Our Story
Let’s Talk Kitchen Tune-Up Franchise Ownership!
A History of Success
Dave and Cindy Haglund founded their Kitchen remodeling franchise business, Kitchen Tune-Up, in 1988. They credit the success of the business to some luck, great employees, and wonderful franchise owners that truly care about making a difference. As Kitchen Tune-Up celebrates over 35 years in business, it feels like the story is just beginning. In 2003, Dave & Cindy’s eldest daughter, Heidi Morrissey, joined Kitchen Tune-Up, eventually becoming Kitchen Tune-Up's President.
A Family Business
In 1975 Dave & Cindy opened a cabinet store in Aberdeen, South Dakota. Dave had always been an entrepreneur at heart. He felt business ownership would be the best way to provide a bright future for his family. He was right. His cabinet store was very successful. As the business grew, he added more employees and built bigger showrooms. In the mid-1980s the economic recession changed his strategy. With home construction being down, Dave knew it was critical to diversify his cabinet business.
The Kitchen Tune-Up Solution
Dave had recently gotten his car tuned up. The car was running great - almost like it was new. He remembered how some of his clients had asked him about how to keep their cabinets looking like new. A light bulb went off. What if he could “tune-up” a kitchen so it looked like new too?
Excited, Dave went to work. He experimented with a few different products. Soon, he’d created a checklist of must-have items that would make a kitchen “look and run like new.” He called his new solution the Kitchen Tune-Up. He started advertising his unique kitchen remodeling services and the phones started ringing. Business was so good he kept his employees busy doing “tune-ups” in kitchens.
Every time Dave told the story of his Kitchen Tune-Up solution, people would say “Wow, I could use that in my kitchen.” He decided the best way to grow the business would be to franchise it. He was also excited about helping and supporting new business owners. He remembered how alone he felt starting his cabinet business and vowed to create a system that provided expertise and ongoing support.
A History of Putting Franchise Owners First
As the customer’s needs changed, so did Kitchen Tune-Up. Dave added more and more services to update and improve the kitchen. As the franchise owners changed, his kitchen remodeling franchise system adapted. It moved from an owner-operator model to one where the owner worked ON the business, not IN it. This allowed each franchisee the power to own a business they could sell in the future. Unlike with other franchise systems, Dave made sure business owners had more work and life balance. The franchisees loved it.
On the 20th anniversary of the franchise system, our owners got together and bought Dave and Cindy a 17-day cruise to Norway. On the 25th anniversary, our owners gave emotional testimonials about how Kitchen Tune-Up had changed their lives during a surprise presentation at the awards banquet.
The Next Generation of Kitchen Remodeling
In 2003, when Dave & Cindy’s eldest daughter, Heidi Morrissey joined the company, she went right to work learning the various support roles at the Home Office. She spent hours listening to franchise owners. Then in 2017, after 13 years in marketing and sales, Heidi became president of Kitchen Tune-Up. With the company in capable hands, her parents now spend their time traveling, enjoying their grandkids, and relaxing at their lake home near Aberdeen.
In late 2020, Kitchen Tune-Up became part of the Home Franchise Concepts® family of home service franchise brands and one of north America’s largest franchisors in the home services industry. Home Franchise Concepts has over 2.600 franchised territories in the U.S. and Canada, and is backed by JM Family Enterprises®, a $20B privately-owned company.