FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Jenna Weisbord, 202-662-0766

jweisbord@franchise.org

IFA OPENS FIRST FRANCHISE RESOURCE CENTER IN GREEN BAY

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7, 2014—The International Franchise Association announced it will be partnering with local jurisdictions across the country to open Franchise Resource Centers that will provide information to individuals interested in franchising. The first Franchise Resource Center will open today in Green Bay, Wis. and will be located in the Advance Business & Manufacturing Center which is in the same building as the Wisconsin Small Business Development Center at UW-Green Bay, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College’s Entrepreneur Resource Center, SCORE and Advance, a program of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce.

“We are thrilled to partner with the Green Bay Office on Economic Development and with Mayor James Schmitt to promote the franchise model and franchise opportunities not only in Green Bay, but all across the country,” said IFA President & CEO Steve Caldeira, CFE. “Together with Mayor Schmitt we will bring networking opportunities, best practices and franchise education to local residents of Green Bay.”

“The City of Green Bay is excited to host an IFA Franchise Resource Center for franchisees and franchisors as they work towards their dream of business ownership,” said Mayor Schmitt.

The drop-in Franchise Resource Centers will allow individuals interested in becoming business owners the ability to pick up useful educational material to begin their journey. IFA and its resource partners will be able add materials as information becomes available to help prospective franchisees.

IFA will also open Franchise Resource Centers in St Louis and Savannah in 2014 and will expand the program in 2015 as the demand grows.

The Franchise Resource Centers are a part of IFA’s larger Diversity Institute programming. The mission of the IFA Educational Foundation’s Diversity Institute is to serve as a key catalyst for promoting and fostering diversity and inclusion within franchising, including franchisors, franchisees, suppliers and employees.

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About the International Franchise Association

The International Franchise Association is the world’s oldest and largest organization representing franchising worldwide. Celebrating over 50 years of excellence, education and advocacy, IFA works through its government relations and public policy, media relations and educational programs to protect, enhance and promote franchising. Through its media awareness campaign highlighting the theme, Franchising: Building Local Businesses, One Opportunity at a Time, IFA promotes the economic impact of the more than 825,000 franchise establishments, which support nearly 18 million jobs and $2.1 trillion of economic output for the U.S. economy. IFA members include franchise companies in over 300 different business format categories, individual franchisees and companies that support the industry in marketing, law and business development.