Mr. Rooter® Goes to Washington

Several of Mr. Rooter® Plumbing's most prominent Franchise owners traveled to Washington D.C. last week to participate in the International franchise Association's (IFA) 4th Annual Franchise Appreciation Day on Sept. 16. The trip was planned in conjunction with a Mr. Rooter Advertising Advisory Council meeting.

The IFA's events included visiting Senate and House of Representatives offices on Capitol Hill and meeting and educating the Congress members and their staff on the vital role that Franchising and small business owners play in the nation's economy.

"The events were a great way for Mr. Rooter to be represented in the franchise industry's lobbying efforts on behalf of small business in America," said Stacey Goertz, director of marketing for Mr. Rooter.

Mr. Rooter franchise owners in attendance included: Clinton Kershaw, of Pleasant Valley, N.Y.; Phillip and Michele Anderson, of Hartsville, S.C.; Jack and Rosie Pruitt, of Waco, Texas; Michele Ferree, of Milwaukie, Ore.; Bob Blanchard, of San Francisco, Calif.; and Erwin Van Diermen, of Abbottsford, British Columbia, in Canada.

Also in attendance for Mr. Rooter and its parent company The Dwyer Group, were: Dina Dwyer-Owens, president and CEO of The Dwyer Group; Mike Bidwell, COO of The Dwyer Group; Larry Ross, vice president of operations for Mr. Rooter; David Arsenault, regional vice president (East) for Mr. Rooter; Lawrence Snow, regional vice president (West) for Mr. Rooter; Goertz; and Steve Truett, president of Worldwide Supply in Waco.

About Mr. Rooter:

Mr. Rooter® offers full-service plumbing and drain cleaning services to the residential and commercial markets. Mr. Rooter has over 200 locations in U.S. and nearly 100 international locations. It is a subsidiary of The Dwyer Group, Inc., one of the world's largest franchise holding companies in the residential and commercial service business. Established in 1968, Mr. Rooter began franchising in 1974.

About The Dwyer Group:

The Dwyer Group Inc., based in Waco, Texas, is a public holding company that owns six franchisor corporations. Each corporation sells and supports a different service-based brand name franchise under the following service marks: Aire Serv® Heating & Air Conditioning, Glass Doctor®, Mr. Appliance®, Mr. Electric®, Mr. Rooter® (Drain Doctor® in the UK), and Rainbow International® Restoration and Cleaning. The Dwyer Group is also affiliated with another franchisor corporation named DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen by Worldwide® (an associate company). Collectively, the franchisees of these franchise concepts offer customers a broad base of residential and commercial services. The concepts currently support over 900 franchisees in the United States and Canada and, through their master licensees, nearly 400 more franchisees in 21 other countries.