--- title: "PIRTEK USA Names Doug Smith Vice President of Franchise Development" url: https://burnaze.com/article/627a22ae-ad11-49a8-82fe-6e1d9e5238c3 source: "Franchising.com" original_url: https://www.franchising.com/news/20260923_pirtek_usa_names_doug_smith_vice_president_of_franchise_development.html category: "Lawn & pest" industry: "Home Services" segment: "Lawn & pest" topics: ["Development & multi-unit","People"] published: 2026-09-23T12:00:00.000Z modified: 2026-11-01T22:32:23.427Z image: https://imgs.franchising.com/brands/social/pirtekusa.jpg --- # PIRTEK USA Names Doug Smith Vice President of Franchise Development **TL;DR:** PIRTEK USA has named Doug Smith as its new Vice President of Franchise Development, where he will lead the company's continued franchise expansion across the country. Smith brings over a decade of experience in franchise development, having previously worked with BELFOR to grow their home services franchise portfolio. *originally published in Franchising.com on 2026-09-23. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/news/20260923_pirtek_usa_names_doug_smith_vice_president_of_franchise_development.html).* ## Story ROCKLEDGE, FL – PIRTEK USA, a leading provider of mobile and retail hydraulic and industrial hose services, has named Doug Smith as its new Vice President of Franchise Development. With more than a decade of experience in franchise development and a career spanning restaurant operations, sales, and financial services, Smith will lead PIRTEK USA’s continued franchise expansion across the country. Smith joins PIRTEK after nearly a decade with BELFOR, where he helped grow the company’s home services franchise portfolio from six to 15 brands. His experience includes working with established franchise systems as well as helping turn emerging concepts into scalable franchise opportunities. “I’ve been fortunate to see franchising from a lot of different angles, from working directly with franchisees to helping build franchise systems from the ground up,” said Smith. “What attracted me to PIRTEK is the opportunity to help people create something of their own while joining an essential business that supports other essential businesses and makes a meaningful contribution to the communities we serve. It’s particularly rewarding to work with those who may be looking for a new direction in their careers. You don’t necessarily have to know the hydraulic hose business; you just need strong business and people skills, along with a willingness to learn.” Prior to entering franchising, Smith spent more than a decade in the restaurant industry, transitioning to restaurant equipment and supply sales and later to financial services. That experience gave him a firsthand understanding of the demands of business ownership and the importance of problem-solving, adaptability, and relationship-building. Smith’s approach to franchise development centers on educating candidates about the opportunity rather than simply selling them on a concept. He believes successful franchisees can come from a variety of professional backgrounds when they have the right business acumen and are willing to leverage the systems, training, and support available to them. “Doug brings extensive franchise development expertise and a strong network of trusted relationships with franchise consultants across the industry,” said Kim Gubera, CEO of PIRTEK USA and PIRTEK Canada. “His ability to build credibility with consultants and understand what candidates are seeking will be invaluable as we continue to expand our franchise network. We’re excited to welcome him to TEAM PIRTEK, and I am confident he will play an important role in driving our continued growth.” In his new role, Smith will focus on building relationships with prospective franchisees and franchise consultants while continuing to expand PIRTEK’s presence in markets nationwide. He will also work closely with existing franchisees to expand their businesses into new territories, extending PIRTEK’s unmatched hydraulic and industrial hose service—and its 1-Hour ETA and 24/7/365 on-site emergency response model—to more customers and communities. PIRTEK provides the fastest hydraulic and industrial hose maintenance and replacement services through on-site mobile and service and supply centers. The brand has more than 500 mobile service vehicles and over 200 retail locations across the U.S. PIRTEK has a 1-hour ETA for on-site hose service, is available 24/7/365, and is a simple solution that minimizes equipment downtime and eliminates the need for customers to leave their job sites or facilities to locate new hydraulic and industrial hoses as well as hydraulic fittings. WE’LL KEEP YOU OPERATING® For more information, visit www.pirtekusa. A great way to work for yourself and serve a wide range of clients is to launch a hydraulic and industrial hose service franchise. ## Entities - Franchising.com (publication) - franchise development (topic) - Multi-Unit (sector) - executive appointment (topic) - PIRTEK USA (company) - industry expansion (topic) - Kim Gubera (person) - BELFOR (company) - Doug Smith (person) --- Originally reported by Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/news/20260923_pirtek_usa_names_doug_smith_vice_president_of_franchise_development.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/627a22ae-ad11-49a8-82fe-6e1d9e5238c3).