Franchisee Interview: JT Thompson And Fibrenew Nashville

JT Thompson Discusses What it’s Like to Franchise with Fibrenew

For close to 40 years, Fibrenew has offered expert services in vinyl, leather, and plastic restoration to customers, as well as opportunities for entrepreneurs to become small business owners. Are you interested in hearing from an actual entrepreneur what it’s like to leave the corporate business world and become a franchise owner? Nashville-based franchisee JT Thompson discusses his experience franchising with Fibrenew in this interview.

How did you get into Fibrenew?

Several years ago, I was in the corporate world. I’m a bit of a car enthusiast, and I had an older car that I was looking to do some restoration work on the seats. I began doing some research into whether such a service was available. I came across the Fibrenew name, but there was no franchise in Nashville, or even Tennessee at that point. A year or two later, my position was eliminated, and I had to think about my next step. That’s when I remembered Fibrenew and the fact that it didn’t have a local presence, so I began looking into it.

What was it about Fibrenew that made you feel confident about making the leap into business ownership?

I like working on cars and thought it could make a nice side hustle. But the more I researched Fibrenew, I began seeing there are multiple lines of business with this company. They don’t just offer automotive-related services, it’s for furniture, the hospitality industry, restaurants, doctors’ offices, hotels, RVs, boats. I realized the business was much broader and more diverse than I initially thought, and very much a great opportunity.

How big is the demand for these services?

We work with anything that’s leather, vinyl, or plastic. Just think about how many things in your day-to-day life are made of one of those objects and are in some state of disrepair. It’s almost endless, just how much opportunity there is in that area with, quite frankly, very little competition. It’s kind of a perfect storm of supply and demand.

What is the competition like?

There are some out there, but I believe our competitive differences enable us to stand out. I think we’re more prepared to go after a broader set of clients than competition does. Other companies tend to be more niche-focused, maybe they only service cars, or only furniture. We also have more employees now than when we started off as a single operator. We’ve been able to achieve so much growth and put more employees to work by continuing to expand our offerings and find different niches to go after.

What makes someone the right fit for a Fibrenew franchise?

When I first considered becoming a franchise owner, one of my misconceptions was that I needed to be some sort of old-world craftsman or have great artistic skills, which was a concern, because I don’t. But what I do have is a care for doing great work. I think that’s a big part of it.

I would say another part of it is being fearless. All the time, we’re faced with repairs that aren’t in the manual, and you’ve got to figure out new ways of addressing problems. You’ve got to be able to try things and trust yourself.

Why has this been a positive business endeavor?

In the corporate world, in this day and age, you’re constantly wondering when the next merger will be, who will be the next layoff, who’s going to be the next senior VP, and if they’ll like your work. Those things get very, very tedious. Being in control and not having to worry about how someone in corporate can impact my job has been wonderful. I have a wife and two kids. When I started with Fibrenew, my new schedule allowed me to spend time with them and attend their school and sporting events. That has been priceless.

Learn More about Fibrenew Franchise

Learn more about the Fibrenew franchise and if it’s the right fit for you by visiting our research pages here. To request more information about Fibrenew franchise, fill out our inquiry form here. One of our franchise team members will be in touch to start a conversation about investing in the Fibrenew franchise opportunity. We look forward to learning more about your dreams of business ownership and if they can be met by investing in a Fibrenew franchise!