Let's get physical

Franchise entrepreneur Jim Abrams made his mark locally in the home services field, where he built a $200 million company in 10 years.

But that triumph could be scrawny compared to Abrams' next franchise venture: physical therapy.

The plan, says Abrams, is to build a nationwide network of physical therapy centers under one brand, Fyzical, that can grow — quickly and in large scale — through franchising. Fyzical is a unit of Sarasota-based BizZoom, a private-equity firm Abrams founded in 2012.
Abrams previously ran Clockwork Home Services, which grew into one of the largest privately owned firms in Sarasota-Bradenton under his leadership, with $215 million in annual sales at its peak in 2008. Toronto-based Direct Energy bought Clockwork in July 2010 for $183 million.