CruiseOne reports it has resolved that in 2014 military veterans and active-duty military spouses will make up at least 25 percent of its franchise network by the end of the year, an increase of nearly 10 percent, the host agency says. The group is part of World Travel Holdings and has more than 825 home-based travel franchise owners.
“At CruiseOne we salute military veterans and their spouses and we acknowledge that military service experience translates well into small business ownership,” said Tim Courtney, vice president of franchise development and ambassador of veteran affairs for CruiseOne.
“We find that strong leadership, discipline and trainability are several of the skills military veterans bring to business ownership, and these are also among the reasons they are some of the most successful franchise owners," Courtney says.
To further increase support in this area, in 2014 CruiseOne is launching a new veteran employment program offering discounts for franchise owners who hire former members of the U.S. military or active-duty military spouses as associates.
The first associate fee of $495 will be waived; any additional associates hired who are veterans or active-duty military spouses will be offered at half-price, a value of $248.
In addition, for the past two years the company says it has hosted its annual “Operation Vetrepreneur: Become Your Own General” contest, which awards five deserving military veterans with a free CruiseOne franchise. Each year, the contest starts on Memorial Day and concludes in the fall, with a special ceremony featuring city and state government officials.
“I am so honored to have won a CruiseOne travel franchise and I appreciate the commitment that CruiseOne makes to military veterans,” said Grant Springer, CruiseOne franchise owner, 2013 Operation Vetrepreneur winner and Army veteran. “As I continue to grow my business, I look forward to hiring other former members of the U.S. military as associates so they can experience the beneficial veteran employment opportunities that CruiseOne offers.”
A member of the International Franchise Association’s (IFA) VetFran initiative, CruiseOne supports former members of the U.S. military. The company’s accolades include a number one ranking by Forbes in its “Top 10 Military Friendly Franchise.”
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