For Immediate Release
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Mr. Handyman, the Leader in Home Repair Services, Gains Coveted Spot in Academy Awards® Gift Basket
(Ann Arbor, Mich.)---The nation’s No. 1 provider of home maintenance and repair services has been chosen to be part of the 77th Annual Academy Awards® Gift Basket.
The Gift Baskets are given to the presenters, performers and other special guests at the Academy Awards® ceremony, which will be held on Sunday, February 27, 2005, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.
Mr. Handyman is presenting a gift certificate redeemable for one full day of Mr. Handyman service. The gift card will be imaginatively presented in a confetti-filled paint can with an upscale black, red and gold design featuring the Mr. Handyman logo. The lid’s label reads, “Your Handyman is Inside.” Mr. Handyman is a full-service repair and maintenance provider for both homes and businesses, with work done by highly skilled, uniformed technicians. Mr. Handyman specializes in taking care of those pesky tasks that everyone – even Hollywood stars and starlets – have pasted to their refrigerator door but never have the time or
inclination to tackle. Because past Gift Baskets have included such items such as stays at world-class resorts, Caribbean cruises and high-definition television sets, the Gift Baskets have become a much-coveted part of the Oscar® experience. The selection of Mr. Handyman – with more than 130 franchisees operating in approximately 35 states, including 13 in California alone - demonstrates that even Hollywood’s elite have a need for services provided by the estimated $35 billion home repair and improvement industry.
“It’s a testament to the Mr. Handyman concept itself,” said John McLellan, chief marketing officer for Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Service Brands International, (SBI) parent company of Mr. Handyman. “People realize this is a needed service.” The groundwork for Mr. Handyman’s inclusion in the Academy Awards® Gift Basket began over lunch in Hollywood. It’s only appropriate, given that’s where many of the entertainment industry’s biggest deals have been brokered and countless dreams and careers have been launched.
This story was no different. Anne Nemer, Mr. Handyman’s marketing director, was dining with Teddy Tenenbaum, a new franchisee and Hollywood screenwriter, who had recently opened Mr. Handyman of Beverly Hills, Hollywood and the Valley. The two casually discussed the novelty of Mr. Handyman being a part of the Oscar® Gift Basket. Believing the idea was worth pursuing, Nemer returned to Michigan
executives along with Tenenbaum and assembled a presentation touting the merits of Mr. Handyman to Academy Awards® representatives, then crossed their fingers. “Lo and behold, they called us back and said they thought it would be unique to have Mr. Handyman included,” said McLellan. “It has everybody pumped up and excited.” The spotlight is shining brightly on Mr. Handyman in 2005. Besides its Oscar® invitation, Mr. Handyman was named by Entrepreneur magazine in its January 2005 issue as the No.1 ranked franchise concept in the handyman/home repair category. Mr. Handyman’s No. 1 ranking is a high achievement for a brand that wasn’t launched until March 2000 and has become one of the Top 50 fastest-growing franchises in the country. “Being included in the Academy Awards® Gift Bag further recognizes Mr. Handyman as a leader in its category,” said McLellan. “Typically, the organizers go to the premium brands in a category. We think this is recognition of Mr. Handyman being the leader and premier service in the handyman category.” The company has already been featured on home makeover segments of The Oprah Winfrey Show. In addition to Mr. Handyman, Service Brands International oversees several other franchised brands including Molly Maid, 1-800-DryClean and Certified Restoration Dry Cleaning. A fifth concept, Ductz – which will offer duct-cleaning services – is expected to be launched in July 2005.