FireMaster Fire System: Cutting-Edge Fire Protection for Ultimate Safety

by Charles White | Case Studies
4 minutes
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FireMaster is a fire system and equipment installation and service business that has a long track record of consistent performance and has in many ways defined the entire market for fire suppression service work. Master Protection, LP (or FireMaster®) designs, sells, installs, and services the full range of fire suppression equipment and systems to reduce risks and damage from accidental fires for a wide range of different commercial clients.

The company has essentially the longest-standing and most credible position in this market niche and has been in business since the 1960s. The company has built an incredible reputation through consistent service, high-quality products, and a brand that stands for excellent customer experience and consistency.    

The market for fire suppression services is widespread and needed everywhere, so in the 1980s, it became clear that the model had an opportunity to scale into more regions.  The decision to franchise the model was made after careful thought and consideration of how to grow responsibly and maintain consistent levels of service in new markets.

The initial offering was put out to experienced, dedicated professionals interested in helping building and property owners manage and reduce risks of fire dangers.  Many of our early franchisees had been service technician employees or independent contractors of our company. Today, several have operated FireMaster® franchises continuously for decades showing the longevity, consistency, and validation of the FireMaster services franchise system. 

In 2001 FireMaster® was acquired by a public company, Tyco International. In 2016 Tyco merged with Johnson Controls.  Today the FireMaster franchise is part of Johnson Controls, a global leader in building products and technology, integrated solutions, energy storage, and information-based retail solutions which create additional value from access to resources and global business networks. 

As part of the global Johnson Controls team, FireMaster® is dedicated to delivering single-source life safety solutions that meet the needs of our customers. We offer a quality franchise program.  In collaboration with our affiliate, Johnson Controls, Fire Protection LP, FireMaster® offers a total solution across all fire protection, life-safety, security, and building control needs today and long into the future. 

The franchise system offers training, support with certification programs, marketing, and business development, access to national accounts, technology, and vendor discounts that have come to the FireMaster franchise over the years. 

In 2017, Johnson Controls hired Franchise Marketing Systems to develop the platform and create franchise marketing programs and an overall sales strategy to develop and push the 80-unit franchise system forward.  The FMS team of consultants developed the lead generation, sales, and overall development platform to promote the established franchisor. 

What was clear from the strategic planning process was that there was significant validation of the model with great franchise performance and high levels of franchisee satisfaction. 

People were making money and appreciated what the franchisor was doing for them on an ongoing basis.  The sales efforts had slowed down, but this seemed to be primarily due to a lack of commitment to new recruitment.  The second obvious observation was that the franchise system offered enormous financial value with a low initial investment and a high potential ROI based on previous franchisee performance.  The franchise was loaded with value and just needed to get more exposure.

All of this wrapped into what made for a fantastic opportunity.  Franchise Marketing Systems created the models, plans and overall sales strategy needed to execute a new recruitment model for FireMaster. 

The franchise sales campaign launched in late 2017 and had an immediate impact on recruitment successfully driving in new leads through franchise tradeshows, web lead generation, and franchise PR.  Today, the system boasts 90 franchisees in fourteen (14) different regions of nine states – Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming.

The overwhelming majority of this business involves services provided by FireMaster® technicians who are franchise owners. In general, a FireMaster service franchisee purchases the right to perform a specific category of fire protection services to customers of FireMaster located within an exclusive geographic territory defined by zip codes.

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Charles White
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