300 6th Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Florida Operator Says GNC Wins Contest for #1 Franchise
For GNC franchise store operator John Herrick, it has long been no contest as to who is the top franchise company in the U.S. But a recent GNC-sponsored contest reaffirmed that for him.
John and his wife, Tammy, are the operators of seven GNC franchise stores, including five in the Orlando, Florida area; one in Jacksonville, Florida; and one in San Francisco, California. Recently, one of their Oviedo, Florida store customers - professional triathlete Bob Brubaker - won GNC's Turbo ATP Challenge contest which asked people to try the product for one month and then write a 75-word essay as to why they liked it. The prize: A trip to Moscow, Russia this spring to co-pilot a Russian MIG-29 fighter jet.
"We had tremendous response to the Turbo ATP Challenge contest. It generated sales and boosted traffic in all of our stores. The fact that one of our customers actually won the contest was a nice bonus," said John, who opened his first GNC franchise store eight years ago.
John says it is the ongoing support that GNC offers its franchise store operators - such as the Turbo ATP Challenge - which makes GNC such an attractive franchising opportunity. "GNC is number one as far as I'm concerned among all franchises in terms of financial, training and promotional support," he said.
GNC supports each individual franchise store by providing new product information on a regular basis and continual training, including quarterly product, sales and customer service training materials. Additionally, each GNC franchise store has a dedicated field representative assigned to it for support in day-to-day operations.
John was working for a Fortune 500 company and pursuing an MBA degree when he began researching the world of franchising. "I realized that a lot of corporations were restructuring and downsizing, so I started to explore finding a business that I could run on my own; something that would give me a little more control over my career," he remembers.
A friend of his operated a GNC store in Tampa, and, having always had an affinity for health and fitness, John decided to include GNC in the franchise companies he was evaluating.
"You have to do your homework and look at the long-term success of each franchising system and the company itself," John said. "GNC is the most dominant player in its sector and number one in market share with no significant national competitor."
Coupled with GNC having manufacturing operations to complement the retail side of the business, John realized that GNC made the most sense and fit his healthy lifestyle.
From that first store in Orlando, John and Tammy have grown the operation to their now-seven stores with locations on both coasts.
For others considering the path that the Herricks have taken, John advises that they should be prepared to work very hard, be committed to success and follow the proven GNC franchising plan.
"Even with the logistical difficulties of having multiple stores in Florida and a store in California, the continual support of GNC has allowed us to grow," said John.
Description Of Operation: GNC is the leading national specialty retailer of vitamins, minerals, herbs, and sports nutrition supplements and is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the accelerating self-care trend. As the leading provider of products and information for personal health enhancement, the company holds the largest specialty retail share of the nutritional supplement market. GNC has been ranked America's #1 retail franchise in 1998/1999 by Entrepreneur International, and America's Best Franchise by Franchise Times Magazine in 1997, and Success in 1994. Number of Franchised Units: Over 4,560 in 50 states and 26 Foreign Countries. Number of Company Owned Units: 2,842 In Business Since: 1935 Franchising Since: 1988 Franchise Fee: $35,000 Capital Requirements: $132,681-$182,031 Financing Options: GNC offers direct company financing to qualified individuals. Training and Support Provided: New franchisees receive 3 weeks of initial training, including an intensive one week training class at corporate headquarters. On-site assistance is provided prior to opening, with unparalleled retail support continuing on an ongoing basis. Franchisees have online access to breaking corporate news and operations, product information, and wholesale promotions, as well as the ability to download and customize camera-ready local marketing materials and to communicate online with their managers and the company's franchise support personnel. Franchisees also benefit from GNC's multi-million dollar national advertising program.
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