Is a Project Manager for a Bigfoot Forestry franchise required to sign a Confidentiality Agreement?
Bigfoot_Forestry Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
ging projects and supervising Service Technicians (if any). The Managing Owner must monitor and supervise the Project Manager to ensure your Business is operated in compliance with this Agreement and the Manual. Any Person you hire as a Project Manager must: (a) be approved by us; (b) satisfy all requirements in §8.3 for Service Technicians; (c) successfully complete all additional training programs we require for a Project Manager; (d) dedicate full-time efforts to your Business; and (e) sign a Confidentiality Agreement. If you own and operate more than three (3) Bigfoot Forestry Businesses, you must hire a Project Manager. The Managing Owner or Project Manager can manage a maximum of three (3) territories. You must hire an additional Project Manager for every three (3) additional territories you open and operate.
- 8.3. Service Technicians. Bigfoot Forestry Services may only be performed by your Service Technicians. Any Person you appoint as a Service Technician must successfully complete all training programs we require for Service Technicians and sign a Confidentiality Agreement (the Managing Owner does not sign a Confidentiality Agreement). The Managing Owner may (but need not) serve as a Service Technician. If you hire a Project Manager, the Project Manager must also serve as a Service Technician.
- 8.4. Employees. You must determine appropriate staffing levels for the Business to ensure compliance with this Agreement and our system standards. You will hire, train and supervise employees to assist you with the proper operation of the Business. You must pay all associated wages, commissions, benefits, worker's compensation premiums and payroll taxes (and other withholdings required by Law). These employees will be employees of yours and not of ours. We do not control the day-today activities of your employees or the manner in which they perform their assigned tasks.
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPT (FDD pages 42–162)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Bigfoot Forestry Franchise Disclosure Document, if a franchisee hires a Project Manager, that Project Manager is required to sign a Confidentiality Agreement. The FDD specifies that any person hired as a Project Manager must meet several requirements, including approval by Bigfoot Forestry, satisfying requirements for Service Technicians, completing additional training programs, dedicating full-time efforts to the business, and signing a Confidentiality Agreement.
This requirement ensures that the Project Manager, who is responsible for managing and supervising the Bigfoot Forestry business, is legally bound to protect the company's confidential information. This includes trade secrets, business data, and other proprietary information outlined in the Confidentiality Agreement. The Confidentiality Agreement defines confidential information as know-how, business data, information in the manual or comprising the system, terms of the Franchise Agreement, and other concepts, ideas, trade secrets, financial information, marketing strategies, expansion strategies, studies, supplier information, customer information, franchisee information, investor information, flow charts, inventions, mask works, improvements, discoveries, standards, specifications, formulae, recipes, designs, sketches, drawings, policies, processes, procedures, methodologies and techniques, together with analyses, compilations, studies or other documents that are designated as confidential, known to be considered confidential, and/or reasonably to be considered confidential due to their nature.
Furthermore, the FDD states that Service Technicians are also required to sign a Confidentiality Agreement. If a franchisee hires a Project Manager, the Project Manager must also serve as a Service Technician. This dual role reinforces the necessity for the Project Manager to maintain confidentiality in all aspects of their work. The Managing Owner, however, does not sign a Confidentiality Agreement.
For a prospective Bigfoot Forestry franchisee, this means that hiring a Project Manager involves ensuring the individual meets all specified criteria and is willing to sign the Confidentiality Agreement. This agreement is crucial for protecting Bigfoot Forestry's business interests and maintaining the integrity of its operations. Franchisees should carefully review the terms of the Confidentiality Agreement and ensure that any potential Project Manager understands their obligations before hiring them.