Is Benjamin Franklin Plumbing a wholly-owned subsidiary of Authority Brands Inc.?
Benjamin_Franklin_Plumbing Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
AB Assetco wholly owns the following Special Purpose Entity ("SPE") entities:
- x The Cleaning Authority Franchising SPE LLC ("The Cleaning Authority Franchisor")
- x Homewatch CareGivers Franchising SPE LLC ("Homewatch Franchisor")
- x Mosquito Squad Franchising SPE LLC ("Mosquito Squad Franchisor")
- x ASP Franchising SPE LLC ("ASP Franchisor")
- x Benjamin Franklin Franchising SPE LLC ("Benjamin Franklin Franchisor")
- x Mister Sparky Franchising SPE LLC ("Mister Sparky Franchisor")
- x One Hour Air Conditioning Franchising SPE LLC ("One Hour Air Conditioning Franchisor")
- x Monster Franchising SPE LLC ("Monster Franchisor")
- x STOP Franchising SPE LLC ("STOP Franchisor")
- x DoodyCalls Franchising SPE LLC ("DoodyCalls Franchisor")
- x BuyMax SPE LLC ("BuyMax")
- x Successware SPE LLC ("SuccessWare")
- x Junkluggers Franchising SPE LLC ("Junkluggers Franchisor") formed in 2022
- x Screenmobile Franchising SPE LLC ("Screenmobile Franchisor") formed in 2023
- x Authority Brands Payments SPE LLC ("AB Payments") formed in 2023
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD pages 87–88)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 FDD, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing is not directly a wholly-owned subsidiary of Authority Brands Inc. Instead, Benjamin Franklin Franchising SPE LLC ("Benjamin Franklin Franchisor") is wholly-owned by AB Assetco LLC, which in turn is part of a chain of wholly-owned subsidiaries ultimately controlled by Authority Brands Inc.
Specifically, Authority Brands Inc. is the parent company of several franchisors and related businesses. AB Assetco LLC wholly owns several Special Purpose Entities (SPE), including Benjamin Franklin Franchising SPE LLC. This structure means that while Authority Brands Inc. is at the top of the organizational chart, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing operates under a specific legal entity (SPE) within the broader corporate structure.
For a prospective Benjamin Franklin Plumbing franchisee, this multi-layered structure indicates that the franchise agreement is with Benjamin Franklin Franchising SPE LLC, not directly with Authority Brands Inc. This distinction could have implications for liability, contract negotiations, and understanding the ultimate decision-making authority behind the franchise system. It's a fairly common practice in franchising for larger parent companies to structure their brands this way for legal and financial reasons.
Therefore, while Authority Brands Inc. ultimately controls Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, the direct franchisor is Benjamin Franklin Franchising SPE LLC, a wholly-owned entity of AB Assetco LLC, which itself is part of the Authority Brands Inc. network of subsidiaries.