Florida shows its shine

Floridians, apparently, like to live in cleanliness.

And Molly Maid, one of the largest franchise-based residential maid services in the country, will use that desire to launch a statewide expansion that includes the Tampa area. Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Molly Maid, in fact, plans to open at least 10 additional franchise locations in the state within the next 12 months. The company currently has 23 franchise owners in Florida, one of the largest presences for the brand in the country, according to a release.

“Florida has been one of our strongest states for years now, in everything from sales to territory growth to charitable donations to our Ms. Molly Foundation for domestic violence awareness,” Molly Maid President Meg Roberts says in a release. “Florida owners receive some of the highest customer satisfaction marks, as well, so we're eager to expand our franchise network throughout the state.”

Molly Maid seeks franchisees for several areas in Florida, including New Port Richey and the Bloomingdale neighborhood near Brandon and FishHawk Ranch. Territories are also available in Miami and Jacksonville. The investment to open a Molly Maid franchise is $150,000 to $175,000, the company says, and franchisees must have a minimum net worth of $250,000.

The company's Florida success, in some ways, mirrors the home market rebound in many parts of the state. The Molly Maid franchises of the year in 2011 and 2012 are both from Florida, for example, from the Treasure Coast and Orange Park, outside Jacksonville, respectively. Other franchisees have also reported high growth recently, the company says, including Wendy Hall, a Collier County Molly Maid owner who says sales are up 14% this year.

Molly Maid, founded in 1979, cleaned more than 1.6 million homes last year.