A poorly resurfaced restroom will make a poor impression on a customer--especially a customer at a major airport. Even though it’s likely the airport isn’t losing travelers from it, it’s still a much more pleasant experience for them to walk into a clean, new bathroom. After all, travel is tough enough!
Those through Philly will have a sparkling impression after their restrooms are refinished by local Miracle Method Surface Refinishing franchisee, Ryan Gladhill, who owns three Miracle Method territories, including the one currently resurfacing the bathrooms in the Philadelphia International Airport.
His other service areas include his hometown of Frederick, Maryland and Charleston, South Carolina. He opened his first franchise in 2007 when new home construction “pretty much ceased”. That’s what Gladhill was doing at the time, helping to build new homes in Frederick, Maryland, his home town.
“My parents owned a Miracle Method franchise and were doing well. Once construction work dried up I decided to try it and bought the location for my hometown,” shared Gladhill.
When his parents relocated to Charleston, South Carolina, Gladhill also bought the Miracle Method territory there. “I love the city of Charleston and the houses and buildings are beautiful but need updating, so this just made sense,” Gladhill added. After that move was successful he went for a big city, Philadelphia.
“Another city I’ve always loved,” said Gladhill, “and now that I knew how to manage my two territories I thought it was time to try a larger one South Philly and downtown Philadelphia in 2014.
Miracle Method offer homeowners and commercial institutions the less-hassle, money saving option of refinishing over replacing bathroom and kitchen fixtures.
"With new home construction on the decline," says Gladhill. "I wanted something more sustainable for my permanent career and saw that Miracle Method had a better long-term business structure."
One of the reasons the refinishing business is more sustainable is that many homeowners are opting to refinish rather than replace. Another is the ability to do the same work for large clients such as hospitals, universities and airports.
Key personnel at the Philadelphia International Airport reached out to Gladhill about refinishing their 200 restrooms. He showed them work his company did at other large institutions including University of Pennsylvania (Penn) and the Hospital of the University of Philadelphia. He got the job. His company began the airport job over the summer and has completed 10 of the 200 restrooms there.
Why refinish rather than replace? New fixtures, sinks or in the home a bathtub, can be prohibitively expensive. Refinishing can be cheaper and certainly simpler; there is no cost for removal, disposal and installation. Nor are there the possible difficulties that come with installing a new fixture (notably, does it fit in the old space)?
After eight years of managing his business, and now managing three locations, Gladhill is comfortable bidding on larger jobs like the airport. He would love to bring in more employees to free him up to work on other business ventures.
His advice to those starting a business? “Keep an eye to the future. Try to plan as far ahead as possible for growth. Try to stay one step ahead of where you think you should be to ensure you are taking advantage of all of the opportunities that are out there."
About Miracle Method
The largest bath and kitchen refinishing company in North America, Miracle Method has grown steadily since its founding in 1977. With over 135 domestic and international franchises, Miracle Method specializes in repairing and refinishing all types of bathtubs, showers, ceramic tile and countertops. Miracle Method is targeting expansion throughout the United States and Canada, with plans to add 120 more franchises by the end of 2018. For more information, visit http://www.miraclemethod.com/franchise-opportunity.php
