AdvantaClean Franchisees Bryan and Cheri Bennett Embrace Small Business Ownership and Making an Impact in their community

When a strong storm system swept through Dallas, Texas last year, residents were left reeling. In the wake of slow-moving torrential downpours, homes, roadways and businesses were flooded. Damage estimates from that deadly Memorial Day weekend storm totaled more than $80 million to public property alone.

North Texas-based AdvantaClean franchisees Bryan and Cheri Bennett wanted to help. So they reached out to two longtime friends and fellow AdvantaClean franchisees in Baton Rouge, Louisiana to see what could be done. The Louisiana duo dropped everything in that moment, and they made the six hour drive to Dallas in their company rig to team up with the Bennetts. In total, the team helped to clean up nearly 20 water-damaged homes that weekend.

It’s moments like these that remind the Bennetts why they joined the AdvantaClean franchise in the first place.

Cheri and Bryan have been a part of the AdvantaClean family since 2012. As a first-time franchisee, Bryan brought with him experience in in both manufacturing and business. After remodeling the manufacturing plants of General Motors (where Cheri also worked as a marketing manager) for a few years, Bryan was offered a fellowship opportunity with Harvard University. It was there that he received his MBA, and soon after, he decided to start his own business—one with a focus on lean manufacturing, meaning that he worked to make the entire home building process more efficient.

Meanwhile, Cheri decided to leave behind her career at General Motors to focus on personal growth, leadership and raising their two boys. But after their sons got old enough, Cheri decided it was the right time to pursue a business opportunity together.

“My husband asked if I would be interested in franchising. Admittedly, I first associated that suggestion with stores like Subway, and I was taken aback,” Cheri said.

But then, after meeting with a consultant, they were presented with a handful of businesses, and her misconceptions about franchising were completely thrown out the window. They were eventually introduced to AdvantaClean, and its business model immediately stood out to the couple.

“I’ve always been interested in health, especially after we had our boys. If you don’t have your health, you don’t really have anything. I liked the idea of helping people live in a healthier, cleaner environment. That passion led me to AdvantaClean,” Cheri said. “Then, after we had our discovery day, I was truly enamored by the culture they had created. It reaffirmed that we were making the right decision.”

Three years into their AdvantaClean business, that same culture that inspired Cheri and Bryan to join the team has trickled down to every single employee. And it’s helped their business grow in a meaningful and impactful way.

“I am consistently impressed with the quality of the people at the corporate office and at a franchisee level, it’s a pleasure to do business with them. We want a similar culture in our office, and we’ve been extremely successful using that approach,” Cheri added.

In the few years they’ve been in operation, their dedication to AdvantaClean, their employees and their clients has made an impact on their community that hasn’t gone unnoticed. In 2015, the couple was awarded AdvantaClean’s Employer of the Year award for seeing the best return on their investment in people. Because of their ability to attract, retain and develop talented employees who contribute to the sustainable growth of their business.

This year, the Bennetts were named AdvantaClean’s Franchisees of the Year. The award recognizes franchise owners who embody the brand’s processes and systems and align with their core values, allowing them to maximize growth and profits for the brand as a whole. Individuals who are named as the Franchisee of the Year are considered market leaders, community leaders and top performers in the AdvantaClean system.

These days, Cheri and Bryan are both quick to say that they’re swamped with work—they’re also quick to say that they wouldn’t have it any other way. When the duo first joined AdvantaClean, they started as regional developers, overseeing 12 different territories. But as they saw more and more business potential throughout Texas, they decided to expand AdvantaClean and take on even more jobs. Today, they cover Plano, McKinney, Frisco, Irving and Addison, Texas.

“Our first purchase was the Plano territory, but we quickly found that there was plenty of room for projects in Dallas and McKinney. Now, we’re planning on leasing a facility in Richardson, which will allow us to centralize all of our equipment and create a home base for all of our employees,” Cheri said. “There’s so much potential to grow with AdvantaClean. We’re excited to continue to broaden our reach throughout Texas in the years to come.”