ProLift Garage Doors Franchise Information

Executive Q&A: David Raymond, Vice President of ProLift Garage Doors

The Vice President of ProLift Garage Doors gives the lowdown on the industry-leading garage door repair and installation brand.

What void does your brand fill, and what inspired you to start?

The overhead garage door was invented in 1921, and it hasn’t evolved much mechanically since then. The major change has come from automatic openers. Over two-thirds of all homes have automatic garage doors and everyone relies on them to function properly, but they are often overlooked until they fail. This has resulted in an in-demand industry but a fragmented market, especially for repair work.

Premium Service Brands CEO Paul Flick recognized the in-demand niche market, with garage door services representing a valuable franchise investment. Launched by Flick in 2016, ProLift Garage Doors, one of the Premium Service Brands franchises, performs repair, replacement, installation and servicing of overhead garage doors and loading dock components for residential and commercial clients. Since being acquired by PSB, ProLift Garage Doors has made a name for itself through its commitment to customer service as well as industry expertise. 

What are some of the brand’s differentiators?

For one, the business is resilient as it offers a service for a critical appliance in the home. Even if homeowners aren’t maintaining the home, they’re still maintaining the garage door. Therefore, this is a year-round business model. Regardless of the economy, professional garage door technicians are sought after by homeowners and business owners alike, meaning ProLift owners can take advantage of the brand’s in-demand garage door franchise opportunity. Overall, we’ve seen revenue and franchise growth across the board, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ProLift Garage Doors offers franchisees a business opportunity with low overhead costs, solid growth potential and brand credibility. Even better, running a ProLift Garage Door franchise offers owners the flexibility to operate from their home or a small office while scaling their business at their own pace. 

Another differentiator is our support infrastructure. Franchisees have access to a national call center for easy booking. We have the technology in place to ensure that the booking process is streamlined and smooth for our franchisees. Plus, our franchise owners are not expected to be technicians themselves — we’re able to book directly with our technicians which means the owner is not responsible for the daily operation of the business.

When it comes to our services, ProLift Garage Doors initially focused on commercial business, but last year we shifted our focus onto residential clients. We wanted to create a more stable income model for our owners while allowing them to keep commercial work as an additional revenue stream. Most of our competitors in the garage door industry go in and immediately sell a new door to consumers, but most doors can be repaired to like-new condition for a fraction of the cost. This model is more profitable for franchisees and more affordable for the consumer. We are able to help homeowners save money while operating a more competitive business model.

The average ProLift Garage Door franchise location features two to five technicians. This allows for very low overhead costs, as the compensation is directly tied to staff performance and the material costs are tied to the jobs. 

What are your short-term and long-term growth goals? 

Our immediate strategy is to ensure that our franchisees are seeing profitability and are able to reach their financial goals. If we have happy franchise owners, they will communicate that validation to those that are looking to invest in a franchise. 

ProLift Garage Doors is still growing, but our end goal is to be the number-one choice for customers when they need a garage door solution. ProLift Garage Doors exists in a highly fragmented industry dominated by small mom and pop operations. 

What were some learning opportunities that the brand leveraged to get where it is now? 

Thanks to the backing and industry experience of our parent company, Premium Service Brands, we’re quick to adapt to new challenges. For example, COVID-19 has allowed us to develop new enhancements to our business model. Garage door services have been identified as an essential service, so out locations needed these enhancements to continue safe operations during the pandemic.

With six growing and respected home service franchises in its portfolio, Premium Service Brands knows how to set franchisees up for success. The business model has been perfected over four decades of operation, and the corporate team helps owners implement the proven system. Franchisees have all the resources they need to boost sales, recruit and retain employees, incorporate the latest technology and provide the best customer service in the industry. 

What are some of the brand’s most important milestones over the past five years? 

When I first joined the brand, I was able to bring on new vendors, which was a very important milestone. Some of these new vendors include Scorpion as our marketing vendor and Marentec Openers as our garage opener vendor. Another milestone would be bringing on Will Faulkner as our Lead Coach. He has extensive experience in the industry, and we are able to leverage that expertise to build marketing strategies, adapt our business model and support growth. 

What does your ideal franchisee look like?

ProLift Garage Doors is looking for business owners — entrepreneurs who are good at managing KPIs and who understand how to hit their goals. We prefer our franchisees do not operate as owner-operators. Instead, they should be owners capable of leading a team of employees and working on growing their business through marketing, network opportunities and staff accountability. As opposed to garage door experience, we prefer owners with a sales background, such as account management or medical sales. We want franchisees who know how to attract, inspire and manage top talent. If the staff believes in the owner’s mission, they will want to follow their lead. We want franchise owners and team members who believe in our brand’s vision. 

How does ProLift Garage Doors support franchisees?

We help franchisees set goals and build marketing plans, by hosting a weekly call with all of our franchise partners and business coaches to discuss a designated topic. It’s an hour long call in which franchise owners can connect and learn from one another. Also, the leadership team makes sure to be accessible 24/7 for our franchise owners and technicians. We help with pricing support and offer frequent insight into best practices. 

This support infrastructure also includes training and guidance from the corporate leadership team, digital marketing and local advertising research, access to a national call center for booking, established brand presence and credibility, vendor partnerships, franchise management resources, communication with the network of home service franchisees and a culture of honesty, integrity and respect.

What franchise growth plans does the brand have in the coming years?

In the next few years, we’re hoping for exponential growth. We have seen significant growth year-over-year — the brand is on pace to have doubled its units by the end of 2020 and we want to continue that trajectory over the next three years. 

Now, ProLift Garage Doors is looking for qualified owners to help expand its network of franchisees and bring these winning services to available territories. The brand has identified several target markets for growth in 2020, including Phoenix, Arizona; Nashville, Tennessee; San Antonio, Texas; Memphis, Tennessee and Columbia, South Carolina.

For more information of franchising with ProLift Garage Doors, visit: https://www.premiumservicebrands.com/prolift-garage-doors/