IFA Names Ziebart Owner Nick Lambie as 2023 Franchisee of the Year
Lambie & his brother Mark have led one of Ziebart's top-preforming stores over the past 5 years...
The International Franchise Association (IFA) named Nick Lambie, owner of Ziebart in Morgantown, West Virginia, as a 2023 Franchisee of the Year.
Lambie was honored at the 64th IFA Annual Convention in Phoenix for being an outstanding franchise establishment owner-operator.
Lambie has owned his store with his brother, Mark Lambie, since 2019. Following his career as a U.S. Air Force master sergeant, Nick Lambie sought a new challenge that would continue his management and mentorship of people, while paying attention to detail and accomplishing the job. The Morgantown location has become one of the brand’s top-performing stores over the past five years and Lambie’s leadership has translated well to business ownership, according to the company.
“Franchisee of the Year exemplifies what franchising is all about – providing opportunity, serving others and fulfilling the American Dream,” said Matthew Haller, president and CEO of the International Franchise Association. “We are proud to recognize Nick with the highest honor IFA awards to individual franchisees. I have no doubt his work is changing lives and making a lasting community impact.”
The Franchisee of the Year Award recognizes franchise owners from IFA member brands whose outstanding performance and contributions help protect, enhance and promote the franchise business model, according to the organization Individuals are selected for their involvement in their communities, embodying the entrepreneurial spirit, fostering a healthy culture with their workforce and assisting their fellow franchisees.
In its 65th year in business, Ziebart operates more than 400 locations and 1,300 service centers in 19 states and 37 countries. The brand has been named No. 150 in Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 and a Top Franchise for 2024 by Franchise Business Review.
Lambie, as a success story for veteran franchise ownership, will open his second location with his brother in Washington, Pennsylvania, later this year.
“If you take care of those around you, they’ll take care of you. That message sits at the core of why I got into entrepreneurship in the first place,” said Nick Lambie. “This award is an honor and I’m happy to represent my brother, our store, our hometown and the Ziebart brand overall as a Franchisee of the Year. Every award is a team award and I can’t thank everyone that’s helped me get here enough.”
There are 806,000 franchised businesses across the U.S., providing over 8.7 million direct jobs and generating over $858 billion in economic output. According to Oxford Economics, franchising on average provides higher wages and better benefits than non-franchised businesses, as well as greater entrepreneurial opportunities to minorities, women, veterans and other underrepresented communities.
