Shelfgenie

ShelfGenie began in 2000 when Andrew Kerwin founded the company in his parents' garage in Richmond, Virginia. Its Glide Out shelving system uses custom fabricated pull out shelves to make cabinet storage more accessible without a full kitchen remodel. P. Allan Young joined the precursor company, Shelf Conversions, as a business consultant in 2003, became a partner in 2006, and helped establish the franchise system in 2008 as CEO and Co Founder. The company moved its headquarters to Atlanta, Georgia. By 2010, it had more than 150 territories across 29 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada, and appeared on the Inc. 500 List of Fastest Growing Companies in America. It has since grown to more than 281 franchised locations across North America. Neighborly acquired ShelfGenie in 2020 and added it to its home services franchise platform, which operates between 30 and 32 brands with more than 5,500 locations and over 10 million customers worldwide. Tony Ditzler became President in 2024 after more than 20 years of franchise and corporate experience. ShelfGenie serves customers across home improvement, aging in place accessibility, and residential organization through its storage product and service model.

The global remodeling market was estimated at $3.5 trillion in 2024 and is projected to reach $5.2 trillion by 2034, with a compound annual growth rate of 3.8% from 2025 to 2034. In the United States, residential remodeling was estimated at $527.36 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.6% from 2024 through 2030. The broader residential remodelers segment is expected to increase from $777.21 billion in 2025 to $897.3 billion in 2030 at a CAGR of 3.2%. Aging Baby Boomers are investing in home accessibility improvements, including shelving that reduces bending, kneeling, and stretching. Remote work also increased attention to functional home environments and space organization. Custom residential shelving remains fragmented at the local and regional levels, giving a nationally recognized franchise brand opportunities to compete through brand trust, consistent quality, and centralized marketing. Neighborly's network of over 10 million customers may also support referrals between brands.

The initial franchise fee ranges from $35,000 to $69,500, with $69,500 representing the standard fee for a full territory. Qualified veterans pay a fee ranging from $28,000 to $55,600, a reduction of approximately 20%. Estimated initial investment ranges from approximately $45,300 to $148,100, depending on whether the business starts from a home office with one installation vehicle or uses multiple territories, crews, and dedicated design space. These costs include installation equipment, initial materials inventory, marketing, and operating capital reserves. The royalty rate is 5% of gross sales, with some sources reporting a range up to 7% depending on the agreement. The minimum liquid capital requirement is $50,000, and minimum net worth is $250,000. Liquid capital requirements of $100,000 to $200,000 are common for service brands in this revenue tier, placing ShelfGenie's requirement in the mid tier of the category. Neighborly's parent company structure may support SBA lending eligibility, although PeerSense is not a lender and does not approve or provide loans. David Mihalic became Director of Franchise Development in June 2020.

ShelfGenie generally operates as a mobile service franchise, sending designer consultants and installation crews to customers' homes instead of requiring retail storefronts. The work includes in home design consultations, custom fabrication or procurement of Glide Out shelving, and professional installation. Owner operators commonly begin with one or two installers and a designer, then add crews as demand grows. The average franchisee holds six territories and operates multiple crews. Training includes 107 hours of classroom instruction plus field training in design consultations, installation, customer communication, and business operations. The proprietary WishPortal CRM supports lead tracking, project management, customer communication, and performance reporting. A centralized business support center handles client communications for franchisees. Each exclusive territory contains at least 125,000 qualified households. Through Neighborly Advantage, franchisees can use ProTradeNet, a vendor network with discounts and rebates from more than 250 preferred suppliers.

Prospective buyers should speak directly with franchisees during due diligence. The average project cost customers more than $3,000 in 2016. The home based model can avoid commercial lease costs, which may represent $24,000 to $60,000 in annual fixed costs for service businesses using retail locations. Buyers should test the $139,321 figure against calls with operators in territories of different sizes and model royalties of 5% to 7% of gross sales plus the 2% marketing contribution.

ShelfGenie launched franchising in 2008 and reached more than 150 territories across 29 states and Canada by 2010. It appeared on the Inc. 500 list that year and had 160 territories by June 2020. ShelfGenie ranked number 238 in the 2025 Entrepreneur Franchise 500. Franchise Business Review recognized the brand for Top Culture, FBR Hall of Fame, Best Culture, Top Home Based Franchise, Top Low Cost, and Top 200 designations during the 2019 to 2025 period. Tony Ditzler became President in 2024. The brand's operating advantages include its Glide Out shelving system, WishPortal CRM, Neighborly referral network serving over 10 million customers, and Franchise Business Review Hall of Fame recognition.

A suitable franchisee is a customer service focused entrepreneur with interpersonal and project management skills. Prior shelving or carpentry experience is not required because the training program develops installation skills. Operators should be comfortable managing small crews, following an in home sales process, and building local referral relationships with interior designers, real estate agents, senior living facilities, and general contractors. The average franchisee holds six territories. Each territory includes at least 125,000 qualified households, and buyers entering metropolitan markets with two or more territories can establish a larger operating footprint. Territories are available across the United States and Canada. The franchise agreement term and renewal conditions appear in the FDD and should be reviewed during the disclosure period, which gives prospective franchisees at least 14 days between receiving the FDD and signing an agreement or making a payment. Transfer and resale provisions are also set by the franchise agreement and should be included in exit planning.

ShelfGenie offers a proprietary storage product within Neighborly's home services network and participates in a remodeling market projected to grow from $3.5 trillion in 2024 to $5.2 trillion by 2034. Estimated investment starts below $150,000, while the liquid capital requirement is $50,000. The brand holds a Franchise Business Review Hall of Fame designation, ranked number 238 in the 2025 Entrepreneur Franchise 500, and received franchisee satisfaction awards during the 2019 to 2025 period. Its Loan Activity Score is 59, identified as a Moderate performance indicator in the PeerSense database. That score should be reviewed alongside the award history, parent company infrastructure, and unit growth. PeerSense provides independent due diligence information that includes SBA lending history, Loan Activity Score, location maps with Google ratings, FDD financial data, and comparison tools for residential remodeler franchises. PeerSense introduces franchise buyers to SBA and conventional lenders but does not lend, fund, or approve loans.