Business News
Valpak Announces Franchise Expansion In East Toronto
Monday 19. November 2012 - Leader in Local Print and Digital Coupons Expands in Canada-
Valpak, a leader in local print and digital coupons, announced today that it has signed a franchise agreement with Greg Lashbrook to expand in the East Toronto area, including Durham, Markham, North York, Scarborough and East York. Residents received their first Valpak Blue Envelope() in August.
“I’ve known about Valpak for years and after looking at several business opportunities I was immediately drawn to the brand’s longevity and its print and online offerings with a very broad product footprint,” said Greg Lashbrook, Valpak of Toronto East franchisee. “I look forward to bringing local savings to the Toronto community and helping businesses reach new customers.”
Prior to joining Valpak, Lashbrook spent 20 years working in the technology and software industry. Realizing that there was an opportunity to acquire a Valpak franchise in the East Toronto area, Lashbrook decided to further his entrepreneurial and utilize his experience in technology to become a Valpak franchise owner.
“Valpak is expanding rapidly and Greg’s experience in technology in the perfect addition to help grow the brand in Canada,” said Todd Leiser, Valpak’s Director of Franchise Sales. “As one of the leading direct marketing companies, we are excited to introduce our innovative products to the local community.”
A leader in cooperative direct mail, Valpak mails over 20 billion coupons to more than 40 million demographically-targeted households per month in more than 100 markets in 48 states and four Canadian provinces. Today, in addition to its flagship Blue Envelope(), the brand offers its business customers an impressive portfolio of digital advertising products including Smartphone apps, which are also integrated into the new Passbook, Valpak Deals(), QR codes, online coupons and SMS/text messaging to reach consumers at home and on-the-go.
Ideal candidates for Valpak franchise ownership should possess a desire to join a trusted industry-leading brand, work within a proven franchise system, develop relationships with local businesses and have a comfort level with selling new, digital technologies. Franchisees should also possess a minimum liquidity of $75,000 and a minimum net worth of $150,000.
Valpak franchisees benefit from extensive training and support including more than 300 hours of classroom, in-field and online training. Additionally, the Valpak peer mentoring program pairs tenured Valpak franchisees with new franchisees for a two-year period. Valpak also handles all of the coupon design, printing, collation and postal logistics for its franchisees, allowing them to concentrate on selling branded direct marketing campaigns to customers within their exclusive territory.
Since its launch in 1968, The Blue Envelope() has been broadly recognized and trusted, which has contributed significantly to Valpak’s current success. Valpak’s state-of-the-art, 470,000-square-foot manufacturing center in St. Petersburg, FL, makes it possible for the company to mail to more than 500 million homes in North America. Valpak is also backed by experienced leadership with Cox Enterprises, one of the largest media companies in North America, which acquired the brand in 1991. Recently, Cox Target Media also acquired Savings.com a leading online source for savings and personalized deals. Working together, Valpak and Savings.com will offer consumers a more extensive selection of offers and rewarding shopping experience as content is shared across platforms.