Weed Man -- Tara Holdings

The vendor opportunity at Weed Man -- Tara Holdings

The national Weed Man system has 255 franchised lawn-care outlets across the US, all franchisee-owned with no company stores; 25 of them are franchised by Tara Holdings. Item 19 makes no financial performance representation, and the royalty is 6.5% of Net Sales for annual cumulative Net Sales up to $1 million and 5.5% above that, with a $7,000 minimum annual royalty per Unit Territory; franchised outlets grew 5.809% year over year — a system still adding locations rather than holding flat.

Who controls software purchasing

Roger Mongeon serves as President and a Director of Turf Holdings, Inc., the US master licensee Tara Holdings sub-franchises under, alongside Bruce Sheppard, Megann Morrison Sheppard, Brandon Sheppard and Layne Sheppard, who hold Member and Manager titles. Tara Holdings' 25 franchised outlets sit in Virginia, Maryland, South Carolina and West Virginia, and its sub-franchise rights run to West Virginia, Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, the District of Columbia and South Carolina. That footprint, plus the software categories Item 11 requires, puts day-to-day purchasing decisions largely at the individual-location level.

Tech named in the FDD, and what is actually required

Item 11 obligates every franchise to use a computer system in the operation of the Business and keep it updated to perform the office and computer functions the Franchise Agreement calls for, and Item 8 requires the purchase of specified types of word-processing, spreadsheet and accounting software. The required computer system consists of a current model computer with a current version of the Windows operating system, a high-speed internet connection, MS Office, Microsoft VNC, a Lexmark or comparable laser printer, an APC Backups Office 500va UPS or comparable, and a backup device or online service. The operational software is WEMMS, the proprietary property of Toaga Dev. Works, which must be purchased through them: $4,150 for the package plus $505 in required annual support. Any internet advertising specific to the business may be promoted only through Weed Man-approved websites.

Procurement, renewals, and timing

Item 8 runs on an approved-supplier list: franchisees must buy certain items from suppliers the franchisor approves, other categories must meet specifications or come from an approved supplier, and franchisees may propose alternative brands and suppliers for written approval, with testing at their expense. The software package created by THI and TH Canada is sold to franchisees by Toaga Dev. Works, and production vehicles, equipment and computer hardware must be of a type approved as meeting the system's specifications. Item 17 sets a 10-year term with one 10-year renewal, conditioned on compliance, a renewal fee of 50% of the then-current franchise fee and an executed release. With franchised outlets growing 5.809% year over year, new-location onboarding looks like a steadier point of entry than waiting on a renewal cycle.

How to read the Weed Man -- Tara Holdings FDD

The embedded PDF viewer below holds Weed Man -- Tara Holdings' 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document. Item 8 covers the supplier rules, Item 11 the computer-system and software requirements, and Item 17 the renewal and transfer terms referenced above.

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