Franchisee Name: Greg Mowry
Location: 1661 Easton Rd, Doylestown, PA 18902
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Something Interesting About Greg Mowry’s Story…
Greg Mowry is a well-established and highly experienced franchisee, having worked in the industry for no less than 25 years. His wife, Maripat Mowry, has worked alongside him as a fellow employee of AAMCO Transmissions. However, the couple’s latest venture promises to be their most enjoyable yet. Greg and Maripat will be the newest franchisees for the Hand & Stone spa, which will be opening in Doylestown, PA in September. The spa features affordable massage and a unique membership program with discounted pricing. Only time will tell how many Hand & Stone franchises the Mowrys themselves will open, but Greg expects the company to proliferate quite rapidly in the area, with at least 15 new locations opening up in the next few years.
What Greg Mowry Did Before Hand & Stone…
With a 25-year history in the franchising industry, Greg Mowry has been VP of Equipment for AAMCO transmissions, a partner in several franchised transmission shops, and the owner of a cleaning company.
How Greg Mowry Specifically Found Out About Hand & Stone…
Interestingly, Greg Mowry’s new job is a direct result of his old one, as Todd Leff, the president and CEO of Hand & Stone, is the former CEO of AAMCO. As such, it was this connection that brought Greg and his wife Maripat to the massage industry. Like Leff himself, the Mowrys were intrigued by the the refreshing concept of luxurious spa experiences at affordable prices, or “massage for the masses,” as the company’s mantra goes. Upon further investigation, the Mowrys were also pleased with the franchise’s smart business model and emphasis on employee loyalty, an all-too-rare quality in today’s fickle economy.
Why Greg Mowry is Excited About Becoming a Hand & Stone RD and Franchisee…
The Mowrys are thrilled about opening up a Hand & Stone in Doylestown because of how much potential the franchise has. Not only will it be the first Hand & Stone to open in the Doylestown area, but its proximity to a nearby hair and nail salon makes for some exciting joint promotion potential. The Mowrys live a mere 15 minutes from their Hand & Stone’s Easton Rd. location, and look forward to running this feel-good business as a family. Greg and Maripat will run the franchise as a husband and wife team, and even their children have expressed some interest in working at Hand & Stone, perhaps as part-time jobs while they attend college. The Mowrys anticipate a lot of future growth for Hand & Stone throughout the Philadelphia region, but local community involvement is their current focus. They plan to team up with the Chamber of Commerce and the Better Business Bureau in order to establish strong bonds with other local business owners as well as their inevitably satisfied future customers.
“We’re very excited about bringing this fine establishment to the Doylestown community,” said Greg. “A spa is a place where people come in happy and leave even happier, and I think that’s really what this whole thing is all about.”
Showing posts with label Doylestown. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Doylestown. Show all posts
Friday, November 19, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
Franchisee Profile: Greg Shishko
Franchisee Since: 2008
Franchise Location: Kennett Sq, PA; Regional Developer for Pennsylvania and Delaware
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How Greg Shishko Got Started With Hand & Stone…
With recessions come obstacles, and opportunities. Such was the case for Greg Shishko, Hand & Stone’s Regional Developer for Pennsylvania and Delaware. Greg had a long career, 30 years in fact, in the banking industry. He served as Chief Financial Officer of multiple businesses with several different corporations, most recently serving as CFO of Bank of America’s U.S. Credit Card and Consumer Lending businesses. Then, in 2007, we hit a bump, the economy went south and so did the banking industry, but, Greg was ready for the challenge the new economic environment presented. He looked forward to working for himself and not being involved in the corporate rat race any longer. He began searching out independent business opportunities such as car washes or laundromats, but nothing seemed to be just right until he was introduced to the booming industry of health and wellness and a fresh concept to the Pennsylvania and Delaware region called Hand & Stone.
In 2008, Greg was on his way to his next career adventure, signing on as Hand & Stone’s Regional Developer for Pennsylvania and Delaware. He would be responsible for introducing franchise prospects to Hand & Stone in his regions. First, he opened his own location in Kenneth Square, PA to build up Hand & Stone’s brand awareness and introduce consumers to a completely new spa experience – one that was easily accessible and more affordable than typical day spas. This year, his own spa is experiencing a 50% sales increase over last year!
In addition to Greg’s Kennett Square spa, and the second Hand & Stone spa which opened in Glen Mills in Dec 2009, two more Hand & Stone locations will open in: Broomall, PA, and Doylestown, PA in early September.
What Intrigued Greg Shishko about Hand & Stone…
Greg was attracted by the growth in the popularity of massage across all age groups, and the increasing recognition of the benefits of massage by the medical and insurance communities. Greg also valued the flexibility that the Hand & Stone corporate team gave to its franchisees and Regional Developers. The corporate team welcomes franchisees input; in fact many of the franchisees suggestions have been incorporated into the business. Also, Hand & Stone is based almost immediately in Greg’s backyard, which makes it convenient for him to quickly and easily communicate with the corporate team and simplifies travel and training for franchisees.
