Freedom Boat Club adds first Canadian franchise

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Freedom Boat Club appointed its first international franchise in Vancouver, British Columbia.

William “Sandy” Purdon and Jamie Purdon are the operators of the new franchise, and they are basing their club at Reed Point Marina in Port Moody, B.C. The Purdons previously operated a string of McDonald’s franchises in Manitoba for 21 years.

“We are very pleased to welcome Sandy and Jamie to our franchise organization, and we are especially thrilled to officially open the Canadian market,” Freedom Boat Club President and CEO John Giglio said in a statement. “Canada has been a target market for us this past year, and we couldn’t be happier to launch our first international franchise under the proven business leadership the Purdons bring to the operation.”

The Vancouver Freedom Boat Club is gearing up for a major spring grand opening and launch. It will offer free boat training, monthly member socials and a mix of popular boating brands in the fleet, including Campion, Ranger Tug, Bayliner and Hewescraft.

The Purdons say word on the street is already out and interest is high.

“We are very excited by the opportunity to represent Freedom Boat Club in Canada and have already received dozens of inquiries from prospective members who are interested in the club,” Sandy Purdon said. “We believe there is tremendous potential for growth and anticipate this will be the first of many clubs we open. Freedom Boat Club makes boating fun and affordable, and we believe this opportunity will resonate strongly among Canadians.”

Freedom Boat Club said it has posted 100 percent franchise growth since Giglio assumed the helm in 2012. This past January, Freedom Boat Club and Giglio were featured editorially in Entrepreneur Magazine’s annual franchise issue and ranked No. 283 on the Franchise 500 roster.

The club now tops more than 10,500 members and sports a growing fleet of 1,000-plus boats in North America.

Originally published here.