The Hodges have a fleet of 12 to 15 vehicles serving their franchises. (Photos by Michael Thompson)
A decades-old Midlothian-based family business has added some spark to its holdings.
Father and son Chris Hodges Sr. and Chris Hodges Jr. are bringing two Mister Sparky electrical services franchises to the area after buying into the brand in January. The Hodges also run two One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning franchises out of their offices at 13507 E. Boundary Rd.
The family business began when Hodges Sr. launched Star Service Heating and Air in Richmond in 1976. He bought the One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning franchises in 2006 after he was drawn to what he sees as the efficiency of franchises.
“It’s difficult to work on a business and in a business,” Hodges Sr. said of being both an owner and operator. “A franchise makes the process of working on the business much easier.”
Chris Hodges Sr., left, Bonnie Hodges and Chris Hodges Jr.
Hodges Jr., the president of the two companies, started working for his father as a senior in high school and in 2011 received a B.S. in business management from Virginia Commonwealth University.
The HVAC side of the business has 40 employees. The newly added electrical side has four workers and is looking to add two more. The Hodges’ company has a fleet of 12 to 15 vehicles serving their four franchises.
The Hodges did about $3 million in sales in 2013.
Also part of the business is Bonnie Hodges, spouse to Hodges Sr. When she isn’t helping with the HVAC and electrical services, she runs Pretty Windows, a home decoration business she’s operated since 1992 that has two employees.
“It’s nice to have control over your own destiny,” Hodges Sr. said of having a family business. “We don’t know any other way.”
For their investment in Mister Sparky, the Hodges bought a new Mister Sparky franchise and an existing one in the Richmond area. The minimum “territory investment” for a Mister Sparky franchise is about $32,000, according to Clockwork Home Services, the company that sells the brands.
Clockwork also sells a plumbing service franchise called Benjamin Franklin: The Punctual Plumber and One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning. Among its three brands, Clockwork Home Services has about 600 locations in North America.
The Hodges have a fleet of 12 to 15 vehicles serving their franchises. (Photos by Michael Thompson)
A decades-old Midlothian-based family business has added some spark to its holdings.
Father and son Chris Hodges Sr. and Chris Hodges Jr. are bringing two Mister Sparky electrical services franchises to the area after buying into the brand in January. The Hodges also run two One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning franchises out of their offices at 13507 E. Boundary Rd.
The family business began when Hodges Sr. launched Star Service Heating and Air in Richmond in 1976. He bought the One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning franchises in 2006 after he was drawn to what he sees as the efficiency of franchises.
“It’s difficult to work on a business and in a business,” Hodges Sr. said of being both an owner and operator. “A franchise makes the process of working on the business much easier.”
Chris Hodges Sr., left, Bonnie Hodges and Chris Hodges Jr.
Hodges Jr., the president of the two companies, started working for his father as a senior in high school and in 2011 received a B.S. in business management from Virginia Commonwealth University.
The HVAC side of the business has 40 employees. The newly added electrical side has four workers and is looking to add two more. The Hodges’ company has a fleet of 12 to 15 vehicles serving their four franchises.
The Hodges did about $3 million in sales in 2013.
Also part of the business is Bonnie Hodges, spouse to Hodges Sr. When she isn’t helping with the HVAC and electrical services, she runs Pretty Windows, a home decoration business she’s operated since 1992 that has two employees.
“It’s nice to have control over your own destiny,” Hodges Sr. said of having a family business. “We don’t know any other way.”
For their investment in Mister Sparky, the Hodges bought a new Mister Sparky franchise and an existing one in the Richmond area. The minimum “territory investment” for a Mister Sparky franchise is about $32,000, according to Clockwork Home Services, the company that sells the brands.
Clockwork also sells a plumbing service franchise called Benjamin Franklin: The Punctual Plumber and One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning. Among its three brands, Clockwork Home Services has about 600 locations in North America.
Sounds like a very interesting blend of franchise and family business– seriously a unique business model.