On the consumer side, Greg was impressed by the abundance of services offered at Hand & Stone. The competition only offers massage, but Hand & Stone takes it two steps further with facial treatments and waxing services. The franchise also looks to expand their service line when it makes sense.
Community Involvement…
Greg recognizes that the best way to gain clientele is by being committed to the local community and he is! Greg and his team sponsor local high school sports teams, participate in community events like the town’s festivals and concert events, and donate generously to local charities. His location also offers classes at the spa in massage and aesthetics for the Chester County Night School and provides internship opportunities through Pathstones, a private, not-for-profit regional community development and human service organization providing services to farm workers and low-income families; and the list goes on and on.
Something Interesting About Greg Shishko’s Story…
Greg is married and has four college-aged children. All of his children are attending or have attended Penn State. His two oldest work at Bank of America, following in their father’s footsteps – for now. His 18 year old son and 20-year-old daughter are still in school, and his daughter is managing his spa in Kennett Square while majoring in communication and working toward graduation in December.
Where specifically did Greg Shishko learn about Hand & Stone?
When Greg was looking for independent business opportunities, he looked into a variety of different concepts. As part of his search, he began working with a franchise broker who introduced him to Massage Heights at first. He had actually attended Massage Height’s discovery day, but while there, his wife convinced him to call John Marco, founder of Hand & Stone. Because Hand & Stone seemed more flexible with its franchisees and was located closer to him, he went with Hand & Stone.
Franchise Location: Kennett Sq, PA; Regional Developer for Pennsylvania and Delaware
View Larger Map
How Greg Shishko Got Started With Hand & Stone…
With recessions come obstacles, and opportunities. Such was the case for Greg Shishko, Hand & Stone’s Regional Developer for Pennsylvania and Delaware. Greg had a long career, 30 years in fact, in the banking industry. He served as Chief Financial Officer of multiple businesses with several different corporations, most recently serving as CFO of Bank of America’s U.S. Credit Card and Consumer Lending businesses. Then, in 2007, we hit a bump, the economy went south and so did the banking industry, but, Greg was ready for the challenge the new economic environment presented. He looked forward to working for himself and not being involved in the corporate rat race any longer. He began searching out independent business opportunities such as car washes or laundromats, but nothing seemed to be just right until he was introduced to the booming industry of health and wellness and a fresh concept to the Pennsylvania and Delaware region called Hand & Stone.
In 2008, Greg was on his way to his next career adventure, signing on as Hand & Stone’s Regional Developer for Pennsylvania and Delaware. He would be responsible for introducing franchise prospects to Hand & Stone in his regions. First, he opened his own location in Kenneth Square, PA to build up Hand & Stone’s brand awareness and introduce consumers to a completely new spa experience – one that was easily accessible and more affordable than typical day spas. This year, his own spa is experiencing a 50% sales increase over last year!
In addition to Greg’s Kennett Square spa, and the second Hand & Stone spa which opened in Glen Mills in Dec 2009, two more Hand & Stone locations will open in: Broomall, PA, and Doylestown, PA in early September.
What Intrigued Greg Shishko about Hand & Stone…
Greg was attracted by the growth in the popularity of massage across all age groups, and the increasing recognition of the benefits of massage by the medical and insurance communities. Greg also valued the flexibility that the Hand & Stone corporate team gave to its franchisees and Regional Developers. The corporate team welcomes franchisees input; in fact many of the franchisees suggestions have been incorporated into the business. Also, Hand & Stone is based almost immediately in Greg’s backyard, which makes it convenient for him to quickly and easily communicate with the corporate team and simplifies travel and training for franchisees.
On the consumer side, Greg was impressed by the abundance of services offered at Hand & Stone. The competition only offers massage, but Hand & Stone takes it two steps further with facial treatments and waxing services. The franchise also looks to expand their service line when it makes sense.
Community Involvement…
Greg recognizes that the best way to gain clientele is by being committed to the local community and he is! Greg and his team sponsor local high school sports teams, participate in community events like the town’s festivals and concert events, and donate generously to local charities. His location also offers classes at the spa in massage and aesthetics for the Chester County Night School and provides internship opportunities through Pathstones, a private, not-for-profit regional community development and human service organization providing services to farm workers and low-income families; and the list goes on and on.
Something Interesting About Greg Shishko’s Story…
Greg is married and has four college-aged children. All of his children are attending or have attended Penn State. His two oldest work at Bank of America, following in their father’s footsteps – for now. His 18 year old son and 20-year-old daughter are still in school, and his daughter is managing his spa in Kennett Square while majoring in communication and working toward graduation in December.
Where specifically did Greg Shishko learn about Hand & Stone?
When Greg was looking for independent business opportunities, he looked into a variety of different concepts. As part of his search, he began working with a franchise broker who introduced him to Massage Heights at first. He had actually attended Massage Height’s discovery day, but while there, his wife convinced him to call John Marco, founder of Hand & Stone. Because Hand & Stone seemed more flexible with its franchisees and was located closer to him, he went with Hand & Stone.
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