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Stellar Service Brands, a Dallas-based company offering residential and commercial services, is recognized for its franchise brands—including Restoration 1, Bluefrog Plumbing + Drain, Softroc, and The Driveway Co.

Last year, Stellar Service Brands sold 30 new franchise locations, with 41% of these sales going to existing franchise owners. This year, Stellar expects to add 45 locations, including 30 Restoration 1 locations. Currently, the Restoration 1 network comprises approximately 170 franchise owners nationwide, with about 20 franchisees each operating under the Bluefrog and Softroc brands.

Successful transition

Stellar Service Brands CEO Jessica Wescott presented how strategic planning impacts Restoration 1 owner’s success at Stellar’s Annual Franchise Partner Summit.

Late last year, Stellar promoted Jessica Wescott as CEO. Throughout her career, Wescott has benefited from mentorship both within and outside the industry, having spent more than a decade working in operations, accounting, and finance. Wescott joined Stellar in 2022 as chief operating officer and chief financial officer and has since played a pivotal role in driving the company’s growth.

Wescott’s collaborative leadership, alongside former Stellar CEO Sherry Rose, built a highly experienced leadership team focused on providing a platform of brands that support its franchisees as they address the needs of residential and commercial customers. As Rose transitioned to the role of executive chairman of Stellar’s board of directors, Wescott’s appointment as CEO marked the next chapter in Stellar’s history.

“We’ve had a strong year of momentum and progress,” Wescott said. “As we stay focused on helping our franchisees grow and succeed, we’ve rolled out several high-impact initiatives—from enhanced communication programs that improve connection and clarity to new sales-building tools and training designed to drive performance at the local level. Everything we’ve done has been centered on creating more value for our franchise partners and supporting their path to success.”

Overcoming obstacles

Like many in the restoration industry, Restoration 1 has faced its share of challenges during the past two years.

“We’ve used this season as an opportunity to double down on the fundamentals,” Wescott said. “By staying nimble, we’ve supported our franchise partners in building sales, retaining and developing strong teams, and keeping a sharp focus on profitability. These foundational areas—people, revenue, and margin—continue to be the keys to long-term success, and they’ve guided how we navigate through uncertainty.”

Regarding hiring challenges, Stellar has adopted a relationship-focused hiring strategy—seeking individuals who not only possess technical skills but also thrive in a team, communicate effectively, and are customer-focused.

“Hiring the best people starts with aligning on culture and mindset,” she explained. “We’ve found that when you prioritize people who live your values and genuinely care about the work and the people around them, you build a stronger, more engaged workforce. That fit is what drives long-term success.”

Sustainable performance

Wescott shown with a group of local Restoration 1 franchise owners and members of the Restoration 1 headquarters support team. The Restoration 1 headquarters support team aids local entrepreneurs in making the brand them.

The restoration industry is a people business, and Wescott explained her company’s success is directly tied to the strength of its teams.

“One of our greatest strategies has been building and retaining high-performing teams who are aligned, accountable, and empowered to collaborate in a transparent, open environment,” she said. “We also place a strong emphasis on local selling, which has been a major differentiator for our franchisees over the past two years. By helping them build authentic, community-focused relationships, we’ve seen meaningful growth and sustained performance across the network. When people and customer relationships are the priority, success follows.”

Forward thinking

While the restoration industry continues to evolve, Stellar remains bullish about its business and the industry. Last year was a challenging year; insurance practices became more complex and were marked by a lower volume of water claims. Though Steller anticipates a loosening of insurance practices moving forward, Wescott said time will tell how all the recent weather events will impact industry norms.

“Our Restoration 1 owners are engaged in their communities; they are showing up for their neighbors,” she explained. “We’ve added a lot of new sales, training, and operational tools in the last six to nine months, and as those continue to roll out and we increase adoption, early indicators are very strong for their impact on franchisee revenues.”

From a franchising perspective, specifically in the restoration industry, Wescott explained that restoration is unique in that it is one of the largest industries.

“That said, the industry is still incredibly fragmented with so many local, independent owners,” she explained. While the future will show how that fragmentation shifts, Wescott remains optimistic about franchising.

“We believe the heart of what makes franchising really wonderful is this idea of local business ownership with a national brand behind you,” Wescott said. “For our Restoration 1 owners, we are very focused on the freedom to be local entrepreneurs and to make the brand them.”

Stellar is excited to have the opportunity to add more new owners and further the dream of small business ownership, Wescott added.

Watch the full interview below