Executive Spotlight: Who Is Ray Titus, United Franchise Group's Founder & CEO? (2027)
Ray Titus is the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of United Franchise Group (UFG), a West Palm Beach, Florida franchisor and franchise-development company. He opened the first Signarama sign store in 1986 and carried that model into a family of business-to-business and service brands that now includes Fully Promoted, Transworld Business Advisors, Exit Factor, Black Optix Tint and the Venture X, Office Evolution and Intelligent Office coworking brands, plus the restaurant concepts The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill and Graze Craze. UFG's February 2026 materials cite more than 1,800 franchises in over 80 countries.
This page covers public professional information only, drawn from UFG's own pages and releases and from a university announcement.
Current role and company
A February 9, 2026 UFG release, issued from West Palm Beach, lists Titus as Chairman, CEO and Founder and says he continues to guide the company's vision, culture, investments and long-term strategy. The same release announced an executive realignment that gave each senior leader a specific focus, such as operations, growth, acquisitions, international development and franchise development.
- CompanyUnited Franchise Group, a multi-brand franchisor headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida.
- TitleChairman, CEO and Founder (February 2026 release); the team page lists him as Chief Executive Officer.
- Brand groupsStarpoint Brands (Signarama, Fully Promoted, Black Optix Tint), Gold Path (Transworld Business Advisors, Exit Factor) and Big Flavor Brands (Great Greek, Graze Craze), per UFG's site navigation, plus the Vast Coworking Group brands named in the release.
- Other leadersBrady Lee is chief operating officer and Michael White is chief development officer for UFG International, per the 2026 release.
Career path
- Signarama, 1986. UFG's team page says he founded Signarama in 1986, and a Palm Beach Atlantic University announcement says he founded the first Signarama store that year.
- Building the platform. The same university announcement says he applied the Signarama model to other business-to-business brands, including Fully Promoted, Transworld Business Advisors, Venture X and Network Lead Exchange.
- Foundation, 2006. An older UFG biography says he established the United Franchise Group Foundation in 2006.
- Adding food brands. UFG's team page describes The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill and Graze Craze as recent additions to the portfolio.
- Industry organizations. The team page says he also founded AFI and Franchise Real Estate to help advance the franchise industry.
- 2026 realignment. In February 2026 UFG assigned each executive a particular focus while Titus kept responsibility for vision, culture, investments and long-term strategy.
What he is known for
- Signarama's global footprint. UFG says Signarama was honored with the U.S. Department of Commerce's Presidential "E" Award for Export Excellence and calls it the first franchisor to receive that recognition. The university announcement adds that UFG received the "E" Award in 2018 and Signarama in 2007.
- Many brands, one platform. UFG's 2026 materials say the company has helped develop more than 350 franchise brands and cite 40 years of franchising experience.
- Recognition. UFG's older biography says he was named Ernst & Young's Florida Entrepreneur of the Year and Counselor International Person of the Year in 2007, and to ASI's Power 50 list in 2010. Palm Beach Atlantic University awarded him its American Free Enterprise Medal in November 2021.
- Franchise education. The university says a gift from Titus established the Titus Center for Franchising and an endowed scholarship at its Rinker School of Business.
- Writing and speaking. UFG says he has written several books, contributed to the book Inside the Minds: Buying a Franchise, and given keynote addresses.
Leadership style and philosophy
Describing the 2026 executive changes, Titus said: "This is not a great departure from what we've always done – we're just taking a more focused, intentional approach." He added that by assigning a particular focus to each executive, "we keep growth and operational excellence top of mind."
In an Authority Magazine interview that UFG reposted on its site, he said "Respect is key," and on succession said, "You must train your successors and really work with them while you're still there." UFG's site also states the company's guiding line: "We have one customer: Our Franchisee. When they are successful, We are successful." This page does not claim a broader management philosophy than these remarks.
Key numbers
Company-reported figures for UFG, with the period shown. They describe the company, not Titus personally, and UFG's own pages differ by date.
- February 2026 (About)More than 1,800 franchises in over 80 countries; 40 years of franchising experience; more than 350 franchise brands developed (UFG release).
- February 2026 (release text)The same release also refers to 1,600 franchisees in 60+ countries and nearly 40 years, so its own counts vary.
- October 2021More than 1,600 franchises in 80 countries (Palm Beach Atlantic University announcement).
- Authority Magazine interviewMore than 1,800 locations in 80 countries and 10 brands under the UFG umbrella (undated repost on UFG's site).
- Older biographyNearly 1,400 units in more than 50 countries (undated, from an earlier UFG bio).
Questions people ask
Who is Ray Titus?
He is the founder, chairman and CEO of United Franchise Group and the person who opened the first Signarama store in 1986.
What brands does United Franchise Group have?
UFG's February 2026 release lists Signarama, Fully Promoted, Black Optix Tint, Transworld Business Advisors, Exit Factor, Accurate Franchising, Franchise Real Estate, the Venture X, Office Evolution and Intelligent Office coworking brands, and the restaurant brands The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill and Graze Craze.
When did Ray Titus start Signarama?
UFG's team page says he founded Signarama in 1986, and a Palm Beach Atlantic University announcement says he opened the first Signarama store that year.
How many locations does UFG have?
UFG's February 2026 materials cite more than 1,800 franchises in over 80 countries, though the same release's text says 1,600 franchisees in 60+ countries, so counts vary by page and date.
What awards has Ray Titus received?
UFG and the university cite Ernst & Young's Florida Entrepreneur of the Year (2007), ASI's Power 50 list (2010) and Palm Beach Atlantic University's American Free Enterprise Medal (2021).
Where is United Franchise Group based?
UFG lists its world headquarters in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Sources
- United Franchise Group: Meet the Team · Role, 1986 founding of Signarama, brands, awards, hero photo
- United Franchise Group: executive realignment announcement (Feb 2026) · Title, role, quotes, leadership team
- 24-7 Press Release: UFG leans into 2026 (Feb 9, 2026) · Brand list, 1,800 franchises in 80+ countries, 350+ brands, quotes
- United Franchise Group: Ray Titus biography · Foundation 2006, 2007 and 2010 recognition, books, older unit counts
- United Franchise Group: Authority Magazine interview repost · Respect and succession quotes, 10 brands
- Palm Beach Atlantic University: American Free Enterprise Day to honor Ray Titus (Oct 28, 2021) · Medal, 1986 first Signarama store, E Awards, Titus Center for Franchising
Facts were read from the linked pages on November 1, 2026. UFG's dedicated founder page did not load, and franchise and country counts differ across UFG's own pages, so figures are shown with their sources. The hero photo is the headshot on UFG's Meet the Team page, where it sits under his name and title, and is centered on a blurred card because the original is small; the photographer is not named. This page covers public professional information only.
Top photo: United Franchise Group (meet-the-team page)