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Bill was 25 years old in 1978 when he started his own business called  

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Bill led the company's growth to more than 100 stores throughout the United States.  During those years he created every aspect of the business, grew the business with the help of countless people, and along the way added divisions in manufacturing, distribution, advertising, marketing, real estate, legal, HR, training, et al.  His company employed more than 1500 people including the professional services of 150 independent eye doctors, with annual gross sales in excess of $103 million.  "America's Best" was the first healthcare retail and practice management service of its kind, enabling eye doctors to expand their practices to provide care to millions of people, some of whom had never been able to afford eyecare in the past.

 

Bill remembers countless patients who benefited greatly from America's Best, a company truly different from other eyewear practitioners.  Shortly after opening his doors, there was one doctor's patient who stands out in Bill's memory.  In that very first office, a young man who was "legally" blind came in for an eye exam which he could not afford anywhere else.  For the first time in this patient's adult life, he was able to see.  Stated simply, it was clear that America's Best Contacts & Eyeglasses was much more than just a business.  

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In 1990, Bill sold majority interest in the company to private equity firm Berkshire Partners, retaining minority ownership along with his senior management team.  Over the next three years, Bill's entire ownership team increased its ownership by almost 50% as a result of exceeding the company's financial projections. 

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As Bill continued to run and grow the business, in 1993 he orchestrated the buyback from Berkshire Partners of the majority of the business in a management-led leveraged buyout for $40 million utilizing senior and subordinated financing.  Recognizing the company's ongoing opportunities for significant growth, Berkshire Partners chose to remain invested in a minority ownership position.  In 1997, Bill sold America's Best Contacts & Eyeglasses for $50 million.

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Following that chapter in his life and career, he started a business consulting firm assisting businesses, business brokers, private equity and institutional investors, and high net-worth individuals.  Then in 2006, Bill and his firm established an exclusive association with FranChoice, the nation's leading franchise consulting and placement firm whose consultants have provided self-employment assistance through franchising, placing more than 10,000 people into their own business.

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Bill's invaluable experience and professional services with FranChoice are completely free for you.  The franchise companies pay all the fees upon placements without adding one cent to your investment or purchase price.  

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For more than 20 years now, Bill Grody has been helping people become business owners through franchising:  "I just love using my decades of experience to assist others...  so that they too can enjoy the many rewards of business ownership and living the American Dream!"