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United
Country Secures Investment
Capital
to Promote Accelerated Growth in
2006
February 28, 2006 – KANSAS CITY,
Mo. – United Country Real Estate
announces that the
company has secured growth
capital to support its expanding
network of affiliate offices
through enhanced marketing and
ancillary services for the
benefit of its franchise
partners.
“The decision to secure
investment capital from a strong
investment group was in support
of our continuing growth and a
long standing goal to enhance
the value of our offering to
both existing franchise partners
and to those considering
affiliation in order to improve
their business performance,”
stated Lou Francis, president of
United Country.
This announcement comes on the
heels of United’s late-January
announcement regarding record
growth in 2005. The company
reports adding a record 113 new
affiliates to its network in
2005,
thus bringing the current tally
to 526 offices across 35 states.
Given strong growth in recent
years, it was time for United
Country to secure investment
capital, according to Francis.
The company’s preeminent desire
to preserve a culture where
employees, franchisees and
families take center stage
resulted in partnering with an
investment group led by Dan
Duffy, a private investor from
Southlake, Texas;
Jared Brown of Herbert Brown and
Associates, Tampa, Fla.; Capital
Resource Partners of Boston,
Mass.; and Austin Ventures of
Austin, Texas.
“United Country has been
approached a number of times
over the past few years by other
investment groups interested in
purchasing the company. Until
now, United has declined all
offers because we did not feel
that the ‘cultural fit,’
alignment of long-term vision
and timing were
right,” Francis said. “This
time, however, all the pieces
fit.”
Post investment, Francis will
continue to run the day-to-day
operations of the business in
his
role as president, and Carl
Hopkins will continue in his
role as chief financial officer.
Duffy will
serve as the company’s Chairman
of the Board and chief executive
officer, focusing primarily on
business development, launching
ancillary services, and the
identification and deployment of
technology to support the
franchise network.
“I am honored to be part of this
organization and am looking
forward to working with the team
at United Country as well as the
franchisees to build on the
success they have experienced
over the past 80 years,” Duffy
said.
United Country is the only
national real estate franchise
system specializing in
residential, farm
and ranch, commercial and
recreational properties located
in the small cities and towns of
rural America. With a heritage
dating back to 1925, the Kansas
City-based company has 526
offices
in 35 states and offers a
national database of properties
at
www.unitedcountry.com.
NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS
2820 NW Barry Road, Kansas City,
MO 64154
816-420-6200
www.unitedcountry.com |
