Boulder Designs In The News
NEWS: 2018 REUNION “MAKE SURE YOU DON’T MISS NEXT YEAR”
Border Magic franchisee, Ray Ritchie, summed up Reunion in a Facebook post, “For those of you who missed this year, make sure you don’t miss next year.” We agree; Reunion 2018 was a huge success. Reaction to our decision to focus on the separate brands (Boulder Designs and Border Magic), our new venue, Knoxville Retreat, our line-up of presentations has been overwhelmingly positive. Below is a recap of our Reunion, which was held November 6 – 10, 2018.
2018 AWARD WINNERS
Border Magic / Boulder Designs Hall of Fame, Chad Hames
20 Years or More, Randy Godwin, Border Magic; Jamie Wurst, Border Magic
15 Years or More, Mike Sazama, Border Magic; Jayme Wulfekuhle, Border Magic; Nate Tegtmeyer, Border Magic / Boulder Designs
BOULDER DESIGNS AWARDS
Best Boulder Designs, Matt Maier
Special Mention (Most Creative), Kat Newberry, Jim Craig, Trent & Esther Hoffman
Leader in Customer Satisfaction Surveys, Roger Christman
Outstanding Leadership Award, Jim Craig, Phillip Pritchett, Paul Curtsinger
BORDER MAGIC AWARDS
Best Border Magic, Chad Stivers
Special Mention (Most Creative), Ray & Lisa Ritchie, Jeff Shoemaker, Tucker Fielder
Leader in Customer Satisfaction Surveys, Ray & Lisa Ritchie
20,000 Ft. Club, Andy Ault
15,000 Ft. Club, Chad Hames, Brandon Shafer, Ray & Lisa Ritchie
A FEW PHOTOS, SOCIAL POSTS FROM OUR 2018 REUNION
BOULDER DESIGNS, BORDER MAGIC FRANCHISE GROWS
WACO, Texas (March 15, 2018) — Mogavero Investments, the holding company for Boulder Designs and Border Magic franchise brands, today announced the company has grown to 188 franchise units nationwide. Since June 2017, Boulder Designs added 24 locations for a current total of 130 units. Border Magic added six for a current total of 58.
In a related announcement, the company announced it is offering franchise opportunities with its Boulder Designs/Border Magic brands in Canada. The expansion marks the first time the two brands will be franchised internationally with the offer targeting all ten provinces in Canada. Interested parties will be able to join a growing network of U.S.-based franchise owners. The company expects 25 Boulder Designs/Border Magic units to open within the next 24-30 months.
“We are growing at a pace we expected to ensure our franchise training and support is top-notch, and we continue to add team members to support our new and existing franchisees,” said Butch Mogavero, CEO of Mogavero Investments. “Moving forward, we are concentrating franchise development on the West Coast and Florida in the U.S. as well as Canada.”
Of Mogavero’s 30 new U.S. franchise locations, ten are in Texas. Others include Oklahoma, California, Kentucky, Ohio, Arkansas, Tennessee, Virginia, Colorado, Georgia, and Nevada. Franchises have opened for the first time in New Mexico, Oregon, and Florida. Prime territories are still available in many areas of the United States.
For the sixth straight year, Boulder Designs/Border Magic moved up Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 list, which ranked it 296 in the category of custom boulder signage in 2018 up from 322. Military Times ranked Boulder Designs seventh in 2016, and fourth in 2017 and 2018 for Best: Franchises 2018 List.
OKLAHOMA ROCKS A COLLEGE FAN BASE BOULDER COMPETITION
YUKON, Okla. (March 7, 2018) — Boulder Designs today announced Oklahoma’s Big 12 conference fans are the winners of the 2017 college fan base boulder sales contest, a friendly competition amongst franchise owners. Oklahoma State University supporters purchased 56 boulders with the OSU logo followed by Boomer Sooner fans who purchased 40 Oklahoma University-themed boulders.
University of Iowa fans came in third place.
Boulder Designs currently holds 86 collegiate licenses, whereby the school logo can be incorporated into the design of the decorative rock. All the OSU and OU boulders sold were for residential use.
“It’s a great feeling that OSU and OU fans purchased more boulders than any other school in the nation,” said Jim Craig, owner of Boulder Design by Craig Custom Stone. “There is no doubt in my mind that Oklahoma is the state with the most loyal and supportive fans.”
