Franchisees at Driver Hire, the specialist transport & logistics recruitment business, are celebrating another year of achievement. At the end of the 2015/16 financial year, 90% of their 86 office franchised network had passed the £500k turnover mark.

Even more impressive, perhaps, is that just short of half of their network (49%) made it past the magic £1m mark and 20% achieved or surpassed £1.5m. The average for other UK franchises is £378k.

Impressive figures that continue to attract a steady flow of enquiries from interested investors. One of their most recent are Wola and Ernest Akwenuke. They’ve recently bought Driver Hire’s Southend business from longstanding franchisees Irene and Dan Pritchard. Along the way, both have changed careers; prior to joining the Driver Hire network, Wola was a lawyer and Ernest ran his own opticians’ business.

“We were looking for a new business opportunity, something we could both work in together,” says Wola. “Franchising appealed because you’re buying into a proven and successful business model. We did our homework on Driver Hire – and liked what we saw.”

Ernest adds: “The back-up, systems and support offered by a Driver Hire franchise are almost unrivalled and give us every opportunity to grow a successful business, serving the needs of local employers and candidates alike. We’re both really looking forward to serving the needs of the business community here in Southend and the surrounding area.

Graham Duckworth, Driver Hire’s Franchise Sales Director added: “There’s no doubt that buying a Driver Hire franchise can be an excellent investment. Of course, you have to be prepared to work hard to develop your business. But as these figures show, if you have staying power and are prepared to put in the effort, a Driver Hire franchise has the potential to reap rich rewards for investors.”