Gregory Arianoff was born in Europe and grew up between Belgium and Spain. When he was 19, he packed a suitcase, told his parents he wanted to be a cowboy, and moved to the United States.
Today, he’s married to his amazing wife, Kimberly, who is a wonderful and caring mom. Together they’re raising their two awesome teenage daughters. Their oldest was crowned Miss Hawaii Islands Teen in 2025, which made their whole family incredibly proud. They live in Hilo, Hawaiʻi, and feel very lucky to have been able to buy Kim’s grandmother’s home—the same place where she spent much of her childhood. They own two PuroClean territories, one on the Big Island (opened 2023) and one in East Las Vegas (opened 2026). Together, these territories have 10 employees.
Gregory used to have a lot of hobbies—cars, boats, extreme sports, you name it. Most of that came to a sudden stop when he was diagnosed with cancer. Both Greg and Kim are cancer survivors, and that experience really changed how they look at life.
These days, they spend a lot of their time giving back to the local community—helping with fundraisers, sponsoring events, and trying to teach their girls the importance of service and gratitude.
After all these years, Gregory proudly calls himself American by choice!
What made you decide to look into purchasing a franchise?
The decision to transition from corporate life and consulting to owning a franchise came about during COVID and the government shutdowns. During that time, I owned a Hospitality Consulting business, and I was working as a Director at a corporate resort in Hawaii. When the state shut down, I had to rethink a way to continue to feed my family. My management and consulting career came to a halt. After having created over 34 concepts from A to Z in the Food and Beverage Hospitality Industry across the globe, I thought to myself, “let’s explore a ready-made out-of-the-box business (aka a franchise) this time and see if it’s any easier.”
When researching franchises, what criteria mattered to you most? How did your franchise meet that criteria?
I had a few prerequisites; it had to stay in line with my beliefs in customer service from decades in hospitality, and it had to be more recession-proof check out (FBR’s Top Recession-Resistant Franchises). It had to be considered a first responder or emergency service in order to remain active during any potential future shutdowns. And, it had to show better profit margins than what I was used to in my previous industry.
Financing can be an obstacle and/or intimidating factor for aspiring entrepreneurs. How did you find financing options to purchase your franchise?
Financing is definitely an obstacle recently. For me, it was more of a creative combination of private partnerships, private equity, and SBA applications.
Which of your prior skills and experiences do you use in operating your business today?
As an executive in the food and beverage world, we understand the importance of customer service. Relentless Customer Service isn’t just about solving problems—it’s about creating an unforgettable experience that stays with the customer long after the job is done. Creating a sense of family for my staff and helping our local communities rank high on the totem pole. In short, worldwide management skills and customer service skills.
When doing your research, which questions did you ask the franchisees?:
Things went pretty fast. I had a healthy list. My questions related to profitability and sustainability. What was the hardest thing they had to overcome? How helpful was/is the franchisor? If they had to do it all over again, would they still choose this franchise? What do they enjoy the most and/or the least about the business?
Which questions did you ask the franchisor?:
I did more than ask questions. To me, it was more important to actually meet the franchisor in person than to sit on a Zoom or phone call. Being face-to-face, feeling it, and experiencing it personally mattered. It’s all about connections. When the opportunity came to meet the PuroClean team, I didn’t hesitate to jump on a plane from Hawaii all the way to Florida. That first night I landed and met with some of the executives, it felt like family. It felt like I had known them for a long time.
What were your first 90 days like as a franchisee?
This was a completely new industry to us. My original team and I attended NFT in Florida. Everything was foreign, from the equipment to the practices and terminology. But the team at PuroClean headquarters made it feel like home. When we got back to Hawaii and launched, our first calls were, of course, related to things we had not trained on. Thankfully, help was only a phone call away! Our Regional Director was always available to help with whatever we needed. We also got a multilevel 3-story water loss, which turned into secondary mold damage. This kicked us into gear, having to deal with over 5 insurance carriers, HOA, Associations, tenants, and owners all at once. Great learning curve!
At what point did you feel like you “got the hang of it” and settled in as a business owner?
I think it took about 3 to 4 months. But I can tell you, I’m not settled in as I can’t sit still. I love to create, dream big, and now that we’ve just opened our second location, it’s back to the thrill of growing a successful business. It’s like deja vu, but with the field experience. The other thing that helped me tremendously was to join an Impact Group of owners. Our Group is called RIOT. Not only does it help me achieve my goals, but I also get to help other owners and create strong brotherhood (and sister) bonds.
How does the franchisor support and encourage your success?
Honestly, as mentioned before, I came into this industry brand new. The PuroClean Franchise Development team really helped me get my footing from day one. The Training Academy gave me the foundation I needed to run my business the right way, and their preferred vendor partnerships make it possible for me to get the equipment and supplies I need at competitive pricing. On top of that, the Marketing Team has helped me build real visibility in my community, and my one-on-one coaching sessions with my Regional Director give me guidance, experience, and encouragement that’s specific to my franchise. It truly feels like I have a family behind me that’s invested in my success.
What are you most proud of and why?
Building long-lasting relationships with our community and helping people put their lives back together. We love going that extra mile. Hearing about your positive impact through the “coconut wireless”, as we say on the islands, is the best reward. This led us to earn the PuroClean Cares Award last year.
What advice would you give to potential franchise owners?
Owning a business is not for everyone. Be sure you understand risk vs reward. Make sure you have enough funds stashed not only for a rainy day but also for the market in which you invest. Business on the islands is entirely different than business on the mainland. For example, we have attempted to track trends, seasons, and fluctuations in sales, but each season has been different so far. Now we start our journey in Las Vegas, which is a very exciting chapter.
Another piece of advice I would give anyone joining would be to join an Impact Group as soon as possible. There is nothing like the combined knowledge of a few owners striving for the same outcome. It helps propel your business. If you’re looking for a network where you can build friendships to last a lifetime, with potential high rewards and strong community and family values, look no further. I have found mine. I love it! Aloha!
More about the PuroClean franchise opportunity.
PuroClean provides fire and smoke damage remediation, water damage remediation, flood water removal, mold removal, and biohazard cleanup to commercial and residential customers. In addition to offering a valuable service, PuroClean is a top franchise in many areas. Because they survey their franchisees with us here at Franchise Business Review, we can take their data and rank them. With our unbiased information, we’ve ranked them on the following lists.
- Top Franchises for Culture
- Top Franchises for Veterans
- Most Profitable Franchises
- Top Franchises for Women
- Top 200 Franchises Overall
Additionally, PuroClean shares their full franchisee satisfaction report. Here are a few highlights from their report:
- 83% of franchisees agree that they enjoy operating this business
- 86% of franchisees are likely to recommend this franchise to others
- 83% of franchisees agree that they respect their franchisor
