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U.S. Coast Guard veteran joins Team HVA
By Jacy Cochran
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| Gary Martin-Ranft | | When the men and women in uniform geared up for a post-9/11 world, so did Gary Martin-Ranft. Called back into active duty for the U.S. Coast Guard, he would spend the next two years acting as Operation and Planning Chief guarding the ports of the Great Lakes. As part of our nation's Homeland Security initiative, Martin-Ranft kept a keen eye on chemical plants, power plants, and transportation units that might have otherwise been vulnerable to a terrorist attack. Upon completion of active duty, Martin-Ranft was promoted to Commander.
He originally enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1978, and served four years of active duty before being released to serve in the Coast Guard Reserve. Even though he was recalled into active duty several times and continued to rise through the ranks, he was able to establish a prominent civilian career.
As an executive at IBM, Martin-Ranft managed large commercial accounts in the technology industry. Having earned his Bachelor's Degree and MBA from DePauw University, he was more than qualified for any civilian career.
But when he became tired of the corporate rat race, Martin-Ranft began to consider his other career options, and that's when he remembered the curious "We Buy Ugly Houses®" business next door to his wife's office.
"I had always had an interest in real estate, but this was the first time I had taken the plunge. I learned about the VetFran program when I attended a Discovery Day at the corporate office in Dallas," he said. "I like to be loyal to people who are good to Veterans."
The Veterans Transition Franchise Initiative (VetFran) was founded in the early 1990s by Texas franchisor Don Dwyer, Sr., with the support of The International Franchise Association and the U.S. Small Business Administration. IFA members, including HomeVestors, help veterans acquire their franchise businesses by providing them with financial incentives. Through VetFran, HVA offers qualified military personnel a 20% discount on the initial franchise fee.
After learning more about the HVA real estate system and the VetFran discount, Martin-Ranft applied for a franchise and was approved by HVA.
In November 2006, he opened M-R Equities in Mount Prospect, IL.
"When I talked about buying a HomeVestors franchise, people would ask 'Why don't you just buy houses on your own? Why do you need HomeVestors?' The main reason I bought the franchise was because I didn't want to spend the money making mistakes," explained Martin-Ranft. "I'd rather buy into a proven system and work from that, rather than do it myself. It's good to have a system behind you."
Since Martin-Ranft signed his franchise agreement, HVA has approved a second VetFran applicant -- Carl Weinhofer of 4 Green Houses in Biloxi, MS. Carl was also a November 2006 graduate of UG University.
. . . Jacy Cochran of BizCom Associates handles public relations services for HomeVestors and its franchisees.
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