When prospective franchise owners research franchise community involvement examples, they’re often looking for more than charitable gestures. They want proof that a brand’s culture is real, scalable, and supported across the system.
At ohDEER, community engagement is not a marketing add-on. It is a foundational part of our franchise culture, driven by owners, supported by corporate leadership, and reflected in how each location shows up locally.
Our annual ohDEER Coat Drive is one of the clearest examples of how this culture takes shape at the local level. In 2025, this system-wide initiative brought together franchise owners, technicians, and customers across multiple states, ultimately collecting more than 2,300 winter coats for families in need.
For entrepreneurs researching home services franchise opportunities or comparing franchise community involvement examples, the 2025 Coat Drive offers a meaningful look inside the ohDEER system including how our owners think, how they activate local awareness, and how community engagement becomes both a differentiator and a strength.
Below is a deeper look at what happened this year, and why it matters for future franchisees.
Some of the strongest franchise brands grow from the bottom up. The ohDEER Coat Drive is a prime example.
The initiative began with the South Shore & Cape Cod team, who wanted to extend ohDEER’s central promise—Enjoy More Time Outside—into something tangible for families during the toughest months of the year.
“In 2023, our ops team wanted to do more for the community,” shared Dave Mulcahy, now COO of ohDEER. “It only seemed fitting that we help families enjoy time outside even during the hardest months.”
This is how much of the ohDEER franchise culture works: Owners bring forward ideas. Corporate listens, supports, and amplifies them. The system grows stronger from shared innovation.
The Coat Drive is now a signature example of franchise brand culture driven by its own operators.
Here’s how each participating franchise contributed to the 2025 initiative:
Each location executed the effort differently, some through customer pickups, others through partnership-based drop-off points. The variety reflects one of ohDEER’s strengths as a system: local ownership, local decision-making, shared mission.
For franchise prospects evaluating franchise owner success stories, this year’s Coat Drive shows how owners adapt national initiatives to fit their region, stage of growth, and community relationships.
A strong franchise culture is most visible when new owners choose to participate early, and see results quickly.
This year’s standout example came from ohDEER Northwest Columbus, one of our newest territories, owned by a mother–daughter team, Jeri and Sarah. With limited brand awareness and a small customer base, they needed a creative approach.
They partnered with:
Their system of partner locations generated more than 143 coats while simultaneously establishing credibility in a competitive market. “We got more out of this Coat Drive than I would have thought,” said Jeri. “As a new business still building awareness, it helped position ohDEER as a trusted part of the community.”
For franchise candidates, this demonstrates a core advantage of joining ohDEER: Our community-forward values become a bridge into local recognition, referral networks, and relationship-building from day one.
Across the franchise industry, some of the most respected systems are those where owners are visible in their communities. The 2025 Coat Drive highlights several strategic advantages for ohDEER franchisees:
Customers respond to brands that serve, not just sell. Community involvement reinforces trust, strengthens retention, and increases referrals.
Many pest control companies compete on services and pricing. But few pest control companies show authentic community care supported by their franchisees. This becomes a natural marketing differentiator.
The Coat Drive organically generated:
These touchpoints create brand visibility far beyond traditional advertising.
Owners take pride in belonging to a franchise system that gives back. This fuels collaboration, strengthens peer relationships, and enhances long-term franchisee satisfaction.
Service businesses often look for ways to stay top-of-mind between appointments. Community events naturally create multiple touchpoints that build goodwill and increase word-of-mouth.
The Coat Drive has become a defining example of ohDEER’s franchise culture and values.
“ohDEER’s 2nd Annual Coat Drive was an incredible success,” said Co-Founder Colleen Upham. “More franchisees joined this year, and it shows how strongly our system supports the families we serve.”
Franchise Marketing Coordinator Leah Pinkes shared, “It’s one of my favorite projects each year because you see owners, technicians, and customers show up in ways that reflect exactly who we are as a brand.”
Founder Kurt Upham added: “There are people struggling out there. A warm coat can make all the difference.”
And from within the system, John Avino, General Manager at MetroWest & Nashoba Valley, summarized the sentiment: “The community isn’t just where we live or work—it’s how we come together to support one another.”
For anyone researching franchise community involvement examples, franchise culture examples, or home service franchise opportunities, the Coat Drive demonstrates several core strengths of the ohDEER system:
These are the elements that help ohDEER franchisees grow, not only financially, but as recognized leaders in their communities.
As the ohDEER system expands into new states and new territories, initiatives like the Coat Drive will continue to grow with it.
Franchisees are already planning:
The Coat Drive reflects the momentum of the ohDEER franchise itself: expanding, evolving, and strengthening as more owners join the system.
Prospective owners who thrive with ohDEER are people who:
The Coat Drive is just one example of what this system stands for but it’s a meaningful one. If you’re exploring a franchise opportunity where community involvement, brand culture, and mission-driven values truly matter, we invite you to learn more about joining the ohDEER herd.
