Click to Watch the Today's Working Woman Segment
Tanna Marino, a former Mr. Appliance® technician turned Mr. Appliance franchise consultant with Mr. Appliance’s parent organization, The Dwyer Group®, was featured on NBC™s The Today Show on Wednesday, July 4, in a segment about helping more women break into predominantly male-dominated service and trade businesses.
In the segment, Mr. Appliance was introduced as a brand finding success with women on the front lines of service. Marino is shown carrying her equipment to the job site, showcasing her talents by working on a few appliances, and even provided a long list of appliances she is well-equipped and experienced to fix. She was a visible example of a woman finding opportunity during this economy by working with her hands and providing a much-needed service to homeowners.
“In this economy, every woman needs to know what employment opportunities are available to them, even those in predominantly male-dominated service and trade businesses,” saidMarino. “Most women don’t know the great success and personal fulfillment they can experience working as technicians in trade businesses or even that opening a franchise business specializing in a trade, can be viable, respectable profession.”
Marino, age 32, had always been handy growing up, whether hunting and fishing with her father or learning to lay tile by her mother. After high school, she moved to Houston looking for work and laid tile for a living for several years. In 2008, she joined Mr. Appliance of North Harris and Montgomery Counties in Conroe, Texas as a service professional. In October 2011, Marino was awarded Mr. Appliance’s Service Professional of the Year Award, a national award selected from Mr. Appliance’s over 150 franchises. In 2012, due to her hard work, dedication and unique perspective having been a successful woman working in the trades, Marino took a position at The Dwyer Group corporate office, responsible for growing the franchise organization’s brands by educating and targeting women and other underrepresented groups.
The Dwyer Group opened its doors in 1981 with only one brand and has grown to become the holding company of seven service-based franchise organizations: Aire Serv®, Glass Doctor®, Mr. Appliance®, Mr. Electric®, Mr. Rooter®, Rainbow International® and The Grounds Guys®.
“It is my personal charge to educate more women about the trade opportunities and change how they view these industries,” added Dina Dwyer-Owens, Chairwoman and CEO of The Dwyer Group, who is now working with a group called Helping Hands to create a scholarship for Women in Trades she will personally fund with the initial capital. “With opportunities available all across the country, the time is now for women displaced by the economy or those looking at their next business investment, to seek out career paths within the service industries.”
Together, The Dwyer Group brands provide a diverse array of specialty services through more than 1,300 franchises in the United States and Canada, while the company’s international master licensees service almost 300 franchise locations in seven other countries. The franchise family makes some 2 million residential and commercial service calls each year and celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2011.
