Boots to Business: A Vet founds FranNet

Gordon Dupries served in the U.S. Coast Guard during Vietnam in air search and rescue. His time spent abroad is something that has shaped his life significantly. “When I joined the Coast Guard I was in college, and there was no student deferment. I was liable for the lottery draft to go to Vietnam. Unfortunately or fortunately, any way you look at it, my birthday was number four.” Dupries said. “Going into the Coast Guard made me a man and it made me a leader. It was big deal for a kid at 19 to be in charge of cargo and people’s safety.” [caption id="attachment_8608" align="alignleft" width="216" caption="Gordon Dupries"][/caption] Home of the brave never rings so true until the brave return home. Once Gordon left the Coast Guard in 1980, he ventured into the business world as a senior traffic and logistics administrator with Bechtel Corporation. After five successful years with Bechtel, he started HWC Packaging, a packing and crating franchise. “We opened three locations. It was a unique franchise because we could pack, crate and ship anything up to one million dollars in value; none of the other companies could match it,” Dupries said. After four years with HWC, he sold the company in 1989 to move on to alternative business opportunities with colleague Howard Bassuk. “I just sold HWC in an all cash deal and a friend of mine in franchising introduced me to Howie. He was someone who, like me, was involved in consulting and had an interest in helping people. I flew down to San Diego and met with him and we spoke about what the future could look like for those in franchising,” notes Dupries. Through the friendship and partnership, Gordon became one of the five founding members of FranNet, a franchising consulting firm. “We didn’t know what we were getting into, but we had a passion for helping people. Primarily we saw a business model that works; The client didn’t pay, the franchising community did. We just had to find clients to believe.” Once Gordon and his partners were able to prove FranNet’s worth, more franchisors saw the benefits of using a franchise specialist. In twenty years, he has assisted over 200 plus new business owners. Despite all his success, Gordon is most proud of his work with helping veterans get into the business world. “Boots to Business, sponsored by the Small Business Administration, Small Business Development Centers, SCORE Counseling and FranNet is a two day workshop at Travis Air Base. We introduce veterans to small business through multi-media presentations. We inspire them, give options and show them what to look for in the business and franchising worlds.” A career that started in the U.S Coast Guard 33 years ago continues to reside on the coast. Gordon lives and works in the San Francisco area, where he works throughout multiple territories in the Bay Area. He hopes to continue working with veterans achieve personal and professional success.