This is the story of how one Revive! technician from Birmingham fell in love with one of his customers, and the couple are now joint-owners of a thriving Revive! franchise in the West Midlands.
When technician Paul Morris arrived at a customer’s home to repair a car bumper, little did they know how life-changing the visit would be for both of them. It was love at first sight. Now, eight years on, the couple have two sons and are planning a summer wedding in 2022. They’ve also gone into business together, becoming the new owners of Revive! Birmingham North, following a re-sale. Paul manages the business day-to-day, while Leanne – who has a background in financial services – is in charge of the company’s finances and marketing.
Having worked as a Revive! technician for a number of years, Paul is well aware of the benefits of owning a lucrative franchise with the company. Before joining the business, he trained as an automotive refinisher at college and then worked at several body shops. But he certainly never wanted to be a technician for the rest of his life. With a growing family to support, and an ambition to be his own boss, he was delighted when an opportunity presented itself to buy the company’s Birmingham North territory. He and Leanne jumped at the chance as both of them knew the region well, having grown up there.
Paul explained: “As I was already working as a Revive! technician, I had a good understanding of how the business works. The company is well-respected nationwide, and it’s an industry I have always been in. Revive! is a renowned brand, so it was an opportunity we just couldn’t ignore.”
Commenting on the completion of the re-sale, Cathryn Hayes (franchise director of Revive!) said: “Paul had already been identified as one of our top technicians, so to have a new owner with such experience and a long-serving commitment to Revive! couldn’t have worked out better for all parties. Paul and Leanne impressed us right from the beginning of the process with their complementary business skills, and a shared desire to grow Birmingham North into a much bigger business. We welcome them to the Revive! network and wish them every success going forward.”
The re-sale of Birmingham North straddled the outbreak of the Covid pandemic and subsequent lockdown, but it didn’t hold up the purchase. Paul added: “The power of technology enabled us to complete the process with no issues. Having interviews with the directors over Zoom was great, as it meant we were still able to ‘meet’ the team and go through the process smoothly.”
Training took place via Zoom and Paul continued: “Sessions were held at a time to suit all parties and everyone has been great. Every Revive! person we spoke with was so knowledgeable and extremely helpful. They went out of their way to make sure we had the information required to be a success. Having regular interaction with people at head office has been lovely. It shows that Revive! really do care and that their support is always available and ongoing.”
The couple currently have three vans on the road, with plans to add a fourth as soon as they have recruited another technician. And they aim to add one new van to the fleet in each of the next two years. Leanne said: “We want to expand the service to reach every corner of our territory. The business has so much potential for growth and our aim is to get our name and reputation known across the whole area.”
