Former Customer Brent Watson Now Owns Comfort Keepers Franchise In Birmingham

BIRMINGHAM (Tuesday, December 11, 2007) - Brent Watson has not let being in a wheelchair for nearly 20 years stop him from achieving success.

Watson, 36, was 17 when an auto accident in Clay County left him unable to walk and killed his brother Michael. A few years later, Watson went on to earn a journalism degree at the University of Mississippi and became a sports reporter.

In 2001, he got his first taste of entrepreneurship when he joined with another brother, Jonathan, and opened a chicken wings restaurant, Coop de Ville, in Jacksonville.

But it is Watson's latest venture that gives him the most pride.

In May 2005, Watson bought a franchise of Comfort Keepers in Alabaster. Dayton, Ohio-based Comfort Keepers provides caregivers to assist people needing non-medical care at home and has more than 550 franchises in the U.S. and abroad.

Watson became interested in the company after hiring one of its caregivers to assist him and his wife after they had twins three years ago. His company works weekly with clients in Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, Chilton and Talladega counties.

Watson said his franchise has seen the amount of hours billed weekly to 25 clients triple from 500 to 1,500 hours to nearly 90 clients.

Noting Watson's success, Comfort Keepers officials said the company is planning to add several more franchises throughout Alabama by 2010.

"We see Alabama, specifically Montgomery, Tuscaloosa, Auburn and Dothan, as key markets for offering our services to aging adults and others with similar needs," said Jim Booth, CEO of Comfort Keepers.

Watson is humbled by the growth of his business, which he attributes to the caregivers working for him and the assistance of two partners - his mother, Linda, who handles accounting, and brother Jonathan, a part-owner.

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