Home inspection franchiser from New Orleans finds solid base in S.A.
A-Pro Franchise Inc. relocated to Texas, thanks to Hurricane Katrina, and a Cajun-accented Italian American reoriented his goals to emphasize a Lone Star.
“Now that we’re based here, I expect to grow in this state in a big way,” said Greg Mangiaracina , a New Orleans evacuee who founded A-Pro Home Inspection Services in the Crescent City in 1994.
Mangiaracina, 46, is building the company into a national brand. And since the profession is relatively new, there’s still plenty of room for growth.
“Our goal is to have 200 franchises in Texas over the next five years.”
He has six in Texas and 120 spread across 30 states. The company is on track to sell 48 franchises this year. Most of the franchises listed in franchise directories began in the last 20 years. The industry leader is Post to Pillar in Tampa, Fla., with more than 500 franchises, but A-Pro rose above the middle of the pack despite unusual adversity.
Last August, 11 years of effort stood in the maw of a whirlwind. Students attending his Inspection Training Institute fled to their hometowns. Mangiaracina spirited his wife and two sons to an Atlanta hotel. Nine days into a sleepless CNN vigil, he knew going home wasn’t an option.
“They were estimating the airport was going to be closed for three months,” he said. “We’re dependent on a functional hub.”
The family, school and headquarters needed a new place in a hurry. A founding member of the Louisiana State Board of Home Inspectors, Mangiaracina wanted to stay close to the region where his reputation was built.
He looked for a big town with a strong tourist industry. A-Pro students are financially secure. A territory requires a net worth of $50,000 and a franchise fee of $25,900 that he doesn’t finance.
“It helps sales to be in a tourist city,” he said. “If somebody like that is going to commit to spend a week in your town, they have something more to look forward to than training.
