Peter Molloy Appointed Metro Rod Managing Director

Franchise Brands plc is pleased to announce the promotion of Peter Molloy to Managing Director of recently acquired Metro Rod, a leading provider of drainage and plumbing services.

Peter has a substantial knowledge of the business having been Commercial Director of Metro Rod since 2003, and has really hit the ground running in his new role. One of his first actions has been to expand the sales team to help franchisees grow their businesses by winning new accounts, and to enlarge the franchise network through the addition of a new franchisee, Metro Rod Aberdeen.

Peter Molloy, Managing Director, Metro Rod, with Franchise Brands plc Chairman, Stephen Hemsley

Franchise Brands plc, an international multi-franchisor with over 450 franchisees worldwide, acquired Metro Rod in April this year for £28.5m. The group’s existing brands are ChipsAway, Ovenclean and Barking Mad, all well established businesses and market leaders in their sectors. Having delivered impressive growth over the last few years, Franchise Brands has big plans for Metro Rod which include a substantial investment in the business.

Stephen Hemsley, Chairman, Franchise Brands plc said:

“I am very pleased to announce Peter’s appointment as Managing Director of Metro Rod. His substantial industry experience and knowledge of the business will be invaluable in his new role, particularly given the ambitious growth plans we have for Metro Rod and Metro Plumb. The Franchise Brands team is looking forward to working with Peter at what is a very exciting time in the evolution of the business, and helping him to unlock the very significant upside potential we see for Metro Rod and Metro Plumb”.

Peter Molloy, Managing Director, Metro Rod said:

“I am delighted to be taking on this new role following Franchise Brand’s acquisition of the business. I am hugely passionate about the Metro Rod brand and heritage, and above all, the importance of providing a truly first-class service to our customers. I will shortly be delivering a number of strategic initiatives aimed at substantially accelerating the growth of the Metro Rod and Metro Plumb businesses, which will include further investment in the brand. Above all, I am very committed to ensuring that our customers are at the very forefront of everything we do as well as providing the right support for our franchisees.”

Peter added:

“Metro Rod has a very strong platform from which to grow. Our 41 franchisees and their technicians provide first-class drainage repair and maintenance services, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and their technical experience and expertise is second to none. I am really looking forward to leading Metro Rod during the next phase of its evolution and in being able to draw on the substantial resources and expertise that the team at Franchise Brands can provide.”

Ends

Further information on Metro Rod and Franchise Brands

Metro Rod:

Founded in 1983, Metro Rod is a leading provider of drain clearance and maintenance services, delivered 24/7/365 on a largely reactive basis by 40 regional Franchisees, with geographical coverage across the majority of the UK.

Metro Rod serves national business customers across multiple sectors including facilities management, retail, water utilities, social housing, hospitality and insurance, as well as local businesses and other customers in the private and public sectors.  Its scale, expertise and experience allows it to take on any challenge and it uses the latest technology and techniques to carry out over 150,000 jobs per annum.

In addition to the existing core drainage business, Metro Plumb was launched in February 2016 on a national basis. Metro Plumb offers a targeted range of plumbing services mainly to the emergency insurance market.

Franchise Brands:

Franchise Brands is a group of international multi-brand franchisors with a combined network currently of over 450 franchisees in 11 countries, but predominantly in the UK.  In addition to Metro Rod, the Group’s brands include ChipsAway (a mobile car paintwork repair specialist with over 220 franchisees), Ovenclean (a mobile domestic oven cleaning business with over 100 franchisees) and Barking Mad (a leading franchise provider of dog sitting services with over 70 franchisees).

Founded in September 2008 by Stephen Hemsley (Executive Chairman) and Nigel Wray (Non-Executive Director), the Group’s principal shareholders, Franchise Brands has a highly experienced management team and Board with extensive expertise in franchising and of operating and growing profitable businesses.

Franchise Brands was admitted to AIM in August 2016 (ticker code: FRAN.L).