo of Amy Lepke and family and Papa Murphy's logo

After 14 Years as a Stay-At-Home Mom, Amy Lepke Returned to Papa Murphy’s — This Time as an Owner

papa-murphys-franchise-amy-lepke

Franchisee Spotlight with Micki Waters and Papa Murphy's Logo

Work Mom: How Micki Waters Became a Mother Figure to Her Entire Papa Murphy’s Team

work-mom-how-micki-waters-became-a-mother-figure-to-her-entire-papa-murphys-team

Franchisee spotlight image with photo of Robert Trujillo and UWRG logo on blue background

How Great Clips Helped Rockport Back on Its Feet After Hurricane Harvey

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS