There’s no getting away from the fact that recent years have been extremely difficult for businesses globally. Following the pandemic disruption, the war in Ukraine and now with recessionary fears escalating and inflation out of control, the world’s economies have been struggling for growth for an elongated period.

Understandably, this has led to businesses taking extra measures to get a stronger handle on their costs and uncover every last pound of hidden profit. ERA is perfectly placed to meet that demand, with a global network spanning 40 countries.

And the ERA UK network has triumphed over the rest following its spectacular performance and resilience in reacting to the unprecedented events of recent years: at the brand’s recent EMEA conference in Portugal, ERA UK won the Outstanding EMEA Network Performance award after recording an incredible 42% increase in client signings in 2021.

The results are even more impressive when set against the backdrop of Brexit challenges facing the UK economy, highlighting the strength of ERA’s business model even in the most volatile market conditions.

The wider ERA EMEA network saw an increase of 29% in client signings last year, demonstrating the UK network’s power and results.

ERA’s UK Franchise Support Manager, Fiona MacDonald, praised the “innovative ideas and solutions” that the UK network had explored.

She said: “Our ability to be agile and work together has meant we’re in a stronger place than we’ve ever been before, which is why this award is so hugely deserved.

“It’s been fantastic to witness everyone working together and helping each other, both as a network and as a team.”

Perfectly illustrating the UK network’s fantastic work are two franchisees who also scooped individual awards.

Dan Howells – EMEA Innovation Award

Dan has worked tirelessly to adapt his existing waste offering and futureproof his business. In particular, his innovative carbon initiative has been deployed by key account managers across the EMEA region to help clients with carbon footprinting and CO₂ reduction.

Dan has done this alongside supporting his colleagues and joining forces with other franchisees to present more areas of sustainable procurement in supply chains.

A well-deserved winner, Dan is always the first person to put his hand up for new initiatives whilst working determinedly to back his colleagues in the sales process to win new business. His enormous efforts result in regularly adding value to clients and fellow specialists by introducing other categories to the conversation.

Sean Bingham – EMEA Category Specialists of the Year

Sean, alongside fellow ERA business owners Henk Postmus and Johan Van Delm, has done a momentous job in developing the fleet category to be one of the top earning categories across Europe.

During his 13 years as an ERA franchisee so far, Sean has continuously sought ways to grow his business and the potential offering for clients. In 2021 this meant adding to his team to incorporate fleet insurance into their category, as well as placing a greater focus on electric vehicles and reducing emissions.
We can’t wait to see what Sean does next to keep his business pushing forward – and we’ll be there to support him every step of the way.
If you are interested in joining the award-winning family of ERA UK franchisees, there really is no better time to start your journey.