Hand & Stone Developer of the Year Erik Bostrom Drives Expansion in Colorado

Massage and Facial Franchise Strengthens Presence in Colorado with Eight Locations Expected to be Open by End-of-Year

Hamilton, NJ – Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa (Hand & Stone), one of the fastest growing spa franchises in the country, is proud to announce the plans to have a total of eight spa locations open in Colorado by the end of 2013. The new locations will be owned by a series of local owners throughout the Denver-area and the development is through the hard work of regional developer Erik Bostrom, winner of the brand’s 2013 Developer of the Year Award.

Bostrom, Regional Developer for Hand & Stone’s Colorado market, exemplifies the brand’

s ability to attract passionate entrepreneurs who are eager to grow the franchise and expand the reach of its health-focused services. To date, Bostrom, who joined the brand in 2008 to focus on growth, has already helped to opened six spas and has signed a total of 13 units.

“We’re on target to exceed our growth plans for the Colorado region. Our goal was to open three locations this year – we have already doubled that number and will triple it by the end of 2013,” said Bostrom. “Colorado is home to many residents who live active and healthy lifestyles, which has been conducive to our growth.”

At only 34 years old, Bostrom has been instrumental in Hand & Stone’s franchise development in Colorado. As Regional Developer, he is responsible for working with potential franchisees to help them become acquainted with Hand & Stone and walk them through the process of opening a spa in the state.

The new Colorado openings will contribute to Hand & Stone’s overall growth for 2013. System wide sales are expected to reach $90 million and a total of 25 more spas are expected to open across the nation by year-end.

“We want to continue to seek out the most aggressive entrepreneurs to help us expand in new and existing markets, create more jobs and provide opportunities to those who dream of running a successful business,” Todd Leff, President and CEO of the brand, said. “Our business is one that provides peace and tranquility to clients who want to detach from their often stressful lives. We are able to help our customers achieve this relaxation because of the passionate franchisees that we have on board at Hand & Stone.”

Leff also credits the company’s positive progress with the franchise’s emphasis on quality customer service and extensive menu of healthy lifestyle options. Hand & Stone has set itself apart from competitors by offering customizable and affordable massages and facials.

ABOUT HAND & STONE
Hand & Stone is a 125-plus unit massage and facial spa with a mission to bring massage and facial services to the masses. Launched in 2005 by a passionate physical therapist, John Marco and now led by franchise veteran Todd Leff, Hand & Stone now has locations in 17 states and Canada. For more information on Hand & Stone, visit www.handandstone.com.

Hand and Stone Featured in NJBIZ

Hand and Stone was recently featured in an article on NJBIZ titled, "Massage Chain Continues Aggressive Expansion in New Jersey." The article discusses the brand's overall concept and explains what differentiates Hand & Stone from any competitors in the area. Todd Leff explains why and how Hand & Stone has seen such tremendous growth, success and expansion within the last year, leading the brand to outcompete competitors. Todd also expands on the specific future development plans for New Jersey. Kelly & Joe Harris opened the newest location in Glassboro.

"Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa locations are popping up all over New Jersey. Since the company was formed in 2005, it has grown to 100 locations in 18 states and Canada, with 25 of those spas in New Jersey. The company said three locations have opened in New Jersey since the start of 2013, and seven to 10 more are slated to open by year’s end.

“The fact that we have had year-over-year growth in sales and membership base is gratifying for us at a time when other businesses are struggling for sales,” CEO Todd Leff said. “Our most successful locations are in New Jersey due to the right demographic. We have great support from our customer base here.”

The company employs a clustered approach to growth, saturating a market with multiple locations, along with radio and television advertising, before moving on to the next market. With executives confident South Jersey is nearly covered, the company is now focusing on moving northward."

Read the full article here. 

Meet Our Florida Regional Developer, Rob Beers

How Rob Got Started With Hand & Stone…

Prior to signing on with Hand & Stone, Rob worked with and owned a few different businesses in the real estate industry and sports memorabilia market. He owned a different franchise focusing on specialty sports & celebrity retail and collector’s items for 11 years, gaining extensive knowledge in franchising and business ownership. He also has served as director for a small real estate firm in the Washington DC area since 2000.
A year before Rob sold his memorabilia franchise, he decided he wanted to look for another growing industry; the next big player in franchising. Rob not only wanted to own a franchise location but he also wanted to get involved in the growth aspect of the business and play a larger part in building a brand nationwide.

After searching for a year, Rob discovered Hand & Stone, which had just been introduced to the franchising world, having only two locations at the time. Seeing that the brand had tremendous growth potential, a superior, quality product, and a strong executive team, Rob felt that Hand & Stone would be a great concept to expand throughout Florida. Rob signed on as the Regional Developer for Central & Southwest Florida and opened his own franchise in October 2008 in Kissimmee.

Something Interesting About Rob’s Story…

As the Regional Developer for Central Florida, Rob has been responsible for adding four more Hand & Stone spas in his market; Lake Mary, Palm Harbor, St. Petersburg, and Winter Springs. Two more will be opening in the Orlando market in the next six months. Focusing on growing the brand throughout Central Florida, Rob plans to develop 10-15 new locations in the cities of Orlando, Tampa, Sarasota, Ft Myers and Naples. Passionate about the brand, Rob has taken an active role in providing support to his fellow franchisees in the Central Florida region and focuses on creating a team environment.

Where Specifically Did Rob Learn About Hand & Stone?

Rob started to research various franchises while investing in a real estate company. Rob searched through the internet, spoke with existing franchisees and researched concepts from top to bottom for an entire year. After his year of searching, he felt that Hand & Stone was exactly the opportunity that he was looking for and outmatched all competing brands that he looked into. Although it was a risk at the time, he believed in the concept and was passionate about spearheading the brand’s growth in Florida.