The Dwyer Group has announced a business agreement with Canadian-based Sunshine Grounds Care and will market franchises in the United States under the brand of The Grounds Guys, effective immediately.  Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The deal introduces the first grounds care franchise to The Dwyer Group’s trades service brands, which include: Aire Serv, Glass Doctor, Mr. Appliance, Mr. Electric, Mr. Rooter and Rainbow International.

The Grounds Guys franchise opportunity will offer lawn care, landscaping and maintenance services — a complementary line of business to the residential and commercial target customers that The Dwyer Group’s existing concepts already serve.

“The grass is now greener at The Dwyer Group,” said Dina Dwyer-Owens, CEO and Chairwoman of The Dwyer Group.  “We knew that landscape maintenance was a natural extension of our family of franchise brands, but it was the expertise of Sunshine Grounds Care in Canada that helped us deliver a business model with a proven track record.”

Based in Orangeville, Ontario, Sunshine was established in 1987 by Tim van Stralen and quickly grew to include his nine brothers. By 2004, the grounds care division of Sunshine, began franchising and today counts 25 franchisees in its network.

Then in 2009, the van Stralen family met The Dwyer Group, and conversations began on how they could collaborate to benefit both companies.

“The Dwyer Group brings extensive franchising experience and Sunshine Grounds Care brings the grounds care expertise,” said Peter van Stralen, President and CEO of The Grounds Guys Canada.  “It was clear that we each had good things to offer one another.”

“Having grown up in a family business, we saw a lot of ourselves in the van Stralens and what they were doing in Canada,” said Dwyer-Owens.

Peter van Stralen added that his company was attracted to The Dwyer Group’s Code of Values as a foundation that has helped grow and sustain a large franchise network.  “The corporate culture they have created and the values they promote made this a relationship we could all feel good about,” he said.

The result is a one-of-a-kind agreement for The Dwyer Group to sell franchises in the United States with added business training to be provided by Sunshine Grounds Care.

More information about The Grounds Guys and Sunshine Grounds Care -

Sunshine Grounds Care was founded by Tim van Stralen, the oldest of ten brothers, in the town of Caledon in 1987.  Since then, Sunshine Grounds Care has expanded rapidly across Ontario and even to other parts of North America.  As the company has grown, so have the other nine van Stralen brothers, who today all play a part in making Sunshine a business that operates on family values of respect, effort and a mutual interest in the well being of the group. For more information about Sunshine Grounds Care, visit www.sunshinelandscape.com.