ZOOM DRAIN, the drain and sewer cleaning experts, added its 13th franchise location, this time in California. Sean and Amy Hunt are the proud owners of ZOOM DRAIN & Sewer Service of Orange County. The couple is committed to taking care of the drain-cleaning needs of homeowners and business owners in the most populous county in sunny California.

“I’m a visionary; I see the big picture and the opportunity presented by ZOOM DRAIN,” said Sean Hunt. “We wanted to be in early and be the first in California. I’ve been a business owner for much of my life. It’s a struggle to develop systems and manuals. With ZOOM DRAIN, we are ready to implement and grow — fast.”

“Sean has more than 15 years' experience in the trades, including working as a boatbuilder, marine electrician and general contractor," added Amy Hunt. "A born entrepreneur, he's been a self-employed small-business owner for nearly 10 years. There isn't a job he can't figure out. We’re excited to start a new chapter in our lives with ZOOM DRAIN.”

Amy is currently serving on active duty with the U.S. Navy while Sean is a Navy veteran. Between them, they have more than 30 years of naval experience.

“We love welcoming military veterans such as Amy and Sean into the ZOOM DRAIN family because we know that veterans and franchising are a perfect match,” said ZOOM DRAIN President Jim Criniti, a U.S. Air Force veteran. “Those serving our country are very familiar with and dependent on operational systems, which is what franchising is all about."

Veterans account for 14 percent of U.S. franchises, even though they comprise about 7 percent of the U.S. population, according to research by VetFran, a strategic initiative between the International Franchise Association and the Franchise Education and Research Foundation. Veteran franchisees are more likely to hire veterans as employees, and 65 percent of franchisors have indicated that their rate of hiring veterans has increased in recent years.

That same research reports that 97 percent of surveyed franchisors say that veterans make excellent franchisees. “Executing systems and following procedures with precision is emphasized in military training, and leads to success in franchising,” VetFran noted on its website.

Additional ZOOM DRAIN locations include Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Norristown and Allentown/Bethlehem); Long Island, New York; Portland, Maine; Northern New Jersey; Southern New Jersey; Salt Lake City; Seattle; Omaha, Nebraska; Baltimore; and Central Florida.