Canadian Franchise Association Announces 2009 CFA Award of Excellence in Franchising Finalists

April 20, 2009

Toronto, ON - The Canadian Franchise Association (CFA) is pleased to announce the 12 finalists for the 2009 CFA Award of Excellence in Franchising. Open exclusively to CFA Franchise System Members who have been franchising for three years or more, the CFA Award of Excellence in Franchising recognizes excellence in franchise operations. Winning systems must demonstrate a dedication to CFA′s "best practices" including franchisee relations, teamwork and communications.

"The CFA Award of Excellence in Franchising truly sets a benchmark for franchises throughout Canada," says Lorraine McLachlan, CFA President and CEO. "Because the award is based on franchisee response, it is a significant honour for a franchise system to be so highly regarded among their colleagues."

The winning franchise system is decided based on the results of a survey completed by member franchisors and franchisees about their experiences with their franchise system and colleagues. The survey is administered by the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University.

New this year, the CFA Award of Excellence in Franchising competition includes four categories to enable franchise systems to be rated against their peers. Entries were separated into Traditional Franchises (i.e. those with bricks and mortar locations) and Non-Traditional Franchises (i.e. mobile, home-based, etc.). Within these groups, entrants were grouped based on the length of time the franchise system has been operating (3-10 years and 11+ years). These categories better reflect the wide range of franchise opportunities in today′s marketplace and create a more even playing field for the ranking of each entry. From amongst the winners in each category, the franchise system with the highest overall score is awarded the 2009 CFA Award of Excellence in Franchising.

The 2009 CFA Award of Excellence in Franchising finalists are:

Traditional Franchises (i.e. bricks and mortar locations)
New / Emerging (franchising 3 - 10 years)
Canadian School of Natural Nutrition
PostNet Canada
Watch IT!

Mature / Established (franchising 11+ years)
Expedia CruiseShipCenters
Sangster′s Health Centres
White Spot Restaurants

Non-Traditional (i.e. mobile, home-based, etc.)
New / Emerging (franchising 3 - 10 years)
Crock A Doodle
PropertyGuys.com
Sunshine Grounds Care

Mature / Established (franchising 11+ years)
ActionCOACH Canada
AmeriSpec of Canada
CertaPro Painters
Mr. Rooter Plumbing

First awarded in 1992, the prestigious CFA Award of Excellence in Franchising is presented annually and celebrates the mutually-supportive relationship between a franchisor and franchisees.

"The award is more than a good-looking statuette," says Cheryl Kostopoulos, President, Pak Mail Centers Canada and Chair of the CFA Award of Excellence in Franchising Committee. "It's about education, the CFA's Code of Ethics, good public relations for franchising, and highlighting the fact that, when the franchisor and the franchisees work together, there is no better way to do business. This is what CFA is all about. It reflects our core values: how to do franchising right."

The 2009 CFA Award of Excellence in Franchising winners will be announced at the CFA National Convention, May 3 - 5 in Toronto, Ontario. The ceremony will also be the venue for the Frankie Awards, which recognize the best advertising creative the Canadian franchise industry has produced over the past year.

For more information about the CFA Award of Excellence in Franchising, the Frankie Awards, and the CFA National Convention, visit www.cfa.ca.

About the Canadian Franchise Association (CFA)
With almost 500 corporate members nation-wide, representing many of Canada′s best-known brands, the Canadian Franchise Association is the National Voice for Canadian Franchising and works with all levels of government to ensure the development of industry-made solutions. CFA promotes ethical franchising and educates Canadians about franchising, specific franchise opportunities and proper due diligence through its many events, programs and publications. For more information, visit www.cfa.ca.

# # #

For more information, media accreditation and to arrange an interview with CFA President & Chief Executive Officer Lorraine McLachlan, please contact:

Kenny Chan
Assistant Manager, Communications
E-mail: kchan@cfa.ca
Tel: 800-665-4232 ext. 232

Lauren d′Entremont
Communications Assistant
E-mail: ldentremont@cfa.ca
Tel: 800-665-4232 ext. 238


For more information contact:
Kenny Chan
Assistant Manager, Communications
Canadian Franchise Association
Phone: 416-695-2896 x 232
Email: kchan@cfa.ca
Website: www.cfa.ca

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