→ BUMBLE BEE BLINDS
→ GATSBY GLASS
JUMPED
200+ SPOTS
T T
HorsePower Brands HorsePower Brands
Last year not not ranked ranked, this year jumped to No. No. 255 255 (Gatsby Glass) No. 266 No. 266 (Bumble Bee Blinds), and No. No. 267 267 (Stand Strong Fencing)
o grow its franchises, HorsePower Brands decided to rethink who it sold franchises to. That effort has already paid off. HorsePower owns nine franchise brands, and three of them—Gatsby Glass, Bumble Bee Blinds, and Stand Strong Fencing—went from not being ranked at all in 2025, to jump-
ing over half the list. HorsePower CEO Tony Hulbert says the upward trajectory started in 2023, when the company looked for patterns among its brands’ top-performing franchisees. It identified what it calls “all-in owner-operators”—people who have no other business to concentrate on, and fully
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focus on their HorsePower brand. Then HorsePower asked itself: How can we get more of those people? To do this, they changed the way that recruiters talk about successful franchisees. “We are selecting business owners who want to be all in,” Hulbert says. “We talk about the all-in mindset of
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF HORSEPOWER BRANDS
→ STAND STRONG FENCING
being a business owner. If we just consistently speak to what the successful attributes are, people will self-select themselves out. I also don’t talk about franchising. I talk about business ownership. People think that if it’s a franchise, all these things are solved for me. That’s not the case. You’re a business owner, and it’s always going to land at your feet to figure out how to make the business successful.” In addition to rethinking its franchisee recruitment, HorsePower Brands also rethought its corporate team recruitment. In late 2023, the company moved to a remotework model. This allowed it to recruit the best talent, wherever they are. For example, it recruited a new vice president and brand driver for Stand Strong Fencing. “He’s been in fencing for 25 years,” Hulbert says. “He’s an incredible leader who has attracted additional talent from the fencing industry.” HorsePower Brands also brought in an AI tool that helps coach sales and design consultants at its brands. “It listens to Zoom conversations with the consumer, and then later, it provides coaching,” he says. “For the homeowner, we present it as: ‘It’s taking notes so we can follow up.’” AI systems are now also booking appointments for franchisees. “We have this live with four brands now,” he says, “and we expect to roll it out for all our brands. We’ve been testing that since March 2025 to make sure it’s right for the customer.” In short, HorsePower proves an industry truth: To succeed in franchising, you must find and support the right people.