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At the 2018 meeting of the International Code Council, the council approved two amendments that could facilitate the design and creation of gender-neutral restrooms. The changes will affect the International Plumbing Code, which has been adopted by 35 U.S. states, plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and Guam, and are scheduled to appear in the 2021 version of the code.

The first amendment allows “for the installation of all-gender, multiuser restrooms in public buildings,” according to a statement from Joel Sanders Architect. The second amendment “requires that single-user restrooms display signage indicating that they are available to all users and not limited to a single gender,” according to the firm.

Joel Sanders advocated for the changes as part of Stalled!, an interdisciplinary initiative for inclusive bathroom design. Historian Susan Stryker and legal scholar Terry Kogan worked with Sanders as part of the initiative, and the National Center for Transgender Equality worked with Stalled! on the code amendments.

Stalled! won a 2018 Best of Design Awards winners for Research.

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During the partial government shutdown, screeners at two Silicon Valley airports, San Francisco and San Jose International, moved thousands of people through security checkpoints.

Operations at the airports, 35 miles apart, looked similar — uniformed officers reminding people to take off their shoes and put their laptops in plastic bins — but there was one major difference: Only the officers at the San Francisco airport were getting paid.

That’s because San Francisco International is one of nearly two dozen airports across the country that use private contractors instead of the Transportation Security Administration to conduct its security screening.

As the shutdown stretched from days into weeks, growing numbers of TSA workers stopped showing up. At one point, 10 percent of TSA officers failed to report for duty.

The result: scattered staffing shortages across the country and anxiety for travelers. Airports in Baltimore, Houston and Miami were forced to temporarily close checkpoints. TSA officials conceded that many officers weren’t coming into work because of the financial hardship of working without pay.

TSA: financial stress of shutdown is forcing officers to stay home

“Operations were normal,” said Doug Yakel, an airport spokesman.

There has long been a debate over whether airport screening should be provided by the federal government or by private companies. And the recent government shutdown — and the potential for a repeat if lawmakers can’t reach a deal with President Trump by Friday — has some wondering whether anxiety over staffing may prompt more airports to consider switching to private contractors.

Before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, airport security was handled by private contractors and paid for by the airlines. But after 9/11, those duties were turned over to the newly created TSA, which is responsible for security screening at the vast majority of the nation’s 440-plus airports.

But as part of that agreement, Congress also created a voluntary pilot program that allowed five airports to use private contractors for security screening. The program, launched in 2002, eventually was open to all airports. Today, 22 airports — including the original five: San Francisco, Kansas City International in Missouri, Greater Rochester Inter­national in New York, Jackson Hole in Wyoming and Tupelo Regional in Mississippi — participate.

Proponents of the system say that the TSA hasn’t made it easy for airports to make the switch. The agency has final say on whether an airport can opt to have private screeners, and although requests are rarely turned down, the process could be time-consuming. Others blame inertia, saying some airports are reluctant to tinker with an arrangement that works.

“I don’t know why, but it’s just ingrained in our mind that this is the only way it’s done,” said David Inserra, a policy analyst for homeland security at the Heritage Foundation, who has long advocated for the shift to the use of private companies for screening.

Among the considerations once an airport has applied for the program: The cost of private screeners cannot be greater than what it would be if the TSA remained at the airport. If approved, the TSA — not the airport — selects, pays and manages the contractor.

Private contractors are required to follow the same rules and procedures as their TSA counterparts but are given some leeway to determine how they staff checkpoints. The workers wear different uniforms, but their training, salary and benefits are about the same. The starting salary for a TSA officer is $37,455 but can be higher in some parts of the country depending on staffing needs and the cost of living.

Although the private screeners are contractors, they were paid during the shutdown when other government contractors were not because they were considered essential personnel, and failure to pay them would have violated their contract.

Evaluations of the two programs by outside firms hired by the TSA have found no significant differences between the two systems — either in cost or the ability to move passengers through checkpoints, TSA officials said.

However, studies by the Government Accountability Office note that in some instances private contractors’ costs were 2 percent to 19 percent lower than the TSA’s estimates of its costs for the same work. The GAO also said that the TSA’s calculations failed to include costs such as retirement benefits.

A TSA spokeswoman said the agency has adjusted its estimates based on the GAO’s recommendations.

The shutdown is stressing the nation’s aviation system

The outside evaluations did not examine customer complaints, nor did they analyze absenteeism, retention or attrition of the screeners who work for private companies.

Inserra, of the Heritage Foundation, contends that private companies are better suited to the job of managing airport security. He said they are more adept at managing and retaining employees and can react more quickly to surges in passenger traffic.

“TSA’s focus should be on policy — setting the standards, developing new technology,” added Steve Amitay, executive director of the National Association of Security Companies. “So much of TSA is devoted to managing this screener workforce. It’s doing a job that’s not inherently governmental.”

A 2004 report by the Congressional Research Service, however, found that when private companies ran security services in the years before the 9/11 attacks, their workforce suffered from low morale and high turnover — some of the same problems that plague today’s TSA. Amitay, however, maintained that new standards for training and pay have improved working conditions and morale for contractors.

At TSA Academy, the lessons are hands-on

But Greg Regan, secretary-treasurer of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO, a coalition of 32 unions, argued that security screening is best left to the federal government.

“The mission of TSA is to keep people safe,” he said. “The goal is to identify threats and prevent them from having a negative impact on our system. That is the ultimate mission statement. When you privatize, you’re going to introduce another goal into that, and that’s profit.”

Other union officials argue that the answer isn’t privatization, but a functional federal government that can pay its workers and its bills on time.

“I think throwing up our hands and turning to private security operators is not the solution here,” said J. David Cox Sr., national president of the American Federation of Government Employees. “The federal government needs to do its job to provide the screening services.”

Union says TSA officers can’t afford to man checkpoint without paychecks

Added Mary Schiavo, former inspector general of the U.S. Transportation Department and an aviation expert: “We must never say our TSA employees are not important enough to be federal employees.”

She noted that the 9/11 attacks happened at a time when checkpoints were run by private companies.

Some of the country’s largest airports have toyed with the idea of shifting to private contractors. In 2016, after an understaffed TSA struggled to keep up with a record number of travelers, airport officials in Chicago, New York and Atlanta threatened to use private contractors.

TSA officials blamed the backups on years of cuts that forced the agency to slash its airport workforce of 45,000 by 12 percent. The furor died down after TSA officials pledged changes and persuaded Congress to beef up its staffing. The TSA has 51,000 screeners, and about 33,000 work on any given day.

Atlantic City International Airport recently shifted to private screeners after growing frustration with TSA staffing that didn’t take into account flight delays.

Stephen F. Dougherty, executive director of the South Jersey Transportation Authority, said the TSA would regularly close the airport’s checkpoint at certain hours regardless of whether flights were delayed. As a result, hundreds of passengers missed their flights because there was no one to clear them through security.

“[Atlantic City International] prides itself on being a much more convenient, passenger- friendly airport than the larger airports in the region, and this change went against core operating principles,” he said.

TSA scrambles to staff checkpoints after complaints of long waits

Some Republican lawmakers have pushed legislation to make it easier for airports to shift to private screeners. A bill introduced by last year by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) sought to, among other changes, shorten the amount of time it takes for airports to get TSA approval to make the switch. Lee is updating his bill and plans to reintroduce it this year, his spokesman said. However, a provision in legislation to fund the Federal Aviation Administration, approved last year, requires the TSA to make a decision on any application within 60 days. The agency previously had 120 days to make a decision.

Christopher Bidwell, vice president of security at Airports Council International-North America, a group that advocates for the nation’s airports, said it supports programs that give airports the flexibility they need to best serve travelers.

“Our position on [SPP], is that it should remain a viable program for any airport that wishes to participate.”

Shutdown is stressing the nation’s air safety system

Air traffic controllers get their first shutdown pay stub: $0.00

TSA mulls plan to eliminate security checkpoints at 150 small airports

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Summary

• SFO has the largest base-isolated building in the world, built to withstand earthquakes up to a Richter Magnitude 8.
• The airport has a runway layout that allows for parallel take-offs and landings.
• Harvey Milk Terminal 1 at SFO is the first US terminal to implement an Independent Carrier System for baggage handling.

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is the second-busiest airport in the state of California, behind Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The airport has been operational for over 90 years and has undergone significant renovations. This evolution has resulted in a fascinating history and innovative infrastructure as the facility has grown to meet travel demand.

Here are some highlights of facts you may not know about SFO.

1 The largest base-isolated building in the world

The San Francisco Bay Area lies along the San Andreas Fault, making the region especially vulnerable to significant earthquakes. When it came time to build a new terminal at SFO to accommodate increasing international travel, safeguarding against seismic activity was top-of-mind.

In 1995, SFO broke ground on its new International Terminal. At the time, the $2.6 billion project was the largest construction project in North America at 1.8 million square feet. According to the American Institute of Steel Construction, the facility was built with 267 friction pendulum seismic isolators at the base of the building columns.

The structure is glass and aluminum clad, with glass panels that are 700 feet long and 80 feet tall. The seismic isolation measures allow the building to withstand a Richter Magnitude 8 earthquake. The International Terminal opened for service in December 2000.

2 Parallel take-offs and landings

SFO is one of several airports in the United States with a runway layout that allows for parallel take-offs and landings. The airfield features two parallel runways oriented in an east-west direction intersected by two additional runways oriented north-to-south. According to SFO, the standard runway flow configuration—the West Plan—is utilized about 80% of the time. Runways 28L and 28R are the primary arrival runways, and 1L and 1R are the primary departure runways.

When weather conditions provide good visibility, aircraft can land side-by-side on runways 28L and 28R with adequate space between the next set of arrivals to permit parallel departures. Interestingly, runways 28L and 28R are only 748.9 feet apart, so parallel take-offs and landings are not approved for instrument flight conditions.

In conditions of reduced visibility, aircraft arrive using only one runway.

Please take a look at our review of US airports where you can catch simultaneous take-offs and landings.

3 Harvey Milk Terminal 1 was the first US terminal to implement an Independent Carrier System

SFO’s Terminal 1 was originally constructed in the early 1960s but has recently undergone significant renovation. As part of the changes to the terminal, SFO instituted a new, tote-based Independent Carrier System (ICS), making Harvey Milk Terminal 1 the first in the United States to implement such a system.

Each piece of baggage is individually placed into a tote carrier when it is received at the check-in area, and it remains in its carrier all the way to its destination aircraft. This system enhances airlines’ ability to track passenger luggage accurately. Because the tote carriers are a uniform shape and size, ICS reduces the potential for system jams that often occur in the conventional baggage handling system in which wheels and straps can get caught on conveyor belts.

Additionally, the conventional model of baggage handling consists of one-directional routing. In contrast, the ICS model can facilitate transfers to the arrival claim area or other destinations as the empty tote heads back to the check-in area.

4 Helicopter service

SFO was once home to the San Francisco and Oakland Helicopter Airlines operation, known as SFO Helicopter Airlines. The airline began serving passengers in 1961, using SFO as its hub. In 1962, the airline was also awarded a contract to carry US mail.

SFO Helicopter Airlines flew from the airport to downtown San Francisco and Oakland, as well as Oakland International Airport and a heliport close to the Berkeley Marina. In the late 1960s, there were also routes to the San Francisco Ferry Building and Marin.

