"HSBC has been supporting the franchise industry for more than 20 years and we congratulate Antony Tagliamonti on being named Winner of these prestigious annual Awards. His success story is not only representative of hard work and commitment, but is also testament to the support provided by a successful franchising business model. HSBC recognises the valuable contribution franchisees such as Domino's Pizza make to the UK economy by creating local businesses, wealth and jobs."
Cathryn Hayes, Head of Franchising for HSBC Bank

A 27-year old who started out as a Domino's pizza delivery boy earning £3.20 an hour and now owns four stores worth £1.5 million, has scooped top prize in the 2006 British Franchise Association/HSBC Franchisee of the Year Awards, sponsored by HSBC Bank and Express Newspapers.

Beating off stiff competition Antony Tagliamonti - who lives in Woodford Green and runs stores in his home town, Gants Hill, Chingford and Borehamwood - was presented with the Gold Winner's trophy and an HSBC cheque for ?5,000 at a glittering gala dinner held last night at Birmingham?s Motorcycle Museum.

Speaking immediately after the Awards, Antony - the youngest "Franchisee of the Year" in the history of the Awards - said : "This is one of the proudest moments of my life and terrific recognition for my team who have worked so hard to achieve this success."

The bfa/HSBC Franchisee of the Year Awards - the highlight of National Franchise Week (2-9 October)- were launched in April as a celebration of the best-performing franchisees in a booming industry worth an annual ?10 billion a year and employing over 360,000 people in the UK.

At 17, Antony was a part-time delivery boy for Domino's Pizza with high ambitions - he wanted to own the store!

Just two years later, his wish came true and since then he has added three more outlets worth more than £1.5 million and employing 120 staff. His sales are also 25% above the company average and his stores rank amongst the top 10 in Europe for sales growth.

Just how Antony swapped his 50cc delivery moped for a top of the range BMW Convertible is all down to providing a quality product, backed by a "hands-on" approach and fun atmosphere - which has made him the youngest and most successful franchisee in the Domino's network.

Staff redemption is excellent with bonus incentives for fastest "out of door" times, weekly sales bonuses, training courses, "mystery shopper" programmes and a personal policy to only promote internal staff to management positions.

Antony also firmly believes in getting his stores involved with community activities - store tours and "design a pizza" competition for local schoolchildren, charity events, school fetes and fundraising for local charities, currently a children's nursery.

But he's the first to admit that success did not come overnight, and may not have come at all without the ongoing support of a strong franchisor. To Antony, the relationship is rather like a marriage, built around hard work and trust and based on effective communication, individual freedom and a respect for boundaries.

At the same time he benefits from the support of a bigger organisation in areas such as financial advice, training, marketing, product development and innovative services, such as online and interactive TV ordering.

Franchising works, he claims, when both parties realise that greater combined effort leads to greater individual rewards.

Giving something back to the system is also an important part of franchising, according to Antony. He acts as a mentor for the network and invites potential franchisees to see how his business works. An enthusiastic advocate of franchising, he has promoted the concept through media features and by using his business as a case study on business websites.

Still ambitious, and planning to open more stores later this year, Antony has achieved more than he ever imagined possible by taking advantage of strong franchisor support and adding his own mix of hard work, creativity and local knowledge.

And his favourite pizza? Pepperoni!

Cathryn Hayes, Head of Franchising for HSBC Bank, said: "Judging these Awards is always a difficult task but we felt that Antony showed determination and commitment to building a successful business at an age when most of his peers are busy enjoying an active social life.

"His emphasis on teamwork and following the system has been key to his well-deserved success and we are delighted to award him the top title of "Franchisee of the Year 2006" tonight."

Director General of the bfa, Brian Smart, added: "The franchise sector is home to some of the UK's most successful brands. These brands have been built on the fusion of a franchisor driven to build and support a network and franchisees who are committed to developing their own business.

"The awards recognise the very best franchisees and how their focus and drive, when supplemented by the support of a franchisor, grows sustainable, powerful businesses."

"Antony is an inspiring example of such a partnership working at its very best - and we congratulate him on winning the 2006 Awards."

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