John Barber of SpeedPro Awarded Franchisee of the Year by International Franchise Association

DENVER, March 22, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- SpeedPro, the nation's leader in large format graphics, today is pleased to announce The International Franchise Association (IFA) named John Barber of SpeedPro in Norcross, Georgia, as Franchisee of the Year. Barber was honored at IFA's 62nd Annual Convention in San Diego, California, for being an outstanding franchise establishment owner-operator.

"Franchisee of the Year Awards are the highest honors presented to individual franchisees," said Matthew Haller, President and CEO of the International Franchise Association. "These local business owners like John Barber, represent some of the best entrepreneurs in the country and we are proud to recognize his contributions to their communities, their employees and all those they serve."

The Franchisee of the Year Award, sponsored by IFA's partner Paychex, recognizes leading franchisees who exemplify at least one of IFA's "Open for Opportunity" core pillars: Community, Workforce, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Veterans. SpeedPro is a 163-location franchise in the U.S. and Canada specializing in large-format printing. SpeedPro's primary product applications include wall, window and floor graphics, event displays, digital displays, signs and vehicle and fleet wraps. A variety of industries are served by SpeedPro including advertising and marketing companies, retail, healthcare, museums and galleries, restaurants, franchises, event venues, educational institutions and more. SpeedPro's mission is to partner with businesses to achieve success through innovative visual solutions.

Barber joined the SpeedPro Norcross studio as a partner in June of 2015, and has been the sole owner since September 2019. A graduate of the University of Minnesota Business School, Barber has worked for large corporations including Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo and a series of private equity ventures primarily in the hospitality and food service franchising industry.

"The past 2 years of the pandemic solidified Norcross' leadership position in our marketplace as we added 642 new customers by leveraging our digital marketing strategy," he said.

The reasons Barber received this award in the community category are many. As the pandemic started, the studio donated over 300 yard signs and banners to restaurants and retailers by driving around and giving them away for free. The businesses used the signs to message and communicate to people where they could still obtain meals.

Barber also partnered with 4 other companies during Easter weekend to feed 26,000 meals to displaced food service workers in greater Atlanta. The program was named "Feeding Food Service." Barber has supported the hospitality and franchise industry after the great learnings he had in his early years in food service.

Creating art files used by the entire SpeedPro system, Barber's studio donated over 200 8-foot Heroes Work Here signs and installed them at hospitals, police and fire stations, city halls, public works and regional medical facilities. Additionally, the studio donated the signs to the first COVID drive-thru locations at the Peachtree Immediate Care Medical facilities in Atlanta, and has been supplying all 30 plus locations with graphics since.

Additionally, the studio printed signs for all 16 cities in Gwinnett County, which was contacted by the Gwinnett Municipal Cities Association once they heard of the program. The 128 signs the studio printed and installed was at a 50% discount with Barber donating 10% of the revenue to the North Georgia Community Foundation to support families impacted by COVID.

"My experience as a franchisor and now as a SpeedPro franchisee has been a highlight of my professional career," shared Barber. "2022 is shaping up to be another record year for our Norcross studio and hopefully the SpeedPro system as a whole."

A recent IFA study showed that franchising helped lead U.S. economic recovery in 2021, with exceptional job and business growth across all franchising sectors. The industry on average provides higher wages, better benefits and more leave than non-franchised businesses, as well as greater opportunities to underserved communities and aspiring entrepreneurs, according to Oxford Economics research.

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About SpeedPro
SpeedPro specializes in transformation through large-format printing and graphics. SpeedPro's expertise is in translating its client's vision into flawless large-size graphics using the industry's most innovative printing technologies. Whether you have print-ready artwork or you need to commission an original custom design, SpeedPro works with clients and marketing agencies of all sizes and industries to produce graphics and prints that add branded experiences to retail windows, sports arena banners, event graphics, trade show displays, vehicle fleet wraps, wall murals, and so much more. For more information, visit SpeedPro online at http://www.SpeedPro.com

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. For more information, visit the IFA online at https://www.franchise.org

Media Contact

Carrie Wick, CWPR, +1 (310) 461-8866, [email protected]

Danielle Yuthas, SpeedPro, (720) 773-8631, [email protected]

SOURCE SpeedPro