The airline operated Sikorsky turbine engine helicopters, which could accommodate 10 passengers. Sightseeing tours were offered on weekends during the summer and on holidays. The fare was $4.50 for adults and $3.50 for children, making it an economical option for families to get an aerial view of attractions like Fisherman’s Wharf. At the height of its operations, SFO Helicopter Airlines was running about 68 flights per day.

Unfortunately, the airline experienced financial difficulty and ceased operations in 1985.

5 Health and wellbeing at Harvey Milk Terminal 1 Boarding Area B

According to an SFO news release, Harvey Milk Terminal 1 Boarding Area B was the first airport terminal in the world to achieve WELL certification, a building standard developed by the International WELL Building Institute that includes over 100 features related to enhancing human health and wellbeing.

The standard is intended to serve as a method for organizations to intentionally develop buildings that factor in considerations such as air quality and energy efficiency when designing the built environment.

Harvey Milk Terminal 1 Boarding Area B incorporated numerous features in its construction that helped the building reach the WELL certification. Some of these included acoustic management through sound-reducing surfaces to cut down on noise, radiant heating and cooling that complements displacement ventilation for energy efficiency, and an efficient outdoor air filtration system to reduce pollutants and odors coming inside the building. The latter effort is verified through third-party air quality testing.

Sources: AISC; SFO-International Terminal News Release; SFO; SFO Terminal 1 Redevelopment; SFO- WELL Certification News Release

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About a year after Eversheds Sutherland announced plans to incorporate in San Francisco, the global firm has opened an office that will serve as a hub for local and international attorneys. It is also Eversheds’ first office to experiment with hospitality operations.

The company signed a four-year lease for 5,806 square meters for the space, located at 101 California in San Francisco’s financial district, which opened provisionally in late December.

“We wanted the office to be an incentive for people to come here,” said Baird Fogel, executive partner for the San Francisco office. “The Bay Area and much of the country is struggling to get people back into the office. I have made it my task to make the office attractive. When it’s dark and dingy, people don’t come in very often.”

The room is newly renovated and has been individually designed and expanded. In addition to around a dozen individual offices, it has a central communal area and several conference rooms.

Baird Fogel, Partner at Eversheds Sutherland. Free photo

Eversheds currently has six attorneys and three partners in San Francisco. Although interest and recruiting activity has been “constant” over the past year, Fogel said the new office is another opportunity to attract talent to the company.

Fogel, a transactions attorney specializing in sports and energy matters, joined Eversheds from Morgan, Lewis & Bockius last March. He is one of the founding partners of the office, along with Evershed’s technology and data partner, Brandi Taylor, who relocated from San Diego. In August, the company hired Dan Brown, an insurance partner of McDermott Will & Emery.

The company plans to continue to grow aggressively and strategically, Fogel said, citing key practice areas including privacy, technology, litigation, corporate, antitrust and esports.

Eversheds, formed from a 2017 merger of UK law firm Eversheds and US Am Law 100 law firm Sutherland Asbill & Brennan, is not alone in its ambitions in Northern California.

Since 2020, several companies with UK roots have set up offices in San Francisco and Silicon Valley, including Simmons & Simmons, Allen & Overy and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.

Freshfields, like Eversheds, are dedicated to creating enticing office spaces with an indoor-outdoor vibe. Meanwhile, other companies in Northern California are trying out hotel, open floor and other unique space concepts.

As for Eversheds, the new spaces will not only benefit potential recruits, but also international Eversheds lawyers, many of whom represent large tech companies like Zoom and Intel in the region.

“The idea is that it will become an international hub for Eversheds’ lawyers,” Fogel said. “As such, the office is a guinea pig for a new initiative that is underway at Eversheds: the hospitality industry.”

Fogel said attorneys could reserve an office for that day, but no one would have a permanent office. It’s a concept that Eversheds is considering in other areas in the future.

“Those of us in San Francisco will probably set up an office or two that we sit in quite often, but even those offices will be up for grabs when we’re not there,” Baird said.

