IFA Names Guillermo Perales as the 2015 Entrepreneur of the Year

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Contact:

Jenna Weisbord, 202-662-0766

jweisbord@franchise.org

 


IFA NAMES GUILLERMO PERALES AS THE 2015 ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR


WASHINGTON, Nov. 18, 2015- The International Franchise Association has named Guillermo Perales, President and CEO of Sun Holdings, Inc., as the 2015 IFA Entrepreneur of the Year. Sun Holdings, Inc. is a multi-unit franchisee of Burger King®,Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen®, Krispy Kreme®, Arby’s®, Golden Corral®, Cici’s Pizza®, and T-Mobile®. Mr. Perales is the eighth largest franchisee, as well as the largest Hispanic franchisee, in the United States.


The Entrepreneur of the Year Award is given annually to a visionary who is willing to take risks and who possesses the management skills necessary to create a successful franchising business enterprise. Formal presentation of this award will occur during the Association’s 56th Annual Convention, February 20 – 23, 2016, in San Antonio, Texas.


“Guillermo’s drive, determination, and skill have resulted in a highly-successful franchise company,” said IFA Chair Melanie Bergeron, chairwoman of TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, lnt’I. “As one of the largest and most recognized restaurant franchise owners in the United States, he has demonstrated how the franchise model can be used to grow very successful businesses.”


Mr. Perales immigrated to the United States from Mexico in order to pursue his dream of becoming a successful business owner. As an immigrant without experience in the restaurant industry or connections to the business community, the franchise business model gave Mr. Perales insight and knowledge as to how to operate restaurants. Mr. Perales graduated with high honors from the Institute Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey and received his master’s degree in business administration from Texas A&M University; he immediately launched his franchise career by opening his first Golden Corral location in 1997.


Soon after opening his first restaurant, Mr. Perales founded Sun Holdings Inc. to manage future restaurant ventures. For the next 18 years, Mr. Perales committed himself whole-heartedly to his franchised restaurants. Through his hard work and strong leadership, Mr. Perales now owns and operates 280 Burger King Restaurants, 100 Popeye’s, 68 Arby’s restaurants, 36 Cici’s Pizza, 24 Golden Corral restaurants, 15 Krispy Kreme, 89 T-Mobile locations, as well 10 restaurants in various airports and created over 14,000 local jobs.


While his business has grown, community service has been an integral part of Mr. Perales’ endeavors, and his company’s operations. His restaurants serve 25,000 free meals to American heroes every Veterans Day and distribute over 4 million Certificates of Achievement Awards for free meal vouchers to children annually. Recently, his Burger King restaurants awarded 180 scholarships from $1,000 to $10,000, to local students in need of financial support to further their education.


Mr. Perales has been featured on four occasions in Latino Leaders Magazine’s annual “101 List” as one of the most influential Latinos in the United States. He was recognized in 2008 by Ernst & Young and in 2015 by Asociacion de Empresarios Mexicanos with the Entrepreneur of the Year Award for outstanding leadership, as well as honored with the International Business Achievement Award by the Regional Dallas Chamber’s International Business Council for his commitment to promoting the North Texas Region and expanding international ties.


In addition, Mr. Perales has been an influential member of several organizations in his community and nationwide. He currently serves on IFA’s Board of Directors as well as on several other boards, including the Southwestern Medical Foundation, the National Franchisee Association, the Southern Methodist University 21st Century Council, the Greenhill School Board, the National Association Management Group, The Latino Hotel and Restaurant Association, and the Burger King Diversity Advisory Board.


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About the International Franchise Association

Celebrating 55 years of excellence, education and advocacy, the International Franchise Association is the world’s oldest and largest organization representing franchising worldwide. IFA works through its government relations and public policy, media relations and educational programs to protect, enhance and promote franchising and the more than 780,000 franchise establishments that support nearly 8.9 million direct jobs, $890 billion of economic output for the U.S. economy and 3 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). IFA members include franchise companies in over 300 different business format categories, individual franchisees and companies that support the industry in marketing, law, technology and business development.


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Phone: +1 202/628-8000    Fax: +1 202/628-0812     www.franchise.org

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