Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (November 10, 2016) – CruiseOne/Dream Vacations, the number one travel franchise for military veterans, celebrated Veteran’s Day early with a special ceremony recognizing military veterans and the 2016 winners of the fifth annual contest “Operation Vetrepreneur: Become Your Own General.” Over the past five years, CruiseOne/Dream Vacations has awarded 25 free franchises valued at more than $317,000 to deserving military veterans through its annual contest.
“There are so many parallels between the military and franchising that recruiting and supporting military veterans has become a cornerstone of who we are and what we do; it is shaping the future of our organization,” said Tim Courtney, CFE, vice president of franchise development and ambassador of veteran affairs for CruiseOne/Dream Vacations. “We recognize that military veterans are driven by the core values and disciplines they learned in the military and it these values and disciplines that drive them to succeed.”
The annual “Operation Vetrepreneur: Become Your Own General” contest was open to former members of any of the five branches of the U.S. military (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard) who are retired, off active duty and/or honorably discharged prior to the contest start date this past May. Candidates participated in a rigorous three-part application process which included creating a business plan, video essay and phone interviews. More than 1,300 people have applied for franchise ownership through Operation Vetrepreneur. This year’s winners are Air Force Veteran Jason Bloomquist of Maple Shade, N.J.; Navy Veteran Cory Jennings of Midland, Texas; Air Force Veteran James Selleh of Brentwood, Tenn.; Air Force Veteran Jay Starks of Sandy, Utah; and Air Force Veteran Chuck Wellman of Beaverton, Ore.
The winners are attending a weeklong training at CruiseOne/Dream Vacations’ world headquarters in Fort Lauderdale and were honored with a special ceremony featuring city, state and county officials, as well as South Florida business leaders and travel industry representatives.
A member of the International Franchise Association’s (IFA) VetFran initiative, CruiseOne/Dream Vacations is committed to giving back to the military community and offers many incentive programs to assist veterans in transitioning back to civilian life, including a 20 percent discount off the franchise fee and additional discounts for hiring former members of the U.S. military or immediate family as associates. In addition, more than 30 percent of the home-based travel franchise owners are military veterans or immediate family.
CruiseOne/Dream Vacations proudly supports military veterans and is consistently recognized by leading industry publications as a military-friendly franchise. Accolades include a number one ranking by Military Times in its “Best for Vets: Franchises” three years in a row, and by Forbes in its “Top 10 Military Friendly Franchise.” The company also has been included on USA Today’s “50 Top Franchises for Military Veterans” and recognition as a “Top Veteran-Friendly Franchise” by Entrepreneur and U.S. Veterans magazines. For the past six years, CruiseOne/Dream Vacations was named to G.I. Jobs magazine’s Military Friendly Franchises® lists, which represents the top 10 percent of the nation’s franchises that are doing the most to support military veterans.
CruiseOne/Dream Vacations is committed to being “Rich in Diversity” and empowers all owners, franchisees and employees to reach their highest potential by leveraging their broad range of talent, experiences, personalities, viewpoints and ideas to generate business growth.
Military veterans with a passion for travel who are interested in joining CruiseOne/Dream Vacations or want to learn more about Operation Vetrepreneur, please visit www.DreamVacationsFranchise.com or call 888-249-8235.
Photo Cutline (Left to Right): Air Force Veteran Jason Bloomquist, Navy Veteran Cory Jennings, Air Force Veteran Chuck Wellman, Air Force Veteran James Selleh and Air Force Veteran Jay Starks. Photo Credit: www.TheLXA.com
About CruiseOne® / Dream Vacations
In operation since 1992, the home-based travel franchise CruiseOne® is ranked in the top three percent of all franchises worldwide and is a member of the International Franchise Association; its sister brand Dream Vacations was launched in April 2016. As part of World Travel Holdings, CruiseOne / Dream Vacations franchisees are able to offer their customers the lowest possible pricing on vacations with its 100 percent “Best Price and Satisfaction Guarantee.” CruiseOne has received partner of the year, a top-ranking status, by all the major cruise lines including Norwegian Cruise Line®, Royal Caribbean International®, Celebrity Cruises® and Carnival® Cruise Line. For more information on CruiseOne / Dream Vacations, visit www.DreamVacationsFranchise.com. Like CruiseOne/Dream Vacations on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DreamVacationsFranchise, and follow on Twitter at @Dream_Franchise.