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SFO departed 70,000 travelers on both Thursday and Friday last week – a travel milestone not reached last week since the pandemic.

Travel hasn’t fully recovered yet, an airport spokesman said, but the trend is definitely picking up speed.

San Francisco International Airport spokesman Doug Yakel said the number of travelers on May 11 and 12 was the highest the airport has seen in more than three years.

Before the pandemic, the airport saw an average of 157,501 travelers per day. During the 2020 pandemic, the average was 44,885 travelers per day. Last year the average was 81,906. For this year, Yakel forecasts around 127,000 average travelers per day.

Annual passenger numbers have fluctuated since 2019 when they stood at 57.48 million. In 2020, the annual numbers dropped to 16.42 million. In 2022, the annual number rose to 42.28 million and Yakel estimates that number will rise to 46 million this year.

Yakel expects more than 14 million travelers during this year’s peak season, from Memorial Day through Labor Day weekend. In 2019, before the pandemic, it was 18.08 million. During the pandemic, peak-season numbers dropped to 2.47 million, then rose to 13.41 million last year.

“We’re anticipating the busiest summer since the pandemic began,” Yakel said.

Travel has increased by 61% from the summer of 2021 to last year and people are coming to the region for tourism rather than business. John Hutar, President and CEO of The San Francisco Peninsula, said the shoreline is busier with travelers on weekends and the Bayside is busier on weekdays.

“And we’re seeing that trend returning to normal,” Hutar said.

Congresses are still catching up and the consequences of layoffs in companies are still not felt. However, the peninsula is a natural area with easy access to major attractions, he said.

“We’re a great anchor point for natural beauty and a lot of places in close proximity, such as the Golden Gate Bridge and Monterey Bay,” said Hutar.

Room rates are low and high-end hotels are doing well, but Hutar said the rest of the hotel industry still has a long way to go before it returns to pre-pandemic levels.

In the first quarter of 2023, occupancy is still down about 20% compared to 2019. Hutar explained that occupancy is better than last year’s numbers, which were down 30% compared to 2019.

“We see that the number of group congresses is very high, has only recovered very slowly and the amount of traffic and inquiries this year shows that it has been promising,” said Hutar. “But at the moment we are satisfied with the current development.”

Hutar is encouraged to see that hotels near the SFO corridor are starting to grow and accommodate more travelers. As hotel bookings continue to recover, the summer boom at the airport is leading to longer queues for travelers.

Travelers should allow more time to exit the airport, Yakel said.

“We recommend two hours in advance for domestic flights and three hours in advance for international flights,” Yackel said.

Additionally, SFO expects its parking garages to reach full capacity, and Yakel recommends travelers use ride-hailing services or use public transit such as BART.

“We recommend that people who want to park at SFO, both short-term and long-term, book in advance on SFO’s website. It’s a way to ensure there’s still room available,” Yakel said.

SFO is also offering some new programs, he said. Two airlines, ITA and United, are offering non-stop flights to Rome this summer. Two newer airlines also offer international low cost flights. One of them, Norse Atlantic, flies to London. And Zip Air flies to Tokyo, he said.

“Farees vary, but they’re definitely cheaper than some of the incumbent airlines,” Yakel said.

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San Francisco International Airport received a $31 million federal grant to modernize its international terminal building, drawing high praise from local authorities.

“Thanks to the historic bipartisan infrastructure bill, this busy Bay Area airport is receiving a significant and much-needed investment to keep it safe and up-to-date,” said U.S. Rep. Kevin Mullin, D-San Mateo, in a press release . “Investments in our infrastructure are important investments in our economy and in keeping Californians mobile. This $31 million grant will help modernize the international terminal and ensure that SFO remains a premier hub for passengers traveling around the world.”

More than 42 million domestic and international passengers traveled through South San Francisco Airport last year, Mullin noted. The federal grant will help fund SFO’s plans to upgrade its roof system to make traveling to and from the airport safer, said U.S. Representative Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco.

