Franchisee Profile: Jean-Marc Grolier, Lawn Doctor of Wappinger Falls, NY | Be The Boss

Franchisee Profile: Jean-Marc Grolier, Lawn Doctor of Wappinger Falls, NY

Date

Mar 11, 2013

Q: Where are you originally from?
A: I was born in France but moved to the US when I was 2 weeks old. Except for going to high school and college in France, I’ve lived in Manhattan ever since.

Q: Before Franchising, what were you involved with?
A: I worked in the restaurant business for several years and managed restaurants in France and Westchester County. I also always wanted to be a police officer, and after 9/11 I decided to pursue that dream of helping and protecting people.

Although I’m still a police officer, I began looking into a supplemental career in the lawn care industry after purchasing my own home and seeing the work required to create a healthy, beautiful lawn.

Q: Are you a first time business owner?
A: I owned my own landscape business for a year. I did mowing and blowing for about 10 customers with large lawns. What I liked about a franchise concept was the stability a national brand provides. Most mom and pop shops fall apart within the first five years, but your life span as a business is greatly increased with the marketing and support a franchise provides.

Q: How did you learn about the brand?
A: I’d seen the Lawn Doctor name on vans and through regional advertising for the Red Plum location. Everyone is familiar with the Green Thumb, even if they live in an apartment and don’t have a lawn. I also worked with John Pelliccio, who owns a number of Lawn Doctor territories in New York. He was very positive about his experience with the brand and, although he couldn’t service my lawn, provided great lawn care tips that helped me perfect my yard. That led me to become passionate about lawn care, and when John let me know there were territories for sale, I jumped at the chance.

Q: Why was this brand the right fit for you?
A: I looked at Lawn Doctor’s competitors but none of them could compare based on the patented, ground-metered equipment and power seeder Lawn Doctor uses. The financial requirements needed to start and market a business were also more reasonable with Lawn Doctor.

The strength of the Lawn Doctor brand was also a motivating factor. The company has a national reputation as the best lawn care franchise, and their support system is structured to let me tap into other franchisees whenever I need help.

Q: How has your past experienced helped you as a Lawn Doctor franchisee?
A: There are a lot of similarities between the restaurant business, being a police officer and owning a Lawn Doctor franchise. Although I started out as an individual in all three settings, there was the potential to be in charge of a team. My experience as a manager at various restaurants has helped prepare me to run a business with multiple employees. Learning how to juggle roles and handle customer needs has also been very helpful as a franchisee.