Franchisee Spotlight: Conne Lineman, Montgomeryville, PA

On Nov. 25, 2013, Connie Lineman will be opening a Hand and Stone location in Montgomeryville, Pa. The spa will be Lineman’s first business ownership venture, but she’ll be in good company; her business partner, Maripat Mowry, comes from a experienced franchising family and has her own Hand and Stone spa in Warrington, Pa.

Connie Lineman is a long-time resident of Pennsylvania, having grown up in the Warminster, Pa. area and attended college at Wilkes University. After graduating in 1993, she began working for Cottman Transmission, where she first met the Mowry family – Maripat worked in accounting for the automotive franchise, and Maripat’s husband, Greg, was Lineman’s boss. She continued working with the company until 2010, when she was offered a promotion with MAACO in King of Prussia, Pa. However, when the company relocated, Lineman decided to forgo moving and instead, stayed in the area.

Not long after, Lineman ran into the Mowrys at an event and the former colleagues began talking about business opportunities. Maripat mentioned that she was hoping to open expand with a second location of her already successful Hand and Stone spa and asked Lineman whether she wanted to get involved. Lineman accepted the offer and the two signed on to open a spa in Montgomeryville.

How did you learn about the brand?

I originally worked for Maripat at her first Hand and Stone location for the first six months, then left because of my job offer at MAACO.

Why did you choose an opportunity with Hand and Stone?

I think it’s a relaxing, fun atmosphere. People come here to relax and they leave happy, and I love that. I think our business model is very strong. We’re helping our customers be better parents, better spouses, and better friends by allowing them to treat themselves to some self-care.

What are your expansion/development plans? Number of units? Timeframe? What is your end goal?

Being a multi-center owner is not outside the realm of possibilities. When I made this decision to be a small business entrepreneur, I thought, “Who better to invest in than yourself?” There are some very successful spas out there, and there’s no reason we won’t be a top-level spa; we’re located in a busy shopping center, with great foot traction and movement. I’m already very excited about our prospects — give us a few months to get this under our belt and we’ll see where to go from there.