Franchisors Name Candy Bouquet Founder as Entrepreneur of the Year

Posted Tue, 2011/02/15 - 11:59 by BMM

Margaret McEntire, 1989 founder of Candy Bouquet. photo/ifa

LAS VEGAS — A trade association for franchisors has awarded Candy Bouquet's chair and founder Margaret McEntire as its entrepreneur of the year.

During the International Franchise Association's annual convention in Las Vegas, McEntire's name was lifted up for other franchisors and businesses to aspire to. The organization gives out the award to individuals who have vision of what might be and then take the risk to carry it out and then possess management skills to create a successful franchising business.

"Margaret McEntire founded and built Candy Bouquet International, Inc., into a thriving franchise business," said IFA Chairman Ken Walker, CFE. "We congratulate her on her achievements and this important honor."

McEntire started Candy Bouquet International Inc in her garage in 1989 and franchised the business four years later. Each franchise location provides candy bouquet arrangement as an alternative to flowers.

But Candy Bouquet has recently struggled. In today's press release, the IFA writes about Candy Bouquet: "In 20 years, the business has grown to include more than 550 franchises in all states and more than 35 countries." That number of Candy locations is a 38 percent drop from the 880 franchises in over 45 countries that the company reported in the IFA's Spring/Summer 2008 Franchise Opportunities Guide. McEntire resigned last year as the CEO of the franchising firm. The recipient of this year's IFA award is a member of the association's board of directors.

McEntire is also the recipient of IFA's Bonny LeVine Award, the Small Business Exporter of the Year, Woman of the Year and Person of the Year by the Small Business Association, the National Winner of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Blue Chip Award and the Congressional Medal of Merit. McEntire received the Ronald Reagan Award for serving as an outstanding member of President George W. Bush's Business Advisory Council and the Arkansas Business Executive of the Year.

She is involved in farming, Rainforest Preservation Alliance, banking, real estate and real estate development, oil and gas drilling and development, manufacturing and other entrepreneurial ventures. She attended the University of Arkansas where she received degrees in speech pathology, special education and early childhood education in three years, and later pursued her master's degree.

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