14 October 2015 – New Zealand’s own Fastway Couriers was named International Franchisor of the Year at the Australian Franchise Awards last night

The winners of Australia’s annual MYOB FCA Excellence in Franchising Awards were named last night, and a New Zealand franchise brand took out one of the top titles. Fastway Couriers was named International Franchisor of the Year, with Fastway Australia CEO Richard Thame saying the award recognised what the company’s 800-plus courier franchisees across Australia do every day.

‘These guys are getting up tremendously early and working hard running their own business, servicing tens-of-thousands of customers. This award really goes to the courier franchisees out there that make up the brand and do the hard work every day,’ Mr Thame said.

‘The team will be incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved, but it’s also great for our customers. We really differentiate ourselves by being a franchise. We were the first courier company in the world to franchise, which is something we’re immensely proud of.’

The International Franchisor of the Year award is given to one international franchise in recognition of its success in Australia, focusing on the company’s insight into the market and ability to refine its business model and services to meet the needs of local consumers, employees and franchisees.

Fastway Couriers impressed the judges with its system of observing global trends to develop local business strategies, including its understanding of the rising importance of online retailing in Australia, which led to the adoption and implementation of its internationally proven Parcel Connect and eBay Portal services.  Fastway Couriers’ franchisee recruitment, support and training, as well as its management of resources and its financial success, also helped the friendly courier experts to secure this prestigious accolade.

Other top winners

The other big winner on the night was Boost Juice Bars, which was named Australian Established Franchisor of the Year.

‘Winning an award like this means a lot. Being recognised by your peers is fantastic and it’s also good to know that we’re heading in the right direction,’ said Boost Juice Bars CEO, Scott Meneilly.

Boost Juice Founder Janine Allis, who has grown the business from her kitchen bench to a franchise of more than 400 stores across 13 countries, was recognised for her outstanding contribution to franchising as she was inducted into the Australian Franchise Hall of Fame.

Boost Juice’s international arm was also successful on the night, taking out the award for Excellence in International Franchising for its international expansion strategy.

Optometry business Laubman & Pank was named the Australian Emerging Franchise of the Year. First established in 1908, Laubman & Pank opened its first franchise store in 2012 and Ian Taunton, National Sales Director for Laubman & Pank, said franchising had been a positive step for the business.

‘We’ve seen a real passion and energy being reborn in our network from our franchisees. This award is a great signal for us about the strength of the franchise group,’ Mr Taunton said.

Optometry and retail franchise, OPSM also took out two awards on the night, Excellence in Marketing and Franchisor Social Responsibility.

A total of 14 Excellence in Franchising Awards were presented on the evening, which was proudly sponsored by MYOB. Successful individuals and businesses were recognised across a range of functions including franchisees, support staff and franchise systems.

Attention now turns to the Westpac New Zealand Franchise Awards, which will be announced on Saturday 14^th November 2015.

MYOB FCA Excellence in Franchising Awards 2015 Winners In Full

• Australian Established Franchisor of the Year – Boost Juice Bars 
• Australian Emerging Franchisor of the Year – Laubman & Pank
• International Franchisor of the Year – Fastway Couriers Australia
• Multi-Unit Franchisee of the Year – Irene and Ian Hughes, Poolwerx (WA)
• Single-Unit Franchisee of the Year, two or more staff – Britt and Ben Diggins, Bakers Delight, Sturt Mall, Wagga Wagga (NSW)
• Single-Unit Franchisee of the Year, less than two staff – Brent Giblin, Mister Minit, Shellharbour (NSW)
• Franchise Woman of the Year – Marlies Hobbs, Paleo Café
• Field Manager of the Year – Laxman Bhardwaj, Chocolateria San Churro (VIC)
• Supplier of the Year – Whirlwind Print
• Excellence in Marketing – OPSM
• Excellence in International Franchising – Boost Juice International
• Franchise Innovation – Specsavers
• Franchisor Social Responsibility – OPSM
• Franchisee Community Responsibility and Contribution – Alexandra Lincoln, John Bleakley and Kim Taylor, PRDnationwide Real Estate, Toowoomba City (QLD)
• Franchise Hall of Fame Inductee 2015 – Janine Allis, Boost Juice Bars