STUMPBUSTERS CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF FRANCHISING
Stump grinding firm Stumpbusters is celebrating 25 years as a franchise operation.
The business was established in 1991 and sold its first franchise in 1995. In 2006, Darren Taylor bought the Dorset franchise followed swiftly by three more, before eventually buying the entire franchise operation in 2013. It is now part of his ‘Taylor Made Franchising’ group.
Stumpbusters franchisees grind out tree stumps from a variety of locations, from golf courses and large site clearances, to parks and private homes. They also hold national contracts with organisations such as the National Trust.
When he purchased the business in 2013, Darren quickly grew the franchise base and negotiated the sale of the company’s first master franchise in Holland.
There are currently 21 Stumpbusters franchises operating over 41 territories, with only five territories left for sale, Cornwall, Oxford, Kent, North West of England and Edinburgh.
Reflecting on the franchise’s anniversary Darren said: “I’m enormously proud that Stumpbusters is still thriving 25 years after it first franchised. We have some franchisees who are on their fifth and sixth five-year agreement renewals, which is testament to the strength of the brand and the rewards they are reaping from their businesses.
“Things have changed immeasurably since I purchased my first territory in 2006. In the early days we could only import the big equipment from America. Now, not only can we source small, high-powered machines here in the UK, but we have also designed and built our own 38hp stump grinder, of which we have six now working successfully across the network.
“Having bought the UK dealership in 2016 we are now the sole importers of Alpine Magnums to the UK. Naturally, our franchisees are at an advantage having this piece of equipment, which they buy from us at a significantly discounted price and helping them to gain maximum returns on their franchise fee.”
The future is looking bright for Stumpbusters with the potential for a new German master franchise not far away.