The project is one of many funded by the bipartisan Infrastructure Act, a $550 billion financial package designed to cover infrastructure improvements such as bridges, roads, mass transit, broadband and water infrastructure over the next five years.

“Led by our congressional delegation in the Bay Area, the bipartisan infrastructure bill provides important tools for San Francisco International Airport to remain a gateway for commerce, travel and tourism in the Bay Area,” Pelosi said. “With this important investment in the future of air travel in the Bay Area, we are supporting well-paying jobs and making much-needed improvements to the SFO to ensure our city’s international airport continues to provide world-class service for all.”

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[Photo: Getty Images]

Team Australia are positioned for a shock performance in the semi-finals after a clean-shooting Round 1 win over No. 2 seed Korea at the Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown in San Francisco.

Ranked 7th based on the world rankings of team members Minjee Lee (six), Hannah Green (14), Stephanie Kyriacou (118) and Sarah Kemp (161), the Aussies held their ground early and failed to fall behind in either four-ball game.

The pairing of Lee and Kyriacou held a three-hole lead against Hye-Jin Choi and In Gee Chun, with Kyriacou providing the perfect platform with an early birdie.

They were 3 to 11 holes before the Korean team mounted a stunning comeback.

Choi screwed 12 and 13 and then made par on 14, enough to win three holes in a row to put her team back evenly.

Lee responded with a birdie on the par-4 15, and the two teams traded pars over the next two holes.

With a guaranteed half point, Kyriacou then ripped a 3-wood from 209 yards for six feet on the par-5 18, her closeness to the hole effectively ending an impressive 2-up win.

“I didn’t watch the recording of In Gee or Hye-Jin because I didn’t want it to come to mind,” Kyriacou said.

“It was a pretty open shot I think. The pin was very easy to get so I just tried to knock the crap out of a 3 wood.”

The combination of LA Championship winner Hannah Green and patriotic veteran Sarah Kemp also proved strong against World No. 3 Jin Young Ko and World No. 9 Hyo Joo Kim.

Two birdies from Green and one from Kemp gave the Aussies a 2-up lead through four holes and from there they never went ahead.

Birdies from Ko on 12 and Kim on 14 reduced the deficit to just one hole, but Kemp’s clutch birdie on 14 and Green’s impressive half on 16 secured the Australians a 2&1 win.

“I’m not surprised that happened,” said Kemp, who is in her tournament debut.

“We had a great time last night. We had a great week. We’re all just having a good time and it doesn’t surprise me that we did what we did today.

“For my first day with my first international crown, it’s pretty awesome to start like that.”

Lee hinted that the pairings are unlikely to change on day two, saying two wins in Round 1 would set them up for a great shot at the title.

“Because all the teams in our pool are really strong, coming out on day one and having a really good day, that really sets the pace for the next few days,” said the reigning US Women’s Open champion.

“I think it was really an important win for us today.”

Australia’s next game is in Round 2 against Japan after the Japanese side lost both games against Thailand on day one.

Team Sweden defeated Team England in both Group A games, while Team USA and Team China each won one game in their clash.

It was also a strong start for Adam Scott at the Wells Fargo Championship.

Looking for his first PGA TOUR top-10 since last August’s BMW Championship, Scott opened with a four-under 67 on the par-4 11 despite a double bogey.

He made another bogey on the par-3 13, but birdies on 12, 14 and 15 brought him back to two but two on Round 1 leader Tommy Fleetwood (65).

2018 Quail Hollow champion Jason Day opened Thursday with a win over 72, with Cam Davis on 71 and a 58 share.

Four straight bogeys early in his round put Harrison Endycott on the backfoot and signed a three-over-74.

Maverick Antcliff is the highest-ranked Australian after Round 1 of the UAE Challenge on the Challenge Tour, while Terry Pilkadaris is the only Australian in the top 30 when Round 2 of the Maekyung Open begins in Korea.

Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown

Results round 1

Minjee Lee/Steph Kyriacou def. Hye-Jin Choi/In Gee Chun 2 and up

Hannah Green/Sarah Kemp def. Jin Young Ko and Hyo Joo Kim 2&1

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The IFA has recognized well-known franchisees from the Authority Brands portfolio

COLUMBIA, Maryland, March 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Authority Brands, a premier portfolio of home services, announced today that several brands within its system have been recognized as part of the International Franchise Association (IFA) Franchisees of the Year. The annual IFA Awards recognize dozens of franchise owners and operators across the country who exemplify excellence in community, workforce, diversity and veteran affairs.

“Our franchisees who have been recognized with this prestigious industry award have demonstrated tremendous entrepreneurial ability within their respective brands. They continue to demonstrate their drive to grow while providing superior customer service. We’re proud to amplify their contribution to the teams and communities they serve,” said Heather McLeod, Chief Growth Officer at Authority Brands. “To see valued members of our Authority Brands portfolio honored by the IFA is a testament for our system.

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Authority Brands franchisees recognized as part of the IFA Franchisee of the Year awards include:

• America’s Swimming Pool: Miguel Macias in Reno, Nevada
• Benjamin Franklin Plumbing: Lenny Siers in Niceville, Florida
• The Cleaning Authority: Chris and Jen Lanagan in Cedarburg, Madison, and Kenosha, Wisconsin
• Homewatch CareGivers: Bindu Agarwal in Lower Bucks County and Elkins Park, Pennsylvania
• Mister Sparky: Aaron Hagan in Tulsa, Oklahoma
• Monster Tree Service: Don Elliott in Knoxville, Tennessee
• Mosquito Squad: Tom and Maryellen Heinemann operate in North New Jersey
• An hour of heating and air conditioning: Richie Drew in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Sponsored by IFA partner Paychex, Franchisee of the Year recognizes leading IFA member brand franchisees whose outstanding achievements and contributions help protect, enhance and promote the franchise business model. Individuals nominated by their parent company are selected for their service to their communities, nurturing a strong and vibrant workforce, opening the doors to career growth and entrepreneurship, and support for their fellow franchisees.

“Franchisee of the Year represents the very best in franchising,” said Matthew Haller, President and CEO of the International Franchise Association. “This is the IFA’s highest award for individual franchisees, and local business owners like the franchisees of these Authority Brands exemplify the power of franchising and its positive contributions to communities around the world.”

To learn more about franchise development opportunities within the Authority Brands portfolio, please visit: https://www.authoritybrands.com/franchising/.

About Authority Marks
Headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, Authority Brands businesses include 15 leading home service franchise brands: America’s Swimming Pool Company, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, The Cleaning Authority, Color World Painting, DoodyCalls, DRYmedic Restoration Services, Homewatch CareGivers, The Junkluggers , Mister Sparky, Monster Tree Service, Mosquito Squad, One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, Screenmobile, STOP Restoration and Woofie’s. Together, these brands offer home services in more than 2,000 territories operated by more than 1,000 franchisees. Authority Brands is dedicated to supporting the growth of individual franchise owners through strong marketing, technology and operational support. For more information see French.

About the International Franchise Association:
Celebrating over 60 years of excellence, education and advocacy, the International Franchise Association (IFA) is the world’s oldest and largest organization representing franchising worldwide. The IFA works through its Government and Public Policy Relations, Media Relations and Education programs to protect, enhance and promote franchising and approximately 790,492 franchised facilities that provide nearly 8.4 million direct jobs, an economic output of US$825.4 billion dollars to the US economy and nearly 3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). IFA members are franchises in over 300 different business format categories, individual franchisees, and companies that provide marketing, legal, technology, and business development support to the industry.

Contact:
Sarah Gufey
fish advice
954-893-9150
sguffey@fish-consulting.com

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SOURCE Authority Marks, LLC

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