Valpak to Add 18 Franchise Markets; Manufacturing Done at FL Mega-Center
LARGO, FL—March 14, 2014—Valpak, a leader in local print and digital coupons, announced that it is building off the momentum of a successful 2013 and plans to add 18 new franchise territories in 2014. The company is targeting expansion in Miami, San Diego, New Orleans, Corpus Christi, TX, Syracuse, NY, among others.
Leading this growth effort is Valpak’s new director of franchise sales, Greg Courchane. Courchane joined Valpak in early 2003 as a franchise development consultant responsible for working with new franchisees. Bringing former sales and marketing experience to his new role, Courchane was soon promoted to director of new, micro and small markets with Valpak. In 2008, his career took him to Houston, Texas, where he became the general manager of the company location there. He is now based at the company’s corporate headquarters in Largo, FL, and will focus on driving franchise sales for the leading print and coupon brand by improving sales revenues and profitability.
“Valpak’s business model is unique, and we’ve recently made a significant investment in emerging technologies to create a suite of compelling digital and direct mail advertising products,” said Courchane. “This has resulted in a surge in interest from prospective franchisees. We’re particularly proud of our growth in 2013 and look forward to further expansion in 2014 and years to come.”
Valpak closed out 2013 with the signing of 13 franchise agreements, which increased household circulation by two million additional homes. Markets included San Francