Partners Combine Skills, Interests and Experience to Pursue Shared Goals Together
- Fibrenew franchisees Mike and Jonathan Hill had previous business experience that hadn’t provided the flexibility they wanted.
- The Hills chose Fibrenew franchise ownership to be able to work together, apply their skills and interests, achieve greater work-life balance and build a family business.
- The father-son franchise owners now operate two Fibrenew territories in North Carolina.
Mike Hill had launched and operated numerous businesses – trophy shops, bowling centers and three restaurants including two Godfather’s Pizza franchises. He tried retirement, but that lasted just six months before he saw a new opportunity that represented something more meaningful. This was a chance to build a family business with his son, Jonathan.
Jonathan had held various jobs, including working for his dad and new owners who bought Mike’s businesses. He recently taught graphic design and printing at a local high school. But he didn’t see a satisfying future in any of those roles. “I wanted to find something I could do for 20-plus years,” he says.
Mike and Jonathan researched franchise opportunities and landed on Fibrenew. The mobile franchise specializing in repair and restoration of vinyl, leather, plastic and fabric met all their requirements. The father-son franchise owners now operate two North Carolina territories, launching Fibrenew Holly Springs in the summer of 2023 and purchasing Fibrenew Fayetteville-Sandhills from a previous owner in March 2025.
Fibrenew’s Advantages for the Father-Son Franchise Owners
1. Flexibility
Mike was used to hard work, but he didn’t want to own another business that owned him. “Fibrenew gave me the opportunity to work with my family and have a flexible schedule that we could adapt to attend family events and take a vacation here and there, which I couldn’t do when I was my own head mechanic at a 12-lane bowling center,” he says.
Jonathan agrees. “We wanted to work in something where we’d be able to see each other, but also have some flexibility in our schedule. Fibrenew offers an irresistible work-life balance not available within a normal 9-to-5,” he says. “I knew since I started college that I didn’t want to be tied to a desk in a cubicle every day for the rest of my working life. It seemed like I’d be happier doing different things, working outside and getting to interact with a wide variety of people.”
2. Entrepreneurial Freedom
The father-son franchise owners wanted the structure and proven business model offered through franchising. They also wanted freedom, not only to manage their daily schedules, but also to decide when and who to hire, scale the business, apply their own skills and experience. In addition to the tools provided by Fibrenew, including the brand’s Color Eye technology and AI-powered Fibrebot to address customer inquiries, Mike and Jonathan wanted the flexibility to devise tools and systems that worked best for them, such as coding systems they developed for naming new requests and clients so they could identify the types of jobs at a glance.
“We also put a lot of effort into setting up custom templates, pre-made quotes and email automation,” Jonathan says. “While not everyone takes the time to do that, it saves a tremendous amount of time once it’s up and running. With us managing multiple locations, having these organized systems in place is vital.”
Mike and Jonathan also have the freedom to specialize in certain types of restorations and repairs or be generalists. Fibrenew’s services include residential and commercial repairs and restorations of automotive, marine and aviation interiors, light upholstery, and vinyl siding and window casings. So far, the father-son franchise owners have been too busy to concentrate on specific segments of the market, but Mike plans to approach builders and siding and window installers. “I want to build up that side of the business because it’s a great return on the effort and skill level required. It’s part of the business that could easily be taught to employees and scaled.”
3. Training and Support
“Our training and support from Fibrenew has been phenomenal from day one,” Jonathan says. “Anytime we’ve needed something, we’ve only had to contact support team members who quickly got back with us. We highly recommend the training in person, but the online training is a great option, as well, to get you started on your business journey. The continuing education seminars are equally great. You can also access a breadth of knowledge within the ‘hallway conversations,’ as we like to call them, with other franchise owners.”
Mike echoes his satisfaction. “If you follow the directions that Fibrenew gives you, there’s no way you can fail. They have a well-established system that’s worked for many years, and they continue to improve it. If you fail, it’s 100% on you, because you just have to go out and do the work. If you’re looking to get into this business, whether by yourself or with a close family member, don’t hesitate.”
4. Being Able to Work Together
Building a family business has been the greatest reward for the father-son franchise owners. “Working together as a team is also a huge advantage,” Jonathan says, particularly with repairs involving color matching. “We can talk through the process, bounce ideas off each other and figure solutions out together. Two brains are definitely better than one, so that has sped up the learning process through discussion and reinforcement.”
Learn more about the Fibrenew franchise.
