A Longframlington businessman has made a switch from working in procurement in the housing sector to professional lawn care as he launches his own franchise business to serve customers across the North East.

Andrew Jack has undergone significant training with international franchise TruGreen Professional LawnCare, which is a franchise of one of the UK’s leading and largest multi-brand franchisors ServiceMaster, and he is the new owner of TruGreen North East.

With over 18 years’ experience working in the housing sector, heading up the procurement and purchasing department, Andrew made the move into lawn care for an exciting challenge. He said: “For 18 years now, I’ve worked behind a desk and in the housing sector. Late last year I decided it was time for a change and tried to incorporate my hobbies and business into one. That’s when TruGreen first became a possibility for me, and I haven’t looked back since!”

“I enjoy being outdoors; I love gardening and playing golf, so to me the opportunities with TruGreen was a no brainer. I wanted to invest in a franchise that not only offered me opportunities but also had the support network of marketing behind it – and TruGreen ticks all those boxes.” Added Andrew

“From the experience I’ve gained in previous roles, I understand the importance of meeting customers’ needs and requirements and ensuring there’s always a solution that meets these requirements. I want to offer nothing but a high-quality service and ensure the customer feels they are getting value for money.”

When asked what motivates him and spurred him to invest into Trugreen, Andrew replied: “I enjoy variety and engaging with people, building a rapport and understanding customers. I don’t want to be doing the same job daily, and TruGreen offers variety for me. As the business grows, I’d be looking at taking on local people to help build the business, but for now it’s just me and I’m looking forward to getting going!”

All new TruGreen franchise investors undertake intensive training at the ServiceMaster Franchise Support Centre under the tutelage of TruGreen brand operations manager and former Wembley head groundsman, Steve Welch and the wider ServiceMaster franchise support team. As part of the training, Andrew achieved his City & Guilds NPTC Level 2 Award in the Safe Use of Pesticides (PA1 and PA6), which allows him to provide a professional, accredited and safe service to customers.

Steve Welch, brand operations manager for TruGreen added: “Andrew’s history and experience will stand him in great stead to build a really successful business. We’re delighted he chose to invest in TruGreen Professional LawnCare and it’s fantastic to have another van on the road and hopefully many more vans to follow.”

ServiceMaster has over 300 franchisees operating in close to 700 licensed areas under its brands, including Merry Maids, ServiceMaster Clean, Furniture Medic, TruGreen Professional LawnCare and Rosemary Bookkeeping. TruGreen has been recognised as a leading franchise opportunity in the Elite Franchise Top 100 franchises in the United Kingdom.