DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen Founder and Chief Stewarding Officer (CSO) Doug Dwyer is joining the committee of IFA’s nonprofit VetFran program, as of May 1, 2023.
VetFran is a program has a dual mission: 1) to educate military veterans and franchisors about how well the abilities of veterans match up with the skill set required for being a successful franchisee/entrepreneur, and 2) to ease veterans’ transition into franchising by encouraging franchisors to offer financial incentives to veterans – plus assembling resources, tools and a database of franchising opportunities for those who served their country.
This is particularly meaningful to Doug because his father, Don Dwyer Sr., was the founder of VetFran in 1991.
Don Dwyer served during the Korean War. In the years after his release from the military, he started his own franchising company. Then he had an idea — franchisors could give discounts to veterans who want to buy franchises — and he started VetFran.
After Don’s death, VetFran became inactive for some years. Then Don’s daughter, Dina Dwyer-Owens, stepped in. Dina was on the IFA Board of Directors, and she recommended that IFA restart VetFran. The IFA agreed, and the program has grown ever since.
“I am honored to be a part of VetFran and my father’s legacy,” Doug Dwyer says. “What started with the simple desire of one man to help fellow veterans sparked a program that has changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of veterans and their families, and is still growing to this day.”
One VetFran program beneficiary is Air Force Veteran Nate Coombs, who owns DreamMaker of Ogden, Utah.
Coombs recently won the National Association of Remodeling Industry’s regional 2023 Contractor of the Year award for outstanding remodeling work. In 2014, he was recognized as DreamMaker’s Top Franchise.
A lot of Coombs’ remodeling work is for veterans, the elderly, and the disabled, such as making modifications that make their homes easier and safer to live in, including wheelchair ramps and stair lifts as well as cabinets and appliances designed to be more accessible for those with special needs.
Another example of how the program helps is illustrated by recent franchise owners and U.S. Army Veterans, Jeff and Ruth Vargo, who opened a DreamMaker Bath and Kitchen franchise to meet that demand in The Woodlands, TX, and surrounding areas.
DreamMaker’s connection to the VetFran program is aligned with the company’s Code of Values™, which commits to treating others with respect and integrity.
About DreamMaker Bath and Kitchen
For over 20 years, DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen has strived to deliver excellent customer service through kitchen, bath and interior remodeling. DreamMaker’s focus is honesty—to treat people with respect and integrity. Over the last two decades, this focus has earned them a 97% recommendation rate on GuildQuality from customers. DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen has been named among the 2022 Top 10 National Design/Build Remodelers in the nation by Remodeling Magazine and Qualified Remodeler Magazine and has been rated as a Top 50 Franchise brand in Franchisee Satisfaction by Franchise Business Review nine years in a row. Franchise Business Review also recognized DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen in 2022 as a Top Franchise for Innovation and a Top Franchise for Culture. Based in Waco, Texas, DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen has 41 independently owned and locally operated franchises in 24 states.
The organization, part of the International Franchise Association (IFA), has a dual mission: 1) to educate military veterans and franchisors about how well the abilities of veterans match up with the skill set required for being a successful franchisee/entrepreneur, and 2) to ease veterans’ transition into franchising by encouraging franchisors to offer financial incentives to veterans – plus assembling resources, tools and a database of franchising opportunities for those who served their country.