Neighbourly enjoys bumper start to 2019 with expansion of Drain Doctor franchise

Neighborly, the world’s largest franchisor of home serviced franchise brands, has enjoyed a bumper start to 2019 by adding three new franchisees to its Drain Doctor franchise network, bringing the number of locally-owned and operated franchise territories across the UK to 55.   

Shaun Bartlett, James Light and Will Melliard all acquired their franchise in the first three months of this year and are now providing a 24/7 world class plumbing and drainage franchise service to local homeowners and businesses within their respective franchise territories. 

Shaun Bartlett who has obtained the franchise rights for the Drain Doctor Cardiff franchise territory, launched his franchise in early January and has enjoyed success already by surpassing his initial turnover target.  The military training and sales experience that Shaun has gained over the years has proved invaluable for the running of his business and enabled him to bring a variety of transferable skills and qualities to the civilian workplace. 

Will Melliard, who operates Drain Doctor within the Horsham franchise territory bought his new franchise on 4th March and has already been swept off his feet by local demand with the help of his two technicians. Having practised customer care for over 19 years, Will is determined to bring a world class customer experience to the region by delivering an unforgettable service every day to every customer they work with. 

Born and bred in Horsham, Will began his career working for Harley Davidson as a mechanic, followed by positions in customer service and aftersales for over a decade.  He then took a career change and went into the plumbing sector as a business manager and then as a general manger in drainage to focus on enhancing the customer service.   Always wanting to run his own business, Will acquired the franchise and is now looking forward to building a successful drainage franchise within Drain Doctor. 

Entrepreneur James Light also took over the reins of Drain Doctor within the Southampton franchise territory on the 4th March following two decades of running his own successful companies in the finance sector.  With an existing team of two technicians and two branded Drain Doctor vans, James has taken his strong business acumen to a new level with the acquisition of the franchise and has already started to rebuild the customer base in and around Southampton.

Under his management, the franchise business has already made investments in specialist equipment for the vans and moved the office to new premises in Romsey.  Prior to the acquisition, James began his career as an electrical apprentice at the age of 18, followed by the Co-Operative where he worked and owned a territory in financial services and insurance for 10 years.  James then went on to set up his own mortgage brokerage business, along with a debt management side, which has recently been sold to a larger organisation. 

Pierre Jeannes, Managing Director for Drain Doctor, added: 

“We’re proud and delighted that Shaun, Will and James have joined our close network of Drain Doctor franchisees.  With their proven experience in running their own businesses and entrepreneurial flair, coupled with commitment and enthusiasm to make the business work, these three individuals exemplify the kind of franchise owner that we look for across our industry and shows others the fantastic possibilities that exist in our growing network.”

Drain Doctor is the UK’s leading full service combined commercial and domestic plumbing and drainage organisation with over 50+ franchise locations, providing a national service across the UK.  

Please click here for further information on the Drain Doctor Franchise Opportunity