In summer '49, College Pro started a podcast to showcase the "x" element of our current franchisees that make them successful. In a limited-time series called Torch Given, in summer '50, our CEO Tony Valle is sitting down to talk with the founders, past CEOs, and trusted partners of this resilient brand called College Pro.
Our second guest is Steve Rogers, the former CEO and founder of The Franchise Company. Steve Rogers’ business career started in the summer of 1978 as a College Pro franchisee with $42,000 revenue, and took a fairly straight line to the CEO of The Franchise Company, which in 2011, when he retired, had system wide sales of $1.4 billion performed by 1750 franchisees and contractor networks.
In between, he was involved in over 25 mergers and acquisitions, the creation of start-up entities leading to significant organic growth, and some humbling failures. Steve bet his own money all the way along. From the fall of 1989 to July 2011, he and his shareholders earned a 26% return on their capital invested, compounding annually. Steve was President and CEO of The Franchise Company for 21 years. Steve has had public market experience, having been on the FirstService Corporation (TSX: FSV -NASDAQ: FSRV) Board of Directors from fall of 1989 to April 2014. In 1993, FirstService went public with revenues of US$42 million, and today, FirstService has evolved into two public companies – FirstService TSX FSV and Colliers International TSX CIG. Steve is looking to work with high growth companies that are ready to move from small and medium size to a larger next phase; founder driven to professional management.
Steve is not looking for a job. He is looking to get involved with the CEO of a company, in a coaching and business strategy situation, if and when the fit is right. Steve is not a hand holder and he is prepared to bet his money on the right opportunity. Steve is currently the President of Four Box Holdings Inc., his holding company, with investments in seven early stage companies, as well as looking after his passive investment portfolio. He is Chairman of iMagic Glass Inc. (www.imagicglass.com) and Digital Education Company Ltd. (www.digitaled.com).
Steve is a keen skier and cyclist, enjoys playing hockey, hunting, fishing, plays music in a band and practices yoga on Thursdays.
