Sarasota company to appear on Trump's show

He’ll be standing right next to Donald Trump, trying not to look at his hair.

Jim Abrams, chief executive officer and chief operating officer of Clockwork Home Services in Sarasota, was nervous when he and his marketing officer, John Young, starred in an episode of Trump’s show “Celebrity Apprentice” last November in New York.

There were lots of lights, cameras and crew — somewhat of a dream-come-true for the 62-year-old, a fan of the show that pits celebrities against each other in demonstrating their business prowess.

“I’ve watched the show for years, and I thought, ‘I wonder if they would have our company on there,’” Abrams said.

After making connections with a product placement firm in the Big Apple, Abrams’ home services franchise business was researched by the Trump organization and ended up slated for an episode on the new series, which starts Sunday.

In a May 2 airing, Abrams and Young ask celebrity teams to create a commercial for Clockwork’s three franchises: Ben Franklin Plumbing, One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating and Mister Sparky.

After explaining the project to the teams, the two come back to The Trump Towers the next day to listen and watch the presentations and then give their opinions to producers and Trump.

Because of confidentiality agreements, Abrams isn’t allowed to say which celebrity team won the challenge. This season’s teams include Cyndi Lauper, Sharon Osbourne and Michael Johnson, but Abrams can’t say whom he liked because celebrities are eliminated each week . Talking about them might give away the series’ ending.

“One group I thought was vastly superior to the others,” Abrams said. “They were definitely high-quality commercials.”

The big TV production was a first for Abrams and his fast-growing business, and he’s excited by the prospect that 14 million people in the U.S. will see what Clockwork Home Services is all about.

“I was very nervous about being on TV; I flubbed my lines and we had to do a bunch of takes,” he said.

It was two firsts for the show — the first time a home services company was featured and the first time Eric Trump, Donald’s son, made an appearance.

His overall impression of meeting The Donald?

“He was a nice guy, very gracious,” Abrams said. “When he walked on the set, you knew who the real star of the show was.”

Abrams also was impressed with Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, a regular on the show.

“Ivanka was very business-like on camera, but off camera she was definitely her father’s daughter, she was softer and nicer,” he said.

The show was filmed during the World Series and after the filming, the Trump family headed off to see the New York Yankees play the Philadelphia Phillies.

When the cameras weren’t rolling, Abrams and his wife managed a few take-home photos — he sat in Trump’s imposing chair in the boardroom where contestants hear the dreaded “You’re Fired,” and his wife had a photo taken in the secretary’s chair outside.

The Trump show is the first step in marketing Clockwork’s 650 franchises nationwide. The company, with annual sales of more than $500 million, is the fastest-growing brand in the home services’ niche in North America, Abrams said.

Although 2009 saw flat sales for the company, Abrams said 2010 is seeing an 18 percent increase in revenues.

Rick Allard, franchise owner of Southern Comfort One Hour Air-Conditioning in Bradenton, is excited about the May 2 national debut.

“I think it will create more brand awareness,” he said. ”That’s what it’s all about, brand recognition.”

Allard and others in the company are planning a promotion for the May 2 show. They will be wearing costumes of all the brand icons and standing on major intersections across the country that day. There will also be radio, TV and direct mail ads leading up to the showing.

And a contest is being planned that Abrams is being secretive about. All he’ll say is that it is tied in with a “unique promotion that’s not been done before.”

Stay tuned.