Success for Molly Maids CEO and Cash Generator founder as bfa awards “highest honour in franchising”

The British Franchise Association (bfa) has awarded the achievements of “long-serving franchise professionals” Pam Bader OBE; CEO of Molly Maids, and Brian Lewis; the founder of Cash Generator, by making them companions of its association last month.

Reserved for those who have worked “tirelessly” to support the franchise sector, the companionship is a major achievement for Bader and Lewis given that the bfa has awarded just 18 companionships since its launch in 1977.

Having brought the Molly Maids chain to the UK in 1985, Bader secured the accolade for her success in having scaled the domestic cleaning brand to a network of 70 franchisees with £16.5m turnover to date.

Lewis, who founded Cash Generator in 1990 and launched its franchise opportunity in 1997, was awarded companionship for having overseen the growth of a “nationally-recognised” franchise and for his achievements having served as the bfa’s chair from 2004 to 2005, and more recently as trustee of the bfa’s Franchise Trust.

The news comes on the back of the bfa’s announcement of a new board of directors with 13 franchisors elected for director, forum chair and franchise representative positions to help support the franchise industry. Newly elected board members include Trevor Brocklebank of Home Instead Senior Care and Tony Marsh of Signs express alongside continuing members such as Shaun Thomson of Sandler Training.

bfa chair, Simon Bartholomew, said of the companionships: “It’s a real privilege for me to have recognised two exceptional people for their long-term dedication to franchising.

“Bader […] rightly enjoys the utmost respect across the sector for the pioneering work she’s carried out for so many years [and] Lewis [has…] showed time and again an unerring commitment to promote and further the franchise sector.”