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From serving Queen and country to becoming Lakeland Verandahs Cumbria franchisee

Lakeland Verandahs Cumbria is fronted by franchisee Colin Wanley and one of the many geographical territories covered by the Lakeland Verandahs franchise network.

Lakeland Verandahs Cumbria franchisee Colin Wanley

Colin is on very different duties now to his duties of old because for 27 years he worked overseas, serving in the British Army, until he decided it was time to finally settle back down in the UK.

Upon his return to Blighty, he established his own company, which specialises in cleaning driveways, patios and decking, and rejuvenating hardwood garden furniture.

It’s worked out really well for him, so much so that he started looking into how he could expand the portfolio of the business by adding other related services, with him regarding the inclusion of maintenance-free decking to be a great option.

Colin takes up the story:

“Having investigated and studied the decking industry in some depth, the name of Lakeland Verandahs consistently showed up to be a leading company in the field.

“Their insistence on providing a quality product was apparent and it fitted into my own way of thinking.

“Simultaneously, they were looking to start up a Franchise Network, so, for me, it became a ‘no brainer’ to follow this up and see if it would be possible to enter into the Network.”

Discussions took place and Colin came away from them convinced that he had just experienced the future of house and garden improvements, and he really wanted to be a part of it. Very soon after, he agreed to take on ownership of the Cumbria operation.

“The main aspects that sold the franchise network to me were the quality of the products, coupled with the support that Lakeland Franchisees are given - the training and ongoing assistance we get is second to none.” 
Lakeland Verandahs Cumbria franchisee, Colin Wanley

This support is helping Colin to develop and grow his branch at a fast pace, with him setting his sights on achieving sales of 80 units in his first year, as a minimum. That appears to be a very attainable target.