Chem-Dry Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning

#48

At a Glance

Products & Services: Carpet, drapery & upholstery cleaning; tile & stone care

Number of Locations: 3,500

Total Investment: $32.65K - 127K

Founded: 1977

Began Franchising: 1978

About Chem-Dry Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning

Robert Harris worked as a carpet cleaner to pay for his law school tuition. He found the cleaning methods being used were not getting the job done and set about developing new solutions to get carpets cleaner. Harris started using his new solution to clean carpets for family and friends, and demand for his services quickly grew. In 1977, Harris founded Chem-Dry to bring his new cleaning methods to more customers.

Chem-Dry began franchising in 1978 and now has locations in the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia and the United Kingdom. In 2006, Chem-Dry was acquired by The Home Depot.

Franchise Units

Year	U.S.	Canadian	International	Company Owned
2013	2,000	70	1,430	0
2012	2,150	70	1,413	0
2011	2,165	77	1,339	0
2010	2,198	83	1,588	0
2009	2,309	95	1,600	0

Where Seeking Franchisees: Franchisor is seeking new franchise units worldwide.

Startup Costs, Ongoing Fees and Financing

Total Investment: $32,650 - $127,000
Franchise Fee: $15,000
Ongoing Royalty Fee: $350/mo.
Term of Franchise Agreement: 5 years, renewable

Financial Requirements

Net Worth: $25,000
Liquid Cash Available: $25,000

Operations

Franchise can be run from home. 35% of all franchisees own more than one unit. Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators).