FRANCHISE·WATCH·DESK

SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · MONTANA

SERVPRO franchise in Montana: what the public record shows

Franchisees of SERVPRO in Montana have taken 8 SBA loans in the FY1991–present FOIA files (average $136,600). Fewer than 30 of them were approved through FY2020 and have resolved, so no local loss ratio is published. SERVPRO's national ratio is 0.5×. Its latest FDD Item 20 state table reports 5 franchised outlets in Montana (fiscal 2025) — about 0.44 per 100k residents.

SBA loan outcomes · Montanavs same-year franchise loans

Loans in MT

8

Charged off (all years)

0 of 6

Loss ratio in MT

—

Loss ratio nationally

0.5×

Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = MT. Loss ratio = charge-offs among loans approved through FY2020 ÷ the charge-offs expected if each had defaulted at the national rate for franchise loans approved the same year; 1.0× is the same. Only charged-off and paid-in-full loans count. A ratio is shown at 30+ such loans; “not clear” marks a ratio chance alone could produce. The all-years count mixes every era and is evidence, not a rate to compare. Borrowers are matched to the brand by name and SBA franchise code; some matches may be wrong or missing.

Market density · Montana vs nationalDense market

Businesses in this industry

516

statewide, all operators

Per 100k residents

45.4

national 26.7

Versus the country

+70%

denser

Every business in SERVPRO's industry operating in Montana — franchised and independent — from the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns (2023), against 2024 population estimates. Counter-intuitively, density is not a warning: across the brand-state cells in the loan data, denser markets have historically charged off less often than the thinnest (see the research page). A crowded market is usually proven demand; an empty one is often empty for a reason.

Labor cost · Montana vs nationalBelow-average wages

Avg weekly wage, this industry

$529

Montana, BLS QCEW 2025

National average

$659

same industry, all states

Versus the country

-20%

cheaper to staff

What SERVPRO's industry actually pays workers in Montana, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (2025), employment-weighted across counties. This cost signal is independent of the FDD: a market can look demand-rich above and still carry a margin headwind here if local wages run hot for the sector.

Franchised outlets in Montana · FDD Item 20+5 over the disclosed window
Fiscal yearFranchisedCompany-owned
201400
201500
201600
202340
202450
202550
Same-sector systems with SBA loan history in Montana1 systems
SystemLoans in MTCharged off (all years)Loss ratio in MTUnits in MT
SERVICEMASTER RESTORE70 of 6—5

Other systems in SERVPRO's sector whose franchisees borrowed in Montana. A loss ratio appears only where at least 30 loans approved through FY2020 have resolved; “—” means too few.

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Don Drummond, CPA — Virginia #43775 · what I charge

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