Local wood restoration company establishing franchise

The road to franchising isn't smooth or easy, but a local company has finally made the journey.

Stan and Sonja Krempges, who in 1993 started Wood Brite, a wood restoration company, are now franchising the company under the name, "Wood Re New."

According to Stan Krempges, the enterprise will concentrate on potential markets in the southeastern states.

Krempges' original idea for Wood Brite's services is testimony to the adage that necessity is the mother of invention. "I was partners in a fence company and people were always asking what to do to keep wood decks looking nice, and I didn't have an answer," he said.

Research

Coincidentally, the couple's own cedar deck and roof were turning gray. This prompted Krempges to begin researching ways to restore the wood's appearance.

Eventually he came up with a set of products and procedures that does the trick when exterior wood begins to discolor and lose water repellence.

"Wood Brite has its own cleaner, a safe, thick foam that cleans and softens the wood," Krempges said. "Once that's rinsed off, we let it dry for a few days, then we apply a preservative. This process restores color and makes the wood water repellent. As long as the wood is structurally sound, we can make it look good."

The business didn't begin strictly as a sideline. "I went into it with the idea that we were going to make this work," Krempges said. The couple spent six months putting together a business plan and doing market research.

The couple were determined to make the business first class from the beginning with everything from coordinated uniforms to well-designed signage. "We wanted to look like a big, national company, not a guy working out of his truck," Krempges said.

Rocky start

Wood Brite's start was determined but rocky. "We took off very slow," Krem-pges said. "I was still perfecting procedures at that point." The Krempges' son Brant and nephew Jeremy Krempges helped with the new business, and by the third year, Wood Brite had hired its first employee. The company's first crew ex-panded into two crews, and business eventually grew to the point that the company's Springfield location now requires four crews.

During their fourth year in business, the franchise idea began to take shape in the couple's minds. "That's when we started to see that it was a neat niche business, and we thought we could franchise it and duplicate that success for others," Stan Krempges said. "But we put it on the back burner for several more years."

By the company's seventh year in business, the Krempgeses knew that Wood Brite was a franchise idea whose time had come or had it? Local businesswoman Nikki Sells guided the couple to a franchise attorney, who helped them take their next step. The attorney "said we weren't ready," according to Krem-pges.

Testing markets

Getting ready for potential franchising meant testing the business in other areas, so the couple introduced Wood Brite to the Joplin, Tulsa, Okla., and Rogers, Ark., markets.

Meanwhile, they spent a year researching franchise-related issues and developing procedure manuals.

Once the new locations proved viable, the Krempgeses spent yet another year in preparation; then, two months ago, Wood Brite was officially ready for franchising.

The legal process of franchising a business is not for the faint of heart, Krempges said. "It was unbelievable. It's like going back to school, there are so many regulations that you have to learn."

But school isn't out for the franchiser once the legal issues of franchising are dealt with. Krempges said that membership in the International Franchise Association has proved to be a tremendous source of information and inspiration.

Tips on franchising

For those who might want to become the next local businessperson to find franchising success, Krempges cautions that franchising isn't for every business. "You need to do a lot of research, because not every business is franchisable. Also, you need to talk to people who have done it to see what it takes and what's involved."

James Amos Jr., chief executive officer of Mailboxes Etc. and chairman of the board of IFA, is one businessman who lent his franchising expertise to the Krempgeses. "He laid out all the pros and cons for us," Krempges said. "Also, there are a lot of people who have had franchise ideas who've written books about it."

With their franchise finally on the market and locations in Springfield, Joplin, Rogers and Tulsa, the Krempgeses feel great about how far they've come.

"There's a real sense of accomplishment that comes from getting to this point," Krempges said. "We're happy that we've grown this much, because if you're not growing, you're dying. We're extremely excited."