Craig says several OSU and OU boulders will be on display at his exhibit at the Spring Into Summer Craft Show on March 10, 2018, in Stillwater, OK.
A portion of the 96 OSU and OU boulders sold were manufactured by Patrick Drake, owner of Boulder Designs by Unlimited Concrete Designs in Tulsa. Currently, Drake and Craig are two of four Boulder Designs franchisees serving areas of Oklahoma.
This is the first year Boulder Designs has monitored the number of boulders sold from its collegiate program.
Boulder Designs corporate office expects to be awarded more collegiate licenses in the future. “We have several applications pending now, which is about normal,” said Rick Cross, Boulder Designs Business Development. “When a new franchise owner opens in a market where there’s a college or university, we immediately apply for the school’s license.”
Cross says in late 2017 Boulder Designs received the Tulsa University collegiate license, which he believes has a solid fan base and promising boulder future.
NEWS: BOULDER DESIGNS RANKS #296 IN 2018 FRANCHISE 500
WACO, TX (January 20, 2018) — The corporate office of Boulder Designs today announced its ranking in the 2018 Entrepreneur Franchise 500 is 296, up from 322 in 2017. Since Boulder Designs’ change of ownership in 2015, the number of franchised units has nearly doubled from 67 to 125. Franchise veteran Butch Mogavero purchased Boulder Designs and its sister company, Border Magic, from founder Eldean Bergman for an undisclosed price.
Mogavero moved Boulder Designs and Border Magic corporate headquarters to Waco, Texas from Rantoul, Illinois in 2015. Mogavero’s franchise experience includes a successful landscaping company that he owned and operated. He also worked for one of the world’s premier service franchise companies in franchise sales and development where he sold many franchise units and assisted in developing one of their brands into what it is today.
The Entrepreneur Franchise 500 is based on financial strength, growth, size, and stability.
MOGAVERO SEES RAPID GROWTH
WACO, TX (June 19, 2017) — Mogavero Investments reports rapid franchise growth in the first six months of 2017 for its two Waco-based companies, Boulder Designs, and Border Magic, which have seen a record increase of over 25 percent in new franchise agreements. Since January, Boulder Designs/Border Magic have opened 35 new franchise units, bringing the total number of franchises nationwide to 164, with 110 Boulder Designs units and 54 Border Magic units.
“We’ve seen fantastic growth in the past few months, mainly because people are realizing that this is a great opportunity for entrepreneurs,” said Butch Mogavero, CEO of Mogavero Investments. “Nobody else in the marketplace is doing exactly what we’re doing.”
Boulder Designs/Border Magic have been named among the best in Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500, which ranked it 322 in the category of custom boulder signage in 2017, while the Military Times ranked Boulder Designs/Border Magic seventh in 2016 and fourth in 2017 for Best for Vets Franchises.
The new franchise units opening in the six months since January include: Jason Hurst, Boulder Designs of Auburn, Auburn, AL; Phillip Pritchett, Custom Boulder, Horton, AL; Neil and Kent Binder, Boulder Designs and Border Magic, San Miguel, CA; Jared Graham, Boulder Designs of Northwest Arkansas, Pocola, OK; Lance Van Wyk, Sixteen Thirteen Investments, LLC, Homestead, IA; Tyler Guidry and Mandy Hebert, two of each, Boulder Designs and Border Magic by The Grass and Rock Shoppe, Lafayette, LA; Mike and Michelle Fink, Border Magic and Boulder Designs, Rock It Creations, LLC, Lexington, KY; Bill Stewart and Paul Ledwidge, two Boulder Designs units, Custom Boulders, LLC, Pinckney, MI; Lance Johnson, Lance Johnson Inc, DBA Boulder Designs, Fallon, NV; Chris Williamson, Birmingham Boulders, Helena AL; Roy and Carri Davoult, Border Magic and Boulder Designs, Davoult Company, Wichita Falls, TX; Jim Craig, Craig Custom Stone, LLC, Yukon, OK; Matt Yates, Boulder Designs by Turf Managers, LLC, Nashville, TN; Amie Jablonowski and Georgie Meyer, Rockin Sisters, Riesel, TX; Adam Meyer, Boulder Creations, Hopkins, MN; Tom and Kimberly Warder, Border Magic and Boulder Designs, KTW Enterprises, Weatherford, TX; Scotty and Natasha Brown-Lewelling, Border Magic and Boulder Designs, ELSL Designs, LLC, Alvarado, TX; Benny and Terri Short, Benny R and Teresa Short LLC DBA Boulder Designs of Lubbock, Lubbock, TX; Kat Newberry, Newberry Landscapes Featuring BD, New Braunfels, TX; Tuck, Phil, and Dana Fielder, Border Magic and Boulder Designs by F4 Creations, Rockwall, TX; Dan Scarbrough, Boulder Designs, Ogden UT; Mark and Nancy Goodwin, Boulder Designs, Temecula, CA; Kevin Schiele, Boulder Designs, Kalamazoo, MI; Steve and Renee Palazzolo, Town & Country Lawn and Landscape INC., Centralia, IL; and Tom and Deb McFinch, Cattle Gate Farms, Kennard, NE.
The new franchises stretch across the U.S., from California to Iowa, and Louisiana to Michigan, with the greatest boom occurring in Texas with seven new openings. Boulder Designs creates custom landscape boulders, business signs rocks, pet memorials, custom headstones, grave markers, custom fire pits, and more. Border Magic is the leader in decorative concrete landscape edging for both commercial and residential. With its 10-year limited warranty, Border Magic offers curbing and edging with the strength of concrete and the natural beauty of stone or brick.
About Mogavero Investments
Mogavero Investments, owned by Butch Mogavero, is the umbrella company for Boulder Designs and Border Magic. Boulder Designs creates custom boulders from sand that are any shape and size, and can be used in many applications including commercial signage and landscapes. Border Magic utilizes a similar proprietary technique for making landscape curbing for parks, commercial properties, and homeowners. The corporate office for both Boulder Designs and Border Magic is located in Waco, Texas. Boulder Designs and Border Magic actively seek franchisees for both companies in many areas of the United States. Visit boulderdesigns.net, bordermagic.com, or call (877) 892-2954 for more information.
NEWS: BUTCH MOGAVERO’S COVER STORY IN FRANCHISING USA
While growing up in Lake County, Florida, Butch Mogavero liked it when Uncle Claude came around because he was a positive influence. “He would tell me stories about his experiences in the Navy and Sheriff’s department, which, to me, seemed filled with adventure and good deeds. Maybe that’s why I liked being around him.”
Uncle Claude, known around Lake County as Major Claude Alan Gnann, served as a flight navigator aboard the USS Independence in Vietnam. After a successful Navy career, he came back to Florida where he made a name for himself. In his obituary published July 31, 2005, in the Orlando Sentinel, his friends described him as a homespun boy done good. During his 27 years at the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, Gnann rose from jail administrator to second-in-command. He ran the first SWAT team in the county. He would sleep in his truck to be closer to the action. He listened to his scanner and would show up at emergencies unexpected. He would even change light bulbs for the elderly.
Gnann’s younger sister and Mogavero’s aunt, Candy Noblin, recalls him being bigger than life. “Everyone who knew Claude loved him. He was the calm with things got nasty and mean.” Noblin remembers once when her brother was called to get a possum out of a home. “Claude caught it by the tail, got it our out of the house, then let it go because he did not want to kill it.”
It was during his years at the Sheriff’s department that Mogavero would see Uncle Claude and his wife, Aunt Linda, four or five times a year. “When I picture him, he is wearing his flight jacket. I remember that jacket being very important to him.” says Mogavero. Gnann died in 2005 at the age of 55. He was buried with his beloved flight jacket. Read the entire Franchising USA story here.
BOULDER DESIGNS MOVES TO TEXAS UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP
WACO TX February 1, 2016 — Franchise veteran Butch Mogavero is the new owner of Boulder Designs and Border Magic franchise companies. Mogavero purchased the two companies from Eldean Bergman for an undisclosed price.
Mogavero moved Boulder Designs and Border Magic corporate headquarters to Waco, Texas from Rantoul, Illinois in 2015. Mogavero’s franchise experience includes a successful landscaping company that he owned and operated. He also worked for one of the world’s premier service franchise companies in franchise sales and development where he sold many franchise units and assisted in developing one of their brands into what it is today.
At the end of 2015, Boulder Designs had 67 units and Border Magic had 36 units across the United States. Mogavero is actively seeking franchisees for both brands. The location of the Boulder Designs’ Rantoul franchisee continues to be 1503 County Road 2700N in Rantoul.