New owner for Driving Miss Daisy franchise

Driving Miss Daisy has a new owner.

Leslie McCaw will take over the business at the end of October.

“I am looking forward to taking Kathy’s vision and continuing to provide DMD’s exceptional service in our community,” McCaw stated in a release.

Kathy Doornenbal sold her four-car franchise to McCaw after operating it for nearly 10 years.

Doornenbal opened the franchise in 2009, running it in Lindsay and Peterborough.

Driving Miss Daisy offers accompaniment, companionship and transportation for seniors and people with disabilities.

McCaw has a background in caregiving, having worked as an early childhood educator assistant.

As she watched her mother and in-laws age, McCaw realized the growing need for services DMD offers.

She understands how hard it is to hand loved ones over to a stranger when they need help.

DMD offers peace of mind by knowing that your loved one is cared for. It offers more than curb-to-curb transportation, according to McCaw.

“When you hire traditional transportation, you hire a car that comes with a driver. With DMD you hire a caregiver that comes with a car,” McCaw stated.

DMD operates in more than 50 locations across Canada. It’s fully licensed and insured and caregivers are trained in First Aid and CPR.

DMD is currently a finalist for the fourth time in the Greater Peterborough Chamber of Business Commerce Excellence Awards in the customer first category.

Doornenbal said she’s excited to introduce her clients and the community to McCaw.

“Driving Miss Daisy chooses their owners as carefully as they choose us and Leslie is the perfect fit to continue building what I’ve worked so hard at,” Doornenbal stated.

Doornenbal and her husband Bob are moving back to Alberta but will stay on as director of franchise sales and marketing for DMD’s corporate office.