Business News
Valpak Announces New Franchisee In Grand Rapids, Mich.
Monday 19. November 2012 - Leader in Local Print and Digital Coupons Expands in Kent County
Valpak, a leader in local print and digital coupons, announced today that it has signed a franchise agreement with Jay and Carol Lanctot to assume ownership of the existing Valpak of Western Michigan franchise. Valpak of Western Michigan has served Kent County since 1989.
“My wife Carol and I were ready to take on a new business venture that would also benefit the Grand Rapids community and Valpak has helped us achieve this,” said Jay Lanctot, Valpak of Western Michigan franchisee. “Valpak’s business model and their innovative suite of print, digital and mobile solutions are the ideal way to help support small business owners and help them reach new customers.”
After many years in the private fundraising field, Jay and his wife, Carol, were ready to find a way to help small businesses prosper in their hometown. After searching through various franchise categories on the Internet and in industry-specific publications, they decided that Valpak was the perfect fit for them based on the company’s corporate strength, brand recognition and great infrastructure support system. The first Valpak Blue Envelope mailing for the new franchisees was distributed in the Kent County in July and has increased over the last three months.
“It’s great to the instant reaction that Valpak has had on the Grand Rapids market,” said Todd Leiser, Valpak’s Director of Franchise Sales. “Jay and Carol have excelled quickly and we are eager for them to bring the Valpak concept to additional businesses and deliver local savings throughout the Grand Rapids 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.