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INTERIM HEALTHCARE CELEBRATES 45 YEARS OF FRANCHISINGJune 2003 Interim HealthCare, the nation's largest combined provider of home care and medical staffing, is celebrating 45 years of franchising in this industry. The company began franchising under the name "Labor Pool" in 1958, making it one of the oldest companies to use franchising to market and/or sell services in the country. Al Sorensen, a franchise pioneer and Co-founder of Interim HealthCare, joined Labor Pool in Chicago as a sales person in 1962, became President in 1967 and later on CEO/Chairperson. Although the company has changed its name several times over the years, it has always been a leading franchised provider of staffing. In fact, USA Today named Interim HealthCare the "Top Home Care Franchise in the United States" in 2002. Also noteworthy, Interim HealthCare franchises have average owner tenure of 20 years. "We are extremely proud of our success as a franchisor," says Sorensen, still active as Vice Chairman of the Board and COO. "Our franchisees stay with us because of our integrity, our long-term view of success and for the support we provide. Our Interim HealthCare franchise can also provide them with the financial security of being in business for themselves, but not by themselves. We pride ourselves on the relationships we have established with our franchisees." The success of Interim HealthCare reflects directly on the longevity of the owners. The second franchisee to join the company was Hank Watson; the year was 1958. Although Hank has since passed away, his son, Jim, will be celebrating his 25th year as a franchisee this December. The Watson Group, led by Jim, is a leading franchisee within the Interim HealthCare network, with offices in Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Rhode Island, and New York. According to Sorensen, about 25 current franchise owners are celebrating at least 25 years in business. Sorensen also notes that today there are nearly 50 sons, daughters and other relatives in business with the original owner, a sure sign of a successful franchise in a successful franchise system. The combination of home care and medical staffing also provides franchisees with a platform for great success. In the next five years, home care is forecasted to grow by more than 42 percent as the nation's population continues to age. In 1994, approximately one in eight Americans was age 65 and older, and by 2030 that figure will increase to one in five (eight million - one-quarter of the nation's elderly - currently have some form of disability for which they require assistance). Likewise, medical staffing is rapidly growing as the current nursing shortage is expected to continue well into the future. By the year 2010, in fact, the traditional, full-time, permanent employment model for medical staff is expected to become the exception, rather than the norm. Looking towards the future, Interim HealthCare expects to open as many as 150 more franchised markets within the next five years through the continued commitment to providing the finest home health care services and medical personnel in the industry. About Interim HealthCare (www.interimhealthcare.com) Founded in 1958 as "Labor Pool," Interim HealthCare is the nation's oldest proprietary national organization providing health care personnel at all skill levels in all settings. Through one of the country's most comprehensive networks of 600 offices, (franchise and affiliates) Interim HealthCare provides diverse services including home care, facility supplemental staffing, occupational health staffing for government, business and retail companies, teaching and pharmaceutical use for patients at home and in physician offices and medical device training. Interim employs more than 77,000 health care workers and serves nearly 43,000 people each day. For more information about Interim HealthCare, visit the website at www.interimhealthcare.com. |
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