Lakeland Verandahs establishes a presence in Northern Ireland

In quite a monumental first for the company, for the very first time householders throughout Northern Ireland can now enhance their outdoor living spaces with UPVC decking, fencing and balustrades from Lakeland Verandahs.

We get to take a look at why John McKnight decided to become one of the very first franchisees based in Newry and Armagh and how he will be leading the way in Northern Ireland.

John is no stranger to being a franchise owner. For a decade, he successfully ran a franchise in the Portadown and Omagh territories for the American manufacturing company, Mac Tools, part of the Stanley Black & Decker Group. Prior to that, he worked as a haulage contractor for 22 years, and also spent 10 years as a pub landlord.

He decided to move on and sell the franchise early last year, but quickly began to miss the fulfilment that being a franchise owner gave him, so he searched out for a new franchising opportunity. The Lakeland Verandahs Franchise Network seemed a great pathway back into franchising for John, but it was only after having discussions with Lakeland’s CEO, Russell Milburn, that it confirmed to him it was the right route to take.

“I was really impressed by Russell and his team. Everything about the Franchising proposition at Lakeland Verandahs was very clearly explained to me - it felt like you got the personal touch. I also sensed that so long as you do the job properly, you won’t be hassled, and I find that makes working more relaxed and enjoyable.

“There was also no negativity in any of the reports I received about Lakeland Verandahs" - John McKnight, Lakeland Verandah Franchisee 

 "I liked that they are continuously looking into new ways of improving the business. They’ve already helped me a lot. If there’s ever anything they don’t know the answer to, they will always find out the answer for you.”

The initial goal for John is to build up a reputation. He believes that the exclusivity and superior quality of Lakeland’s UPVC decking and fencing products will help him do that quite quickly, and give him a competitive edge over the decking companies that currently operate in the country. 

Lakeland’s national database will now begin feeding John’s new franchise with leads covering the entire country.