When a national franchise racks up the debt, it’s the local franchise owner that pays the price.
The typical American consumer probably knows 100 franchises by name. But for every famous franchise, there are countless others that provide a business model and support devices for local entrepreneurs participating in the American dream. When the corporate office of Clear Choice USA, a national replacement window retailer, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, it was the independently owned and operated locations across the country that stood to suffer the most. These local retailers risked losing a brand and reputation, that some had spent many years and hundreds of thousands of dollars building.
Fortunately, this story has a new chapter. Through an asset acquisition in the Atlanta (Georgia) division of the US Bankruptcy Court, Clear Choice USA is now under new ownership and management.