One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning®, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing®, and Mister Sparky® Electric Ranked Top Franchises in Entrepreneur Magazine’s 40th Annual Franchise 500®

One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning® (One Hour), Benjamin Franklin Plumbing® (Benjamin Franklin) and Mister Sparky® electric, part of the Direct Energy family of brands with independently owned and operated locations throughout North America, recently ranked among the nation’s top franchises in Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500^® , the world’s first, best and most comprehensive franchise ranking.

Placement in the Franchise 500^® is a highly sought-after honor in the franchise industry, as evidenced by the fact that Entrepreneur received more than 1,000 applications this year, making it one of the company’s most competitive rankings ever. Recognized as an invaluable resource for potential franchisees, the Franchise 500^® ranks One Hour as #113, Mister Sparky as #395 and Benjamin Franklin as #408 for outstanding performance in areas including unit growth, financial strength and stability, and brand power.

“As we celebrate 40 years of producing the Franchise 500, it’s a good opportunity to step back and look at how much has changed since that first ranking in 1980,” says Jason Feifer, editor in chief of Entrepreneur. “While the franchise business model has changed little, the strongest franchise brands are constantly evolving and innovating to keep up with changing trends and technology.”

The key factors that go into the evaluation include costs and fees, size and growth, support, brand strength, and financial strength and stability. Each franchise is given a cumulative score based on an analysis of more than 150 data points, and the 500 franchises with the highest cumulative scores become the Franchise 500® in ranking order.

Over its 40 years in existence, the Franchise 500^® has become both a dominant competitive measure for franchisors and a primary research tool for potential franchisees. One Hour, Benjamin Franklin, and Mister Sparky’s positions on the ranking is a testament to its strength as a franchise opportunity.

“Our brands are among the best in the nation, and certainly in their industry, because of the solid foundation we have created in our system for franchise owners,” said Mark Baker, president of franchise, Direct Energy. “We continually review our approach to training, brand awareness and customer service to ensure our technicians are providing the best home services in the business.”

One Hour, Benjamin Franklin, and Mister Sparky franchisees pride themselves on their commitment to customer service with repair services available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee. Along with one of the best on-time guarantees in the country, all services are backed by highly skilled professionals trained and experienced to exceed customer expectations and needs.

To view the full ranking list, visit www.entrepreneur.com/franchise500. Results can also be seen in the January/February 2019 issue of Entrepreneur, available on newsstands since January 15th.