Lakeland Verandahs Franchisee excels by capitalising on the world of decking

Lakeland Verandahs rapidly growing number of franchise owners in the UK are from a multitude of backgrounds, various walks of life and very interesting backstories.

This time last year, Gary Holmes, the man now in charge of the UPVC decking and fencing company’s Shropshire / West Midlands branch, was working for JD Wetherspoon. He had been in the hospitality industry his whole career (21 years), initially managing pubs for the national chain, and then progressing on to various regional and head office based roles. 

After being furloughed for most of 2020, he spent the time weighing up his options, and, ultimately, decided to start his own business. To support this initiative, he joined the NHS vaccination programme, and in his spare time, also currently volunteers as a business mentor for the Prince’s Trust, mentoring young business people.

He always liked the idea of franchising as a business model, where he could partner with an established business that’s been tried, tested and proven to succeed, and the concept of being in business for yourself, but not by yourself. Therefore he began looking at all his potential franchise opportunities. 

For several reasons, Gary decided the Lakeland Verandahs Network was where his future lay: “I was enthused by the passion and vision of the Directors, Russell and Greg, along with the added benefits of training, support and marketing expertise offered to franchisees, which I see as being invaluable when starting a new business. I also see the home improvements sector as a growth market, especially with more people now spending more time at home, either working from home or socialising, and looking to extend the use of their gardens for longer periods of the year.”

Getting access to market-leading products, and the commercial advantages of being part of a large network is proving very advantageous for Gary.

“It’s helping me to establish the business as a trusted supplier and installer of decking products, and build a solid team of installers across Shropshire and the West Midlands.” - Gary Holmes, Lakeland Verandahs franchisee