• Hendricks Chapel General Banner
  • Land Bank - Restoring Properties
  • CSEA_Help Wanted_Labor Relations
  • 5 for CNY - Learn How
  • Syracuse Stage Murder on the Orient Express
  • Alzheimer’s Association

Celebrating Urban Life Since 1989

Menu Hamburger White
  • 5 for CNY - Learn How
  • Hendricks Chapel General Banner
  • Alzheimer’s Association
  • Land Bank - Restoring Properties
  • CSEA_Help Wanted_Labor Relations
  • Syracuse Stage Murder on the Orient Express

$150 And A Dream: Branch’s Driving School Celebrates 47 years serving Central New York

Founder started with $150 and mom as his first student

Branch’s Driving School began April 24th 1963 according to company president Deraux Branch, “My father started with $150 one car and he taught my grandmother how to drive. We now have fleet of seven cars and a staff of about 20 people and half a million dollar budget from $150 in 47 years.”

“We cater to everybody from across the globe from especially with the diverse population you have on campus we have customers from Saudi Arabia, India, Japan and Bosnia.” Branch’s Driving School has made the transition to the digital age as 72% of their business is transacted online. Branch continues, “Our customer base is a cross section of the world we have people signing up from China and Japan on the website before they get here as students.”

Branch’s offers a number of services to the public from individual driving lessons to school based programs and satellite sites. In addition to the traditional driving lessons Branch’s offers, The New York 5 hour pre-licensing class, National Safety Council certificate 6 hour defensive driving course, Proficiency evaluation, Highway/Expressway training and the National Safety Council Alive at 25! young driver safety course.

They’re in the four Syracuse City School District High Schools, Great Northern Mall, Drivers village, Syracuse University Sheraton Hotel, and JC Penny’s at Shoppingtown Mall.

Branch says sustainability is from giving back to the community “My goal for the last 20 years that I’ve run this company is that we give back 10% to the community annually in-kind or cash”.

Branch is also concerned about ongoing training and development for his staff, “I created an internal training department and the staff goes through one class per month they get 12 credits and they receive a bonus of $250 if they finish the program. But that internal training program incorporates their personal life as well as the business life so we talk about topics whether it be conflict resolution, whether it be the new graduated licensing law. We incorporate both sides of the fence so they get balance. We’ve had a lot of people go through this program. It’s been very successful so those are some changes we made internally to make sure quality stays.”

Branch continues, “Cars have changed over the years now we have cars that park themselves and will tell you if you’re drifting out of a lane which is good and bad, people get relaxed people rely on the technology too much.”

“We have technologies that create distractions. The text messaging has exceeded DWI fatalities” He points out that people have gotten the message on drinking and driving and the recent crackdown? Deraux ran the numbers, “That was good, they issued over 2600 tickets $150 per ticket with an $80 surcharge that’s over $500,000.” He admits that sometimes the only thing people will respond to is their wallet a DWI can cost you money.

“Cars are made safer but I’d say that people aren’t as safe as they used to be. In the old days people drove seven gauge tanks and they took their time. ”

“Young people don’t have the cognitive ability to understand driving, take the person that hit the woman at Crouse if he’d known about the mandatory stop at a cross walk…”

“It’s been fun learning as much as you can and implementing it, taking your chances as an entrepreneur and small business person. Still looking for help from the financial institutions to help small business because that’s what runs the country. Hopefully some of the initiatives with the president will start opening up some lending for the small business.”

Deraux Branch wanted to extend a big Thank You to the Syracuse community for giving Branch’s Driving School, 47 years of business. “We have a 90% market share in the Syracuse area and I think that’s because we invested in the community and the community invests in us and we deliver a superior product. We’re in Oswego now we’re looking to expand into Utica and we’re already in the ‘burbs.”

The next big step is to be a regional driving school according to Branch they’ve already begun the transition, “We also have a name we’ve been branding for a couple of years soon you’ll see Greater Syracuse School of Driving.”

Not bad for $150 and 47 years of hard work.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE

Inked at ArtRage Gallery

ArtRage 505 Hawley Avenue, Syracuse, NY, United States

Inked is an exhibition of new works by twelve graduate students & advanced students from the Print Media & Graphic Art program, in the School of Art at Syracuse University. […]

Easter Egg Hunt presented by Dunbar Center and Blueprint 15

Dunbar Center 1453 S. State St., Syracuse, United States

Easter Egg Hunt presented by Dunbar Center and Blueprint 15 March 30, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm. Kids of all ages are welcome, Egg decorating, Free Food and Refreshments. Contact […]

Local, State & National


Resources

Neighborhoods

Features

Contact Us