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Steve White, President and COO of PuroClean, is a former US Army Captain and veteran who celebrated his 35th year in franchising in 2021. Maintaining an open-door policy, White has a stellar reputation as a “bold leader” who listens attentively to his team, inspiring innovation while creating a solutions-driven culture that thrives in adversity. Prior to joining PuroClean, White spent five years at Domino’s Pizza as operations manager. Developing a passion for the franchise industry, he learned the fundamentals of building the business. After Domino’s, White moved to another franchisor, Allegra Network, a printing and marketing services company. Over the next 20 years, the one-time army officer worked his way up from national sales to become the corporation’s valued COO. Known for radically changing failing organizations and vastly improving already good ones, White was happily retired for just about a year when he received a call from the owners of the PuroClean brand seeking new leadership to revitalize their shrinking company with an eye toward selling it. He initially turned down the offer, but PuroClean persisted and Steve finally accepted the challenge. Since then, his leadership has taken PuroClean’s company culture to a new level with the support of new ownership; taking franchisee and employee satisfaction to new heights, and increasing retention numbers of both the corporate support team and franchise network. Under his leadership, PuroClean has grown significantly, expanding into more than 375 locations, doubling the per unit sale. For 2022, the company is already boasting system-wide sales ahead of its projected goals.
White has served in various roles on the International Franchise Association (IFA) and specifically on their Educational Foundation VetFran committee, a program near and dear to his heart as a veteran himself. White became Chair of the committee, lobbying for veterans’ rights and leading the group to new heights, working daily to build a community of military veterans within franchising. Revered in the industry and published many times, White spearheads thought leadership for the brand as a key spokesperson, participating in podcasts, media interviews, and panel discussions. Notably, during the virtual 2021 IFA Annual Convention, Steve introduced and interviewed retired US Army Lieutenant General Nadja West, the first black female lieutenant and first black army surgeon general of the United States. In 2022, White moderated the hybrid IFA VetFran 30th Anniversary panel discussion engaging over 4,000 attendees.
A recipient of the Seven Seals Award for meritorious leadership and initiative in support of men and women who serve America in the National Guard and Reserve, White leads PuroClean’s support for military veterans through its PuroVet program, offering ownership and vendor discounts to potential franchisees.
In 2020, Steve White championed PuroClean through a challenging pandemic, coming out of it with record-breaking sales and earning recognition through the International Business Awards with two gold “Stevie” awards and a bronze in the coveted Most Valuable COVID-19 Corporate Response category. During the pandemic, White focused his team on finding innovative ways to retain staff while simultaneously increasing brand awareness, introducing advanced technological solutions to maintain franchise engagement, and improving processes and procedures to keep up with evolving industry standards related to the virus. PuroClean’s corporate team enhanced the PuroClean Academy into a new hybrid, state-of-the-art training facility that incorporates virtual training with live facilitation. White and his team swiftly updated programs to comply with the new mandates, introducing time-sensitive topics necessitated by the pandemic on cleaning, safety, marketing, digital marketing, and re-opened businesses. In 2021, White was recognized as a most distinguished C-Suite executive by the South Florida Business & Wealth Magazine with the 2021 Apogee Award for dedication to the industry and community he serves.
This past year, Steve was awarded a Silver Stevie by the IBAs in honor of his 35 years in franchising. Steve’s leadership within franchising extends beyond PuroClean with key memberships in the IFA and VetFran, continuing to serve on the board of both.
Nomination Title: Steve White, President and COO