Local News Article
Molly Maid of Highland Park Keeps Adding Sparkle and Shine Franchise Owner Tom Blank given Shinning Star Award Highland Park, IL (April 14, 2009) – The Molly Maid of SE Lake & NE Cook Counties has reason to celebrate due to the announcement of franchise owner Tom Blank winning the Shinning Star Award. Each year the Shining Star Award is given to honor the franchise owner who best personifies the Molly Maid statement of beliefs—one who has shown integrity, honesty, respect and responsibility, service to others, good relationships, spirit of teamwork, continuous improvement, and a sense of caring in his/her community. It is always difficult to identify a selfless person as a motivator and driving force because most of their work is accomplished silently, behind the scenes. Tom Blank, co-owner of Molly Maid of SE Lake & NE Cook Counties, part of the nation’s leading residential cleaning service, has built his business on providing a clean home, easy scheduling and peace of mind for time-crunched families who want the tidiness without the hassle. Molly Maid of SE Lake & NE Cook Counties serves Arlington Heights, Bannockburn, Buffalo Grove, Deerfield, Fort Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Lincolnshire, Mt. Prospect, Northbrook, Northfield, Prairie View, Prospect Heights, Riverwoods, Vernon Hills, Wheeling & Winnetka. “I have a team of highly committed employees who build our reputation with every home they visit, every item they dust, and every floor they clean,” he said. “Much of my success is because of the hard-working employees who care about the homes they clean and have been with me for years.” Blank joined the Molly Maid family in 1999 when he became a co-owner of the Molly Maid of SE Lake & NE Cook Counties with his business partner Robert Dillon. Blank was attracted to the business model because of the recurring revenue, flexibility and being his own boss. Throughout the nine years Blank has been a Molly Maid franchise owner, he has done many things to help the system and he will tell you “when you help your neighbors, they help you. When they succeed, I succeed because it just makes everyone’s businesses that much more valuable.” Blank spends a great deal of time speaking with other Molly Maid owners, especially within the Chicagoland area, and was instrumental in helping form the Chicago Owners Cooperative for which he is the Fiscal Manager. Chicago was the first formalized co-op in the Molly Maid system. But he doesn’t limit his knowledge and patience to existing franchisees; he takes many hours out of his schedule to talk to new franchise candidates who call and ask him time after time “would you do it all over again?” Tom will tell you yes, and gives each one of them his pearls of wisdom and advice for owning a Molly Maid franchise. While participating in the Key Indicator Committee, the Technology Committee and co-op meetings, he still managed to help grow the Molly Maid of SE Lake & NE Cook Counties to a million dollar business. He’s a busy man, but when receiving the Shining Star Award from Molly Maid President, Kristi Mailloux, he said “I’m touched. I have to thank my employees, my partner (Robert Dillon) and the Molly Maid franchisees for allowing me to contribute to making the entire system stronger.” About Molly Maid Molly Maid, based in Ann Arbor, MI, is one of three service companies under Service Brands International. The residential cleaning franchise, ranked number one in the United States, was founded in 1979 and began franchising in 1984. In 2008, Molly Maid cleaned 1.5 million homes. Currently, over 450 Molly Maid units are operating in the United States alone, with an additional 300 operating throughout Puerto Rico, Canada, Japan, England and Portugal. Molly Maid has consistently ranked well in Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 rankings, currently at number 104. Molly Maid has also been the recipient of numerous awards for entrepreneurialism, software innovation and humanitarian causes, including the Ms. Molly Foundation, which collects money and goods for safe houses and shelters for victims of domestic violence.