From the filings
Software purchasing decisions at SealMaster are controlled at the headquarters level in Ohio, where President David L. Thorson and CFO Larry Mullins are the key executives to know. The franchise currently operates 47 total units (43 franchised, 4 company-owned) and its most recent FDD confirms the use of Sage by Sage Group plc as a mandated or recommended technology. For a software vendor, the immediate addressable market is 47 locations, with the franchisor serving as the primary gatekeeper for new technology adoption.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Ongoing fee load
The recurring percentage of gross sales named in this filing, before rent, labour or any technology fee.
6.5%of gross sales (FY2026)
15% reference
Franchisor behaviours
23 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 3 explicit no's; 8 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.
Accounting
Must the franchisee use an accounting or bookkeeping system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee will establish and maintain a record keeping system conforming to the requirements prescribed by Franchisor, including the use and retention of sales tickets, purchase orders, invoices, payroll records, check stubs, sales tax records and returns, cash receipts and disbursements journals and general ledgers.
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesItem 11
We will have full access to all of your computer data, systems and related information and there are no contractual limits on our right to access such information.
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
On the twenty-fifth (25th) day of each month, Franchisee will submit electronically to Franchisor using the SealMaster reporting software, a correct statement of financial data for the preceding month just ended.
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
We and our Affiliate are approved suppliers.
Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?
YesItem 20
We have created the SealMaster Advisory Committee (“SMAC”).
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesFranchise agreement
9. MODIFICATION OF THE SYSTEM Franchisee recognizes that Franchisor periodically may change the System presently identified by the Marks, including the adoption and use of new or modified Marks or Copyrighted Works, new computer programs and systems, new types or brands of merchandise and products, new inventory…
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
0Item 8
We did not receive revenues from franchisee purchases or leases in the last year.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
We also reserve the right to receive commissions or rebates of 1% to 10% or more from your purchases from approved suppliers of the following: Proprietary Products, tools and accessories, pavement maintenance equipment, asphalt emulsions, asphalt cements, fibers, packaging materials, fillers and pigments, emulsifiers,
Item 8 gives this proportion in one of two shapes: separate percentages for establishing the business and for operating it, or one figure covering "establishing and operating" together. Where they are separate, answer with the operating percentage; where the passage gives only the combined figure, answer with that. What percentage of the franchisee's purchases must come from designated or approved suppliers?
90Item 8
We estimate that approximately 80% to 85% of your initial investment and 90% to 95% of your ongoing costs will be subject to sourcing restrictions (that is, for which suppliers must be approved by us, or which must meet our standards or specifications).
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee or the proposed supplier will pay Franchisor the reasonable cost of the inspection and evaluation and the actual cost of the test.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
If you would like to sell or use any product, material or supply or purchase any products from a supplier not on either of these lists, you must notify us and may need to submit samples and other information to us so that we can make an informed decision as to whether the product or supplier meets our standards and…
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
Upon termination or expiration of this Agreement, Franchisee will assign to Franchisor or its designee, all of Franchisee’s right, title and interest in and to the telephone numbers and facsimile numbers and Internet addresses associated with the Franchised Business
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor or its designated agents will have the right at all reasonable times to examine and copy, or require that Franchisee copy and deliver to Franchisor, at its expense, the books, records, and tax returns of Franchisee.
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor will have the right to add to and otherwise modify the Manual periodically to reflect changes in the specifications, standards, operating procedures and rules Franchisor prescribes for SEALMASTER businesses.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 11
Our approval of the site is required.
Marketing
Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?
YesItem 7
During the first 3 months of operation of the Franchised Business, you must spend $2,000 for approved grand opening advertising, marketing and promotional activities, although you may spend more.
Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?
YesItem 6
You must spend at least 1% of your Gross Sales on local advertising.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
You must purchase the Proprietary Products from our authorized suppliers which may include us or our Affiliates.
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
You must purchase the Proprietary Products from our authorized suppliers which may include us or our Affiliates.
Payments
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor may require Franchisee to sign electronic transfer of funds authorizations and other documents as Franchisor periodically designates to authorize Franchisee’s bank to transfer, either electronically or through some other method of payment designated by Franchisor, directly to Franchisor’s account and to…
People
Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?
YesFranchise agreement
must have a minimum of two (2) such outside sales persons.
Point of sale
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
We will have full access to all of your computer data, systems and related information and there are no contractual limits on our right to access such information.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor may provide and may require that previously-trained and experienced franchisees, or their managers or employees attend and successfully complete refresher training programs or seminars to be conducted at such location as Franchisor designates.
Who buys here
The decision-maker a vendor sells to at this scale, and the gaps they’re paid to close, derived from our data by segment and unit count, not a guess.
The franchisor's owner/CEO decides; an ops or franchise-development lead may evaluate.
SealMaster operates a compact network of 47 total units, with 43 of those being franchised locations and 4 run directly by the company. For a software vendor, the addressable market is these 47 units, all of which fall under the purchasing influence of the headquarters team in Ohio. The franchise operates in the home services segment, and while the average unit volume is not disclosed in the 2026 FDD, the royalty rate sits at 5.0%. Year-over-year unit growth figures are not available in the current filing, suggesting a stable rather than rapidly expanding footprint. This makes SealMaster a targeted, relationship-driven sales opportunity rather than a high-volume land grab.
The 2026 FDD Item 1 lists the key executives you need to engage. President David L. Thorson is the top authority, and CFO Larry Mullins is the financial decision-maker who will scrutinize any software investment. Franchise Director Richard G. Simon and Franchise Field Representative Brian T. Coles are also on file and may serve as influencers or operational stakeholders for tools that touch franchisee workflows. Jeff Gearheart is listed as a Sales Representative for SportMaster, a related product line, and could be a secondary contact if your software intersects with that specific business unit. The decision-making level is firmly at headquarters, not at the multi-unit operator level, as our corpus contains no mapped operators for this brand.
The 2026 FDD confirms that Sage by Sage Group plc is a mandated or recommended technology within the SealMaster system. This is the only named vendor in the available data, and it likely serves as the accounting or ERP backbone. No other point-of-sale, payroll, inventory, or CRM systems are disclosed in the filing. For a vendor selling complementary or replacement software, this presents a clear integration or displacement target. Your pitch should acknowledge the existing Sage investment and position your solution either as an enhancement to that ecosystem or as a superior alternative with a compelling migration path.
Procurement signals are thin in the available data. The Item 8 extract, which would typically outline designated versus approved supplier rules, is not present in our corpus. Similarly, the initial franchise term length and Item 17 renewal conditions are not disclosed. This lack of visibility means you cannot rely on predictable contract cycles to time your outreach. Instead, a direct engagement with President Thorson or CFO Mullins is the most reliable path to understanding their current vendor evaluation process and any upcoming technology refresh initiatives.
The full 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document is embedded below for your review. Focus your reading on Item 1 to verify the executive team and their roles, Item 11 to audit the franchisor's obligations around technology and the specific mention of Sage, and Item 8 if you can obtain a complete copy to clarify supplier restrictions. The document was filed with state franchise regulators in 2026 and represents the most current legal representation of the franchise system's operations and requirements. For a ranked target list of similar home services franchises with clearer tech mandates and procurement windows, FranCloud can help you prioritize your outbound efforts.
Questions vendors ask
Every number on this page traces back to this document. Read it in full, page by page. Buy the original PDF to download, search, and annotate it.
View only A one-time purchase: the original filing, yours to keep.
FDD alert
We’ll email you the moment SealMaster files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
1 operators run 1 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Top states by locations
| WI | 1 |
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Related Home services brands
Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.