By Grace Silipigni
2829 Guardian Lane, Suite 100, Virginia Beach | 757-215-4253 | BuzzFranchiseBrands.com
Founded: 2015
Employees: Approximately 50 full-time and 12 seasonal
Kevin Wilson has cultivated national franchise brands for nearly a decade. His companies strive to keep neighborhood homes and pools clean and to ensure swimming safety for children and adults alike. While building his franchise empire, the CEO of Buzz Franchise Brands has also dedicated a substantial amount of time and effort to establishing a one-of-a-kind company culture for his 60-plus employees.
According to Administrative Assistant Anna Grushinski, the medium-sized company is teeming with life. When the BFB team isn’t organizing logistics for the company’s three active brands—Pool Scouts, Home Clean Heroes and British Swim School—the host of employees can be found shooting pool or hitting ping pong in the fully stocked break café. “We are fortunate to work in an incredible office space—arguably one of the best in Hampton Roads,” says Grushinski. “We have an open office environment with lots of room for collaboration.”
“If people enjoy coming to work every day, which to us means they enjoy the work they do with the people they do it with, it creates positive energy for everyone,” adds Wilson. “Our [company’s] mission is to enable people to realize their dreams. This includes supporting franchisees to realize their dream of business ownership but also includes supporting our employees to realize their professional ambitions.”
Wilson explains that much of the company’s culture stems from its five core values, which encourage employees to lead with integrity, be curious and innovative, to empower and serve, to act with purpose and to have fun. Wilson and his unique Sanity Control Committee pay particular attention to the ‘fun’ pillar. “This [committee] of passionate and dedicated individuals is tasked with developing a 12-month calendar that includes a monthly fun event and a quarterly Lunch and Learn,” elaborates Wilson.
Such events have included cooking classes as well as company trips to Topgolf, Adventure Park and local go kart tracks. During the Lunch and Learn sessions, Wilson and the Sanity Control Committee help employees develop skills applicable to both their professional and personal lives like managing finances and approaching difficult conversations. “Our culture [is] a performance-driven work environment that is supportive and collaborative but also allows autonomy for our team members. Our facility fosters open communication using a small, team-based approach. We work hard toward shared goals, and we celebrate our victories together,” says Wilson.
Another perk of working at BFB, particularly for new employees, is the annual winter party. The so-called newbies collaborate on performances that showcase their talents and enthusiasm for BFB. “We have had some very memorable showings over the years!” exclaims Wilson.
Work Perks
- 401(k) plan with employee matching
- Competitive healthcare package
- Long holidays
- Discounted gym membership
- Paid day off for birthdays
- Paid day off for volunteering
- Monthly activities like barbecues, trips to Topgolf, movie theater days, ropes course
- Company-wide retreat
- In-office workout room
Why I Love My Job
“The care and inclusion that has been shown makes me feel like I have joined a family, not an office. The leadership truly values input from all employees and cultivates an environment that sticks to our values while incorporating employees’ suggestions.” —Anna Grushinski, Administrative Assistant, one year with Buzz Franchise Brands