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Subway honors top franchisees, developers

August 23, 2012

Subway recently recognized the achievements of several franchisees and developers, who each contributed to the brand's record breaking year.

Seven franchisees were named as recipients of Subway's 2012 Franchisee of the Year and three teams from the chain's development community were named as recipients of its Development Agent of the Year.

Subway's Franchisee of the Year awards are presented to the overall winners of the multi-unit and single unit owner categories from North America and the chain's international emerging and developed markets. Selected from the chain's more than 18,000 franchisees around the world, the franchisee recipients are:

• Eduardo DeMattos from Salvador, Brazil;
• Petronio Ribeiro from Belo Horizonte, Brazil;
• Jahangir Khan from London, England;
• Laurent Robin & Stephanie Lamy Libolt from Lyon, France;
• Tretya Kolomma LLC of St. Petersburg, Russia;
• David Berri from San Diego; and
• Mohammad Ahmed of Hackensack, N.J.

Competing among nearly 50 regional winners from around the globe, the Franchisees of the Year are honored for accomplishments such as adding new stores, building sales and increasing profitability, while also achieving excellent store evaluations.

Chiefly responsible for building and managing a geographical territory, Subway Development Agents provide their local franchisees with the necessary support and expertise to run a successful business. Development Agents of the Year are honored for their accomplishments in developing the brand within their territory, increasing sales and profitability and the level of service and support provided to their local franchisees. Recipients include:

• Leandro Debone & Guto Fugiwara from Brazil;
• Abdul Almutairi from Kuwait; and
• Kris Perrier from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Since January, franchisees and DAs have been responsible for adding more than 1,500 new outlets worldwide. Nearly 700 of those new branches debuted across the U.S. and Canada while almost 900 opened in other international markets.

As a result of these openings, milestones reached so far in 2012 include 37,000 locations worldwide, 25,000 U.S. outlets, 12,000 international locations, and 2,800 Canadian branches.

"We have great admiration for the hard work and dedication of the thousands of franchisees throughout the world, who continue to be the heart and soul of the Subway family. The franchisees are on the front lines daily and their ability to deliver a great customer experience again and again is what keeps our fans coming back," said Don Fertman, Subway's chief development officer. "In the background, providing the first line of support for the franchisees, are the Development Agents, who play an essential role in moving the Subway business forward, setting records in franchise sales, leases signed and restaurants opened as we expand globally."

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