Chattanooga: Andy OnCall observes 15 years in home repair

Andy OnCall this month will mark 15 years of tackling handyman repair services and maintenance jobs for Chattanooga homeowners.

The business originated here in 1993, but founder and Chief Executive Tom Harris began selling franchises in 1999.

Today there are 59 Andy OnCall locations across the country, he said.

“Our intention is to have 100 franchises, but that will require going to the West Coast,” Mr. Harris said. “I haven’t gotten around to that yet.”

Mr. Harris, 63, said he tries to limit franchises to areas with at least 500,000 people and charges between $40,000 to $50,000 for a franchise.

“It will probably cost that much again to get started,” he said.

Mr. Harris now devotes himself to running the franchising business.

His son-in-law, Barry Frizzell, runs the Chattanooga Andy OnCall business.

“It is a great business and a great opportunity,” Mr. Frizzell said. “We fill a niche in the construction and remodeling market.”

Mr. Harris said one of the most difficult tasks for new franchise owners is getting the right handymen. He said he provides them with step-by-step guidance of how to select reliable workers.

“It takes a long time to get the right guys,” he said, noting that he performs background checks as well as drug testing for all his handymen. “The quality of work is one thing, but the quality of the individual is another thing all together.”

Each of the handymen for the Chattanooga location has more than 10 years of service and provides a one year warranty for his work. Mr. Harris said.

Most franchises have between 15 and 20 craftsmen who each has a variety of skills.

“We try to match those skills with the needs of the customers,” he said.

Mr. Harris said the Chattanooga franchise has two full-time employees because the craftsmen do not work directly for Andy OnCall. Most work on a contract basis, he said.

All the Andy OnCall businesses combined generate between $18 million and $20 million a year, but he declined to say what the Chattanooga location earns.

This year has been slow for the franchising business. Only three new franchises have been added despite being named in January as a Top 500 franchise in Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 magazine and featured on Lifetime’s daily morning show, The Balancing Act.

“Chattanooga is a very entrepreneurial city,” Mr. Harris said. “A number of nationally recognized businesses originated here.”