The Koala Insulation franchise was founded by Scott Marr and franchise attorney Keith Gross. Koala Insulation is still promoted as a franchise success story by Marr’s Franchise Altitude consulting and investment firm, which shares an office address with Keith Gross’ Gross Law Group. An analysis of Koala Insulation franchise disclosure indicates the chain has a 6-year franchise turnover rate of 170%. We ask: What happened? by Sean Kelly, Founder, Relentless, Inc., Franchise Truth for Veterans
(UnhappyFranchisee.Com) Related Reading: EMPOWER BRANDS Exits Franchise Fastlane. Will They Exit the “Semi-Absentee Franchise” Pitch as Well?
EMPOWER Brands Semi-Absentee Franchise Claims – Discussion Invited
Scott Marr’s WALLABY WINDOWS Franchise: What Happened?
In 2020, outsourced franchise sales organization (FSO) Franchise Fastlane announced its “partnership” with Scott Marr and Koala Insulation.Franchise Fastlane credited founder Scott Marr’s “appetite for growth” as a key trait that endeared Koala Insulation to the aggressive franchise sellers.
Positioned as a “Semi-Absentee franchise,” an average of 167 franchises were operational from 2020 – 2025.
During that same period, 167 franchises were terminated and 117 were transferred to new owners for a franchise turnover rate of 170%.
We’ve compiled a list of the Koala Insulation franchise owners disclosed as having exited prematurely from their 10-year Koala Insulation franchise agreement.
Only three of the original Koala Insulation franchisees appear to still be in business.
Koala Insulation Franchise Owners Who Exited
This post contains our best effort at piecing together an accurate account from public documents and anonymous tips. It obviously contains gaps and prompts many questions. We have contacted the companies and, when possible, the individuals involved.
Invitation: Franchisees (and others) are invited to share their experiences and opinions anonymously either by leaving a comment below or emailing, in confidence, to UnhappyFranchisee[at]Gmail[dot[Com].
Empower Brands officials, Franchise Fastlane, Franchise Altitude, Scott Marr, Keith Gross, and all others involved are likewise invited to share corrections, explanations or other statements regarding the disclosures posted in the Franchise Disclosure Documents regarding franchisee exits and turnover.
TAGS: Koala Insulation, Koala Insulation franchise, Wallaby Windows, Wallaby Windows Franchise, Empower Brands, home Services franchises, Franchise Fastlane, Semi-Absentee franchises, Scott Marr, Franchise Altitude, Keith Gross, Keith Gross for Congress, congressional candidate Keith Gross, Gross Law Group, DonutNV, DonutNV franchise, boxwood partners, midocean partners
Relatively few franchise sellers blatantly provide outright false financial representations. Far more provide selective, partial,…
Great news from the Federal Trade Commission! Could DonutNV be next? Read the Press Release…
Koala Insulation was founded by Scott Marr and now-former congressional candidate and franchisee attorney Keith…
The Wallaby Windows franchise was founded by Scott Marr and Keith Gross, promoted by Franchise…
The embattled mini-donut franchise seller has filed its Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) in a single…
We need your help! This page is an important community project in progress. Since DonutNV…
View Comments
They don’t care about the owners, they just want the royalty check.
Thanks for your comment, Adam. I'm sorry for your situation.
Insulation contracting is tough, gritty, boots-on-the-ground work—not a hands-off vanity project. A 170% turnover rate tells you everything you need to know about how unsustainable the Koala model actually is for the franchisees on the ground trying to make payroll and manage crews every day.
It’s hard to take Scott Marr’s pitch seriously when his ventures leave a trail of churned owners while he moves on to the next concept, packaged neatly alongside Keith Gross’ legal umbrella. And where is Empower Brands in all of this? Acquiring a system with these numbers and continuing to promote it as a success story shows a complete disconnect from the reality local owners face.
When a franchisor prioritizes rapid expansion over actual operational infrastructure, leadership collects their fees, leaving the franchisees holding the bag. If you are seriously considering buying into this brand, don't just rely on corporate validation calls—reach out directly to current and former owners on your own to ask what daily life, local support, and actual margins really look like before signing on the line. To be honest - not even sure how they can even continue to market.
An "Un-Empowered" Koala:
Thank you for your comment. I truly appreciate and admire those who share their hard lessons so others don't have to go through the same pain and heartache.
Sean