CNBC's America's Star Franchisees for 2016: Val Hill and Jared Lee from Sport Clips

The franchising industry is building momentum across the U.S. According to CNBC, there are close to 3,000 franchise companies that collectively add more than $1 trillion to the American economy every year. A major part of what makes these businesses so successful are their teams of passionate franchisees.

CNBC is shining a spotlight on the top 50 franchisees in the U.S. —one for every state— as well as the brands they work for in its recently released list of “America’s Star Franchisees 2016.” In Arizona, the franchisees that claimed the number one spot are Val Hill and Jared Lee from Sport Clips*.

Hill and Lee have been in business together with Sport Clips for the past 11 years. The friends, who first met in business school at Brigham Young University in Utah, decided to invest in the brand after working for more than 15 years at the supply-chain management company Intel. They were drawn to Sport Clips because of the brand’s unparalleled business model, which is both disciplined and systems-driven. Hill and Lee now own 18 successful Sport Clips locations in the Phoenix metro area.

“We have clients that write us letters saying how much they enjoy the time and attention our stylists show them when they come in. You don’t get that kind of feedback with most jobs,” said Hill.

Hill and Lee were recognized by CNBC after the publication, in partnership with Franchise Business Review, vetted more than 28,500 individual franchisees from 364 different brands. Franchises were rated on factors ranging from franchise disclosure documents to financial performance in relation to industry standards. Franchisees were then evaluated on their satisfaction with the franchise system and their regard for management at the corporate office.