Gives “Friend of Franchising” endorsements to Sen. Todd Young, Reps. Steve Chabot and Henry Cuellar, for showing leadership for America’s locally owned franchise small businesses

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 28, 2022– The International Franchise Association (IFA) today awarded its first congressional endorsements of the 2022 midterm election season, naming U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-IN) and Reps. Steve Chabot (R-OH) and Henry Cuellar (D-TX) as “Friends of Franchising.”

“These candidates have proven that they are champions for America’s local franchise small businesses,” said IFA President and CEO Matthew Haller. “Local franchises are engines for growth in communities around the nation, and we need leaders like them that prioritize creating an environment for these entrepreneurs and the 8.2 million employees they support to grow and thrive.”

The candidates are selected based on a review process that evaluates factors such as the candidate’s voting records, official actions, and public statements. The endorsements are reflective of the candidate’s efforts to promote business growth and employee development for America’s over 775,000 franchise local businesses. Endorsements are not related to political party affiliation.

According to recent research by Oxford Economics, franchised businesses provide better wages, up to 3.4% higher, and more generous benefits than their non-franchised counterparts. They offer entrepreneurial opportunities that would not otherwise be available, especially to women, people of color, and veterans. Around 26% of franchises are owned by people of color, compared with 17% of independent businesses generally. Nearly one-third of all franchise owners say they would not own a business without franchising.

America’s 775,000 franchise small businesses employ nearly 8.2 million Americans and contribute $787.7 billion of economic output for the U.S. economy. IFA represents franchise companies in over 300 different business format categories, individual franchisees, and companies that support the industry in marketing, law, technology, and business development. National, state, and district level economic impact information can be found at www.franchiseeconomy.com.

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