Iain Westman purchased his first Driver Hire franchise back in 1994. This makes him one of our longest standing franchisees and also one of our most successful. His first purchase was Blackburn, adding Bolton and then Stockport and Crewe. Under Iain’s ownership, the latter two offices were successfully transformed from underperformers to profitable businesses and were subsequently re-sold.
Iain’s early career was in catering and hotel management followed by a spell in financial services. His introduction to Driver Hire came about through social networking. A chance meeting with one of Driver Hire’s owners led to Iain purchasing his first Driver Hire franchise. “I was 26,” Iain recalls. “My father and I had a look at what the Driver Hire package offered and saw the potential straightaway.”
He now employs 11 people at his two offices and and was Driver Hire’s ‘Franchisee of the Year’ in 2003. Iain believes that the company’s operating system, its training and its focus on legislative compliance are the cornerstones of its success and give Driver Hire a massive advantage in a competitive market. Says Iain, “It has been hard work but I continue to enjoy the challenge. That’s why I bought the additional franchises. Driver Hire has given me the opportunity to enjoy a lifestyle and financial security that I wouldn’t have thought possible when I bought my first franchise back in 1994.”
