The Dwyer Group in Waco has acquired the franchising rights in the United States to a landscaping company owned by 10 brothers in Canada, Dwyer Group officials announced this week.

It will do business as The Grounds Guys. An exclusive franchise will cost $24,000, and getting a franchise up and running probably will require an investment of $100,000 to $175,000, said Dina Dwyer-Owens, chair- woman and CEO.

A company called Sunshine Grounds Care was established in Orangeville, Ontario, in 1987 by Tim van Stralen. It quickly grew to include his nine brothers.

By 2004, Sunshine, now known as The Grounds Guys Canada, began franchising. Today it counts 25 fran-chisees in its network.

The family will maintain franchising rights in Canada.

Convention meeting

Dwyer-Owens said she met the van Stralens at the International Franchise Association convention in San Diego last year. The van Stralens expressed a desire to expand their franchising influence.

“We visited their headquarters and they visited ours. And we both came away impressed,” said Dwyer-Owens. They struck a deal, but for legal reasons, the company must now call its franchises The Grounds Guys.

The Dwyer Group will add The Grounds Guys to its six other franchise businesses: Aire-Serve, Glass Doctor, Mr. Appliance, Mr. Electric, Mr. Rooter and Rainbow International.

‘Good things to offer’

“It was clear that we each had good things to offer one another,” said Peter van Stralen, president and CEO of The Grounds Guys Canada. He added he was impressed by The Dwyer Group’s values as a company.

“Having grown up in a family business, we saw a lot of ourselves in the van Stralens and what they were doing in Canada,” said Dwyer-Owens, whose late father, Don, founded her company in 1981.

The Dwyer Group has 1,500 franchise owners worldwide who generate about $800 million in annual sales. The Dwyer Group receives royalties from the franchisees and fees for awarding franchises.

Its Waco headquarters is located at 1010 N. University Parks Drive, where 203 people work. The complex has executives for each franchise company, training staff and office personnel.

mcopeland@wacotrib.com

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