IFA’s Open for Opportunity Roadshow amplified the economic benefits of franchising with top elected leaders and business owners at Little Caesars and Goldfish Swim School Franchising headquarters 

DETROIT – The International Franchise Association (IFA) brought its renowned Open for Opportunity Roadshow to the Detroit area this week, illustrating the countless benefits that the franchise sector provides to Michigan communities. On July 18 and 19, local franchise owners, franchise executives, elected officials, including Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II and several Members of Congress, gathered for conversations on the generational wealth and upward mobility that franchising provides for people of all backgrounds.

“It’s no coincidence that Detroit is home to so many iconic and emerging brands creating small businesses in communities across America and around the world,” said Matt Haller, President and CEO of the International Franchise Association. “Our Open for Opportunity Roadshow brought together business owners from all backgrounds for conversations with lawmakers to discuss franchising success stories and the policies at the federal and state level needed for franchising to continue to open doors to small business ownership.”

“We were thrilled to host the Open for Opportunity roundtable at our headquarters and discuss our franchising success story that began with a single location in Detroit and grew to the third largest pizza chain in the world,” said Dave Scrivano, CEO of Little Caesars. “Combined with our innovation and high-quality ingredients, franchising has powered our growth and momentum and is a business model poised to continue its momentum well into the future.”

“Since opening our first franchise location in 2009, we have remained committed to going above and beyond for our franchisees in over 170 communities,” said Chris McCuiston, CEO and co-founder of Goldfish Swim School Franchising. “We are living proof to not only the testament of the model, but also the fact that franchising expands to all facets of life. Wherever franchising goes, economic success follows, and that success, in turn, supports our city, communities and neighbors.”

“With humble beginnings in the city known best for its association with the automobile, Ziebart has grown from one location on Harper Avenue 65 years ago to more than 400 franchise locations across 37 countries today,” said Larisa Walega, senior vice president and Chief Growth Officer for Ziebart. “We are living proof of the power of franchising, the doors it opens and the opportunity it provides. Our company and name may be all over the world today, but we’ve never forgotten where we came from, and are proud to provide complete car care solutions and exceptional workmanship to customers around the world as only a Detroit based company knows how to do.”

In 2023, more than 23,000 Michigan franchises provided more than a quarter million (252,414) jobs.

Detroit was the third stop of the 2024 Open for Opportunity Roadshow, following events in Phoenix and Atlanta. Since 2022, Open for Opportunity has visited Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Newark, the Meadowlands, Las Vegas, Dallas-Fort Worth and South Florida, among others. 

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About the International Franchise Association:

Celebrating over 60 years of excellence, education, and advocacy, the International Franchise Association (IFA) is the world’s oldest and largest organization representing franchising worldwide. IFA works through its government relations and public policy, media relations, and educational programs to protect, enhance and promote franchising and the approximately 806,270 franchise establishments that support nearly 8.7 million direct jobs, $858.5 billion of economic output for the U.S. economy, and almost 3 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). IFA members include franchise companies in over 300 different business format categories, individual franchisees, and companies that support the industry in marketing, law, technology, and business development.

About Little Caesars®:

Headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, Little Caesars was founded by Mike and Marian Ilitch in 1959 as a single, family-owned restaurant. Today, it is the third-largest pizza chain in the world, with restaurants in each of the 50 U.S. states and 28 countries and territories.   Known for its HOT-N-READY® pizza and famed Crazy Bread®, Little Caesars uses quality ingredients, like fresh, never frozen, mozzarella and Muenster cheese and sauce made from fresh-packed, vine-ripened California crushed tomatoes. The brand is known for innovation and is home of the exclusive Pizza Portal® pickup, a heated, self-service mobile order pickup station. Little Caesars is also the Official Pizza Sponsor of the National Football League.  An exceptionally high-growth company with over 60 years of experience in the $145 billion worldwide pizza industry, Little Caesars is continually looking for franchisee candidates to join the team in markets around the world. In addition to providing the opportunity for entrepreneurial independence in a franchise system, Little Caesars offers strong brand awareness with one of the most recognized and appealing characters in the country, Little Caesar. Little Caesars is proud to be part of the Ilitch Companies family of businesses.  

About Goldfish Swim School: 

Founded in 2006 by husband-and-wife team Chris and Jenny McCuiston, Troy, Michigan-based Goldfish Swim School provides swim lessons and water safety instruction to infants and children aged 4 months to 12 years. Classes are led by specially trained instructors in a safe, child-friendly environment using a research-based philosophy called The Science of SwimPlay®. Since opening its first franchised location in 2009, the brand has grown to more than 170 schools in over 30 states, with an additional 150+ in development. Goldfish is ranked No. 74 overall in Entrepreneur’s 2024 Franchise 500® and has been recognized as the No. 1 swimming lessons franchise for eight consecutive years, was named to Franchise Times’ Top Brand to Buy in 2024 and is rated as a Top Franchise by Franchise Business Review for 2024. Goldfish Swim School is currently in the process of expanding franchise opportunities throughout North America. For franchising information, go to www.goldfishswimschool.com/franchise-opportunities.

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