The pandemic has worn away a lot of things, including and especially furniture. To keep up with the unprecedented demand from residential and commercial customers, Fibrenew – the mobile leather, vinyl, plastic, fabric and upholstery repair service company – has launched a franchise expansion strategy designed to fill needs for its niche services around the country.  

Over the last year, many people have been confined to the safety of their homes – spending increased time on their couch binge watching Netflix series and hanging out with loved ones and pets. As a result, every-day-use furniture like couches and lounging chairs have put in overtime, causing rips, tears and breakdown.

On the automotive side, the combination of an increase in used car sales during the pandemic, along with more vehicle owners reinvesting in the upkeep of their existing cars, has led to an uptick in car upholstery repair needs. Likewise, demand has increased for work inside medical spaces, where it's required to have unblemished chairs and exam tables. Restaurant work is also expected to see a spike, as more establishments gradually open up and consumers looking to dine in are expecting to sit in undamaged booths and bar stools.

With this unprecedented marketplace demand, Fibrenew, currently with 262 units in operation across 42 U.S. states, signed on 30 new franchise partners in 2020 and inked 10 new deals already in 2021. Company officials say they are on target to sign another 35 new franchise agreements by the end of this year, targeting key markets coast to coast. Over the next few years, Fibrenew is on track to consistently add 50 units per year based on demand.

Examples of typical Fibrenew calls include:

• Residential Furniture: Damage from pets, children, pen marks, wine stains, moving damage and redecorating work (interior designers)
• Automotive Interiors (Cars, trucks & RVs): Driver's seat wear and tear, sun fading, steering wheel damage from rings and hand sanitizer, food and drink stains, cracked dashboards from heat, cigarette burns, vintage vehicle restoration projects (hard to find replacement pieces)
• Boats: Weather damage and fading to seats and plastic consoles from sun and heat, storm damage to entire boat interiors, mold growth and other containments from being in storage
• Medical Furniture: Stress cracks and rips on vinyl-covered chairs, beds and tables, accidental damage from medical staff, moving damage, etc.
• Restaurants/Casinos: Stress cracks and rips to vinyl and leather, food and drink stains and other affordable remodeling enhancements
• Vinyl Siding and PVC Windows: storm damage, wayward golfballs, construction mishaps

"Our company and franchisees have grown and thrived through every rise and fall of the economy since we started franchising in 1987," said Fibrenew President Jesse Johnstone. "That really speaks to the fact that there is always a need for our services. In addition to strong economics, our franchisees also enjoy the mobility to be on the road and control their own schedule. But most of all, they love the instant gratification gained from seeing the joy on customer's faces after repairing and restoring their favorite furniture and other assets."

To stay up to date with customer needs, Fibrenew continuously innovates, including its proprietary, handheld color-matching technology called Color Eye. This tech, originally intended to match makeup to skin color, allows technicians to find a perfect color match to any piece of furniture and ensure a seamless, undetectable repair. In addition to customer repair technology, Fibrenew provides franchisees with seamless apps to run their businesses, such as state-of-the-art networking platforms, scheduling services, marketing apps and accounting systems – all from the convenience of a company Google Workspace and iPads.

Fibrenew is a leading mobile service franchise that specializes in the repair, restoration, and renewal of leather, plastic, vinyl, fabric, and upholstery. With a rich history that dates back to 1985, Fibrenew manufactures a highly-specialized proprietary product line and has pioneered the repair techniques and exclusive color matching technology used by its technicians every day. With 260+ franchise locations and 320+ technicians across the USA, Canada, Mexico, Chile, and New Zealand, the company's eco-friendly restoration services save customers time and money by offering an alternative to replacing their damaged couches and chairs, car and marine components, commercial furniture and more. For more information about Fibrenew franchise opportunities, visit https://www.fibrenew.com/franchising/