American Family Care Named a "Best Buy in Franchising"

Health Care Leader Wins a First of its Kind Industry Award

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Mar 07, 2017, 13:21 ET

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., March 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- American Family Care (AFC), the nation's leading provider of urgent care, occupational medicine and accessible primary care, has been named a best buy in franchising by Franchise Times as part of the magazine's new Zor Awards program. The Zor Awards is a new industry-exclusive award program designed to help prospective franchisees narrow down the best choice for their investment. AFC was selected as the winner in the hard-fought medical category.

"We are delighted to be chosen as the best option for franchisees looking to invest in the new wave of health care," says Randy Johansen, President of AFC, "Our success is the direct result of the hard work and dedication of our employees and franchisees — combined with what has proven to be an effective and profitable franchise business model." During the last 34 years, AFC has pioneered the concept of non-emergency room urgent care and expanded its footprint to more than 170 medical centers in 26 states. The company is also scheduled to add more than 30 new locations during the next 12 months.

The selection process for the first-ever Zor Awards program started with the Franchise Times editorial staff. The team selected 10 industry categories that would reflect industry momentum and appealing segments of franchising. This year's categories include: New Wave Medical, Personal Wellness, Drive-Thru Classics, Better Burgers, Fast-Casual Pizza, Dog vs. Cat People, Hands On, Fixer Upper, Cheap Seats and Feel Like a Kid Again.

Finalists were identified from the Franchise Times Top 200+ database, which is a 20-year-old research tool covering more than 650 U.S. based franchise systems. The research team examined six key financial metrics pulled from each franchise's disclosure statement with a focus on profitability for the franchisee. That process also included editorial examination of management teams, product or service offerings, unit openings and closings, recent litigation, and financial backing of the brand.

As the final step, Franchise Times hosted online voting from mid-December to mid-January to reflect industry enthusiasm. This third metric received thousands of reader votes and was used as a tiebreaker to determine the final winners.

Below is the final list of winners of the 2017 Franchise Times Zor Awards by category:

New Wave Medical: American Family Care
Personal Wellness: Orangetheory Fitness
Drive-Thru Classics: Dairy Queen
Better Burgers: Burger 21
Fast-Casual Pizza: Blaze Pizza
Dog vs. Cat People: Dogtopia
Hands On: Weed Man
Fixer Upper: Tailored Living
Cheap Seats: Pinot's Palette
Feel Like a Kid Again: Sky Zone

About American Family Care:
Founded by Dr. Bruce Irwin with a single location in 1982, American Family Care has pioneered the concept of non-emergency room urgent care. With its 2013 acquisition of the Doctors Express, AFC has become the nation's leading provider of urgent care, accessible primary care, and occupational medicine, with more than 170 clinics and 500 in-network physicians caring for 2 million patients a year. Ranked by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing companies in the U.S., AFC's stated mission is to provide the best healthcare possible, in a kind and caring environment, while respecting the rights of all patients, in an economical manner, at times and locations convenient to the patient. For more information, visit www.AmericanFamilyCare.com.

About Franchise Times:
Franchise Times magazine is the only independent, unbiased news source in franchising. Its original research has led to well-respected rankings such as the Franchise Times 200; Fast & Serious, a look at the smartest-growing franchise systems in the U.S.; and the Restaurant Franchisee 200, the top restaurant U.S. franchisees. Our Restaurant Finance & Development Conference and Franchise Finance & Growth Conference bring franchisors and multi-unit franchisees together in the premier dealmakers' events in franchising.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Nancy Bostrom [email protected] 919-459-8163
Sue Yannello [email protected] 919-459-8162

SOURCE American Family Care