The annual Snap-on Franchise Gala Award evening, an event that celebrates franchise success, has taken on increased significance this year, with Snap-on Tools Australia and New Zealand celebrating its 30th year of operation in Australia.
The prestigious annual Gala recognises and congratulates franchisees for their efforts and acknowledges those who have achieved success over and above in their businesses. For 2018, a ‘country’ theme and the red carpet set the stage for a memorable evening of awards and milestones.
Not only was Snap-on celebrating where it all began in Brisbane 30 years ago, but Snap-on Australia/New Zealand Managing Director Ajit Ponnambalam and franchisee John Sinclair were both awarded for 25 years of service.
The biggest award for the evening is the 2017 National Franchise Award winner, an award that is determined using a unique scoring system that measures all aspects of the franchisee’s business. This year that accolade was given to Mark Abrahams from QLD. Adding to his mega year in 2017, Mark took home an antique, gold MG725 Impact Wrench as a memento, signifying his hard work over the year.
Showing the benefits of Snap-on’s unique franchise program and the ability to quickly build a successful franchise, Nick Ennis took home the New Franchisee of the Year award – a gold wrench.
Snap-on ANZ also introduced a new Hall of Fame, setup to induct and recognise trail blazers and the special contribution some franchisees have made to Snap-on over the years. The first inductee to be honoured was Brad Watts, who was Snap-on ANZ’s first multi-unit franchise and the number one international franchisee for a number of years.
The regional franchise winners all received a gold wrench as acknowledgement of their achievements and were: QLD – Mark Abrahams, SA – Chris Wood, VIC – Michael Holmes, NSW/ACT – Steve Nash, WA/NT – Malcolm White and the NZ franchise winner Roger Wolf.
After the official component of the evening was complete, high profile entertainment was rolled out for the Gala, with Caitlyn Shadbolt from X-factor and the Wolfe brothers pumping up the crowd, while a mechanical bull and pool tables were a popular novelty addition.
With an increasing number of franchisees achieving success, and even joining the million dollar club, Snap-on Tools Australia and New Zealand provides a clear franchise framework to pursue a new career path to financial freedom.