The special people in your network are vital to making your business thrive. Kevin Thackrah, Director of the UK’s longest established national pet-care franchise Petpals knows this to be true, having worked with many amazing franchisees since he invested in Petpals in 2005. Here, Kevin celebrates two of the exemplary people in his network – David and Sallyann Gray, the married couple that own and run the Darlington and Yarm territory. He explains how they have made a real difference on both a local and national level.
I have known David and Sallyann pretty much since the start of my journey with Petpals, with Sallyann investing in her franchise in 2006 – just one year after I took over operations. David joined Sallyann in the business a year later after witnessing her rapid success with the Darlington territory. I’m so proud of everything they have accomplished with Petpals – as a business and as people we have all grown so much in that time. The fact they have been nominated for a British Franchise Association (bfa) HSBC British Franchise Award, in the Community Focus category, is no surprise to me. They have been fantastic ambassadors for Petpals since day one and have been 100% committed to their staff, customers, the pets they care for and the business. David and Sallyann possess all the traits that you would ever want from a franchisee. As a company, we are better because of their input at a national level and the excellence they demonstrate in their own business at local level.
The work David and Sallyann have done for the community of Darlington and Yarm in the 15-plus years that they’ve been running their Petpals franchise has been nothing short of outstanding. From working with councils to keep dog walking areas open, to caring for pets that need to be rehomed after they have lost their owners, their wide-reaching contribution have been so important to Darlington. They have even received a letter from the mayor as recognition for all the remarkable work they have done. We often talk about people going the extra mile- David and Sallyann are more like marathon runners!
The work they do to benefit others does not stop locally. During their time with Petpals, David and Sallyann have regularly raised funds for charities such as Dementia UK, the Great North Air Ambulance, Dogs for Good and Hounds for Heroes. In this time, it’s calculated they have raised over £15,000 for these amazing causes. They’re also always keen to contribute to the wider training of the Petpals community. They’re so selfless in the time they give in answering and aiding other members of the Petpals family – their immense contribution to the wider franchise has really helped shape what Petpals is today. As a testament to their unwavering commitment to the success of our brand, they received the Top Franchisee award in our own Petpals awards in 2019, as recognition for the huge impact they have made to the business.
It goes without saying that valuing and encouraging the people in your network can take a brand from good to great. David and Sallyann are shining examples of this. They are pivotal to the amazing culture we have built at Petpals and without key individuals like them, we would not be who we are today.
I wish them good luck on their exciting nomination. I’m very much looking forward to hearing the results at the bfa HSBC British Franchise Awards evening on the 30th November!
