IFA Convenes Local Franchise & Business Leaders, Elected Officials in Sacramento Roadshow Events

Sacramento, Ca. – The International Franchise Association’s (IFA) Open for Opportunity Roadshow stop in Sacramento wrapped up yesterday after back-of-house tours of local franchises and a roundtable discussion with community leaders and elected officials on the opportunities provided to California workers through franchising. B-roll video of the roadshow is available for download and use on-air and online here (attributable to IFA).

“IFA’s mission is to protect, enhance, and promote franchising, and the events we hosted today and what we heard from participants are proof that franchising is alive and well in California,” said Mike Layman, Senior Vice President of Federal Government Relations for IFA. “Our discussions at today’s roundtable and back-of-house tours focused on how the franchise business model supports the small business workforce – empowering individuals to be in business for themselves, but not by themselves. IFA looks forward to seeing the renewed commitment to franchising that stems from today’s events.”

“California has always been a place that welcomes aspiring entrepreneurs to harness their full potential and explore what opportunities lie ahead,” said Greg Flynn, Founder, President, and CEO of Flynn Restaurant Group. “The franchise system that helped my company grow – and other companies like mine – must be preserved so that the next generation of local franchise business owners have the same opportunities I had.”

“Local franchise businesses are absolutely essential to maintaining the vibrancy of California’s economy and creating new opportunities for professional and economic growth,” said Jennifer Berrera, President and CEO of the California Chamber of Commerce. “With more than 700,000 Californians employed in the franchise sector, the California Chamber is committed to helping protect this vital industry and ensure that franchising remains open to people from all walks of life.”

“Through my experience with franchising, I have been able to build strong relationships with the community and customers – becoming someone they can rely on,” said Joe Mabutas, Operations Manager at AdvantaClean Central Valley. “Our cleaning and remediation services were more important than ever during the pandemic, helping to ensure our community had safe and clean homes for their families as they spent more time at home. Having the support of a national brand helps people trust us, but it’s the local employees and owners that really build something special. I am happy to be at this roadshow event and provide a first-hand account of the value of franchising.”

California is home to more than 75,000 local franchise establishments that employ more than 728,000 people. The industry provides nearly $30 billion in payroll, generates nearly $70 billion in economic output, and contributes more than $43 billion to California’s gross state product.

Open for Opportunity – which officially launched at IFA’s Annual Convention in San Diego and has stopped in South Florida, Philadelphia, and Wilmington– focuses on sharing the stories of local franchise owners and workers from around the country to demonstrate the positive impact they have on economic growth, job creation, and the communities in which they operate. The Sacramento roadshow stop included back-of-house tours and a roundtable discussion with franchisees, local elected officials, and business and community leaders.

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About the International Franchise Association:

Celebrating over 60 years of excellence, education, and advocacy, the International Franchise Association (IFA) 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 approximately 775,000 franchise establishments that support nearly 8.2 million direct jobs, $787.7 billion of economic output for the U.S. economy, and almost 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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