As part of its Operation Vetrepreneur: Become Your Own General contest, CruiseOne franchises awarded five military veterans with franchises valued at $12,700 each for a total value of $63,500.
The contest began in May and was open to former members of any branch of the military: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps or Coast Guard who completed a three-part process which included an application, business plan and telephone interviews.
Operation Vetrepreneur Contest Winners
James Eisenmann, Navy Veteran from Medina, OH- Larkin Frazier, Army Veteran from Nashville, TN
- Mattie Johnson, Army Veteran from Philadelphia, PA
- Curtis Regester, Air Force Veteran from Fredericksburg, TX
- Bill Wilson, Army Veteran from Meredith, NH
“During my time in the military I traveled to more than 30 different countries where I had the opportunity to explore the local sites and immerse myself in the culture during my free time.” commented award recipient, Bill Wilson. “Being well-traveled, I learned how difficult organizing a trip can be, and I will work with customers to ensure they have a satisfying and stress-free vacation. I will get to know their needs so I can better organize the perfect travel experience for them based on their interests, hobbies, desires and budget limitations.”
The winners were selected among 200 applicants from 45 states and will go on a week-long training course at CruiseOne’s headquarters in Fort Lauderdale.
They were honored during a special ceremony attended by cruise line representatives as well as city, state and county officials.
Tim Courtney, CFE, vice president of franchise development and ambassador of veteran affairs for CruiseOne says “Every year I am impressed by the high caliber of candidates who are passionate about travel and want to open their own franchise, and this year was no exception.” He continues, “Franchising is a popular career choice for military veterans because many of their skills and traits from the military translate well with business ownership, such as integrity, management and thinking under pressure to name a few. We are so honored to be able to host Operation Vetrepreneur year-after-year and give back to those who have given so much for our country.”
Veteran Friendly
CruiseOne is ranked as the #1 military friendly franchise by Forbes and supports veterans in several ways:
- Member of the International Franchise Association’s (IFA) VetFran initiative
- Offer a 20% discount off the initial franchise fee to veterans
- 30% of CruiseOne franchisees are military veterans or spouses of a military veteran
- Hold an annual contest for veterans called Operation Vetrepreneur
- Encourage CruiseOne franchisees to recruit a military veteran or spouse to join their business free of charge
CruiseOne
The CruiseOne franchise opportunity is part of the World Travel Holdings’ family which encompasses more than 40 established brands.
Offering franchisees a low-investment, home-based travel business, CruiseOne has more than 1,000 franchise owners who love the travel business and benefit from this world-recognized global leader’s buying power and experience.
Other benefits include world-class support, comprehensive training, marketing and lead generation, and web-based business tools.
Tap here to inquire about owning a CruiseOne franchise.
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