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Pronto Insurance Agency, a Brownsville, Texas-based provider of auto and homeowners insurance, has hired Sidney Williams as its new franchise director.
Williams has nearly 20 years of experience with retail and franchise businesses. He will head Pronto Insurance Agency’s franchise division, which currently has 23 franchise store locations serving customers in Austin, Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Rio Grande Valley, Laredo, San Antonio, El Paso and Houston.
Pronto Insurance opened its franchise division in 2006. In 2011 and beyond, new franchise locations are expected to open given Pronto Insurance Agency’s expert franchisee support and training processes that have made owning a Pronto Insurance franchise a wise business decision and smooth transition into running a successful store location.
“Close to 30 percent of Pronto Insurance locations are franchise owned,” Williams noted in the company’s announcement. “We anticipate at least opening 30 new stores in 2011 more than doubling our size, which means new jobs in the community. We have a tremendous opportunity as a franchise division with our low investment and unique approach to insure an under-served market.”
Last summer, PODER Magazine and The World Franchising Network (WFN) named Pronto Insurance Top 26 Franchises for Hispanics. The list based on a rigorous analysis of several factors, including historical performance, brand identification, franchisee satisfaction, training, on-going support and financial stability. Another important determinant is the percentage of existing franchises that are Hispanic-owned, as well as the number of Hispanics in the franchisor’s top levels of management.