Turf war disturbing lawn mowers

By SIMON HENDERY

A legal spat is brewing between the owners of the country's largest franchise network, Green Acres, and their former partner, who has set up a rival operation within weeks of selling out of the business he founded.

Adrian Kenny, who established the Green Acres lawnmowing and home services franchise in 1991, sold his stake in the business to partners Logan Sears and Andrew Chisholm in April.

Last month he announced that he and his wife Sharon had set up a new franchise group, At Your Request, offering lawnmowing, domestic and commercial cleaning, and painting services.

News of the venture surprised Sears and Chisholm, and prompted a letter from their lawyer to Kenny asking for an explanation of how he was able to set up the new business so quickly.

It alleged he spent a lot of time out of the office in his final months as a Green Acres director and employee, and challenged him over a claimed breach of a restraint of trade agreement in relation to the trade services side of Green Acres' business.

It also questions how he was able to reportedly sign up 10 regional franchisees at $100,000 each to his new system in a short time, after having not sold any Green Acres franchises in his final months with the company.

Chisholm said yesterday that he and Sears wanted an assurance from Kenny that he was not using Green Acres' intellectual property as the basis for his new business.

"Experience tells us that particularly in the area of [operating and procedure] manual development [for a franchised business] there is a heck of a lot of work required to put them together."

Kenny had not responded to the letter, sent two weeks ago.

He did not return calls from the Herald yesterday.

Publicity material for At Your Request says the Kennys' new business is targeting "top-end" customers, offering a five-star service, with "different business systems".

The Ponsonby-based business is said to have a strong internet component, allowing customers to book and pay for services online.

Chisholm said he was offering Kenny the opportunity to argue that he had set up a different system.

"If in fact it is a completely different system let's all get on with it. We're not in the business of going to court and getting into a dispute situation."

Last year Green Acres surpassed Lotto to become the New Zealand franchise system with the most franchisees.

Green Acres

At Your Request