Local couple wins national recognition, named IFA 2023 Franchisee of the Year

THE WOODLANDS, TX – A local husband/wife team running two Woodlands area chiropractic clinics are having a cracking good time. The Joint Corp., the nation’s largest provider of chiropractic care through The Joint Chiropractic network, recently announced Noah Stone and Vy Tran as the International Franchise Association’s (IFA) 2023 Franchisee of the Year. Stone and Tran are multi-unit franchisees for The Joint Chiropractic and were recently honored at the 63rd IFA Annual Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, for being an outstanding franchise establishment owner-operator.

“Franchisee of the Year recipients represent the best in franchising,” said Matthew Haller, president and CEO of the International Franchise Association. “This is the highest honor IFA awards to individual franchisees, and local business owners like Noah and Vy exemplify the power of franchising and its positive contributions to communities around the world.”

The Franchisee of the Year Award recognizes leading franchise owners from IFA member brands whose outstanding performance and contributions help protect, enhance, and promote the franchise business model. Nominated by their parent company, individuals are selected for their service to their communities, fostering a strong and vibrant workforce, opening the doors for career growth and entrepreneurship, and supporting their fellow franchisees.

“The franchising community is full of bright, dedicated and passionate individuals who create impactful, positive change for the families and consumers within their local communities,” said Stone. “Vy and I are honored to be selected by the IFA as the recipients of this prestigious award.”

Stone and Tran are the franchisees of nine The Joint clinics in the Houston area and consistently rank as top performers in monthly sales and new patient acquisition across The Joint’s 800-plus locations. In 2021, the couple was selected as The Joint’s Franchisee of the Year, receiving the award for their strong operational and financial compliance, passion for the brand and willingness to assist others in the system. This is evident through Stone’s service on The Joint’s National Franchisee Advisory Board (NFAB) for two years as well as his recent election to a ninth term as President of The Joint Houston franchisee cooperative.

As a sign of their gratitude and appreciation, Stone and Tran find a number of ways to give back to their community. Stone shared, “One of the most beneficial and overlooked aspects of franchising is that the majority of the economic benefit of these successful small businesses stays within the local community where many franchisees typically work and live, rather than such benefits being consolidated within a major out of state corporation or possibly sent overseas.”

The husband and wife duo are passionate advocates of chiropractic and the future of the profession, providing ongoing financial contributions to chiropractic colleges throughout the country. They are one of the Houston area’s most prominent donors to local high school athletic programs in Spring, The Woodlands, and Conroe while also contributing to The Joint Chiropractic’s partnerships with the University of Houston and Rice University.

“Noah and Vy consistently exemplify excellent leadership, dedication and service to their clinics, their fellow franchisees, their patients and their local community,” said Peter D. Holt, president and CEO of The Joint. “These qualities have set them apart as elite franchisees within The Joint Chiropractic, and this recognition by the IFA is a testament to all they have accomplished.”

There are approximately 800,000 franchised businesses across the U.S., providing over 8.4 million direct jobs and generating over $800 billion in economic output. According to Oxford Economics, franchising on average provides higher wages and better benefits than non-franchised businesses, as well as greater entrepreneurial opportunities to minorities, women, veterans, and other underrepresented communities.