Last month, Pirtek announced that it had added eight new franchise locations, as demand continues to increase throughout the pandemic. I spoke with Nick Ridgway, Director of Franchise Development of PIRTEK USA, to learn more about this growth and what the mobile hose company expects for the near future.
FPW: Can you detail the type of growth you have seen in the past year — was it in franchises or did your franchises see more calls?
Ridgway: Both — We have grown from 89 locations at the end of 2019, to surpassing 100 franchises in 2020, to now having 105 locations across the US. We have also seen an increased demand for our products and services. The pandemic has created a lot of pent-up demand and we are seeing the effects of that now.
FPW: If more calls, do you think the pandemic had more to do with that, for example, were people were unable/unwilling to get new hoses from OEM suppliers?
Ridgway: Our customers never really stopped working through the pandemic, as most of them were essential. The pandemic just played to our strength of mobile service on-site.
FPW: Did you see particular products/lines that were the source of this growth?
Ridgway: No, we are just seeing the brand gain strength in the markets we service and the demand for hydraulic and Industrial hoses have increased due to pent-up demand.
FPW: What do you attribute your growth to?
Ridgway: Our service speaks for itself. When a customer sees a PIRTEK center or mobile service vehicle, they know what to expect and that is fast and dependable mobile on-site or over-the-counter service to get them operating again quickly and efficiently. It is difficult to attribute that to one thing, it is really a team effort from PIRTEK USA and our team of franchisees, it’s Team PIRTEK.
FPW: Do you expect this growth continue?
Ridgway: Yes, we have seen great results in the first half of 2021, and we see no signs of slowing down.
Pirtek USA
pirtekusa.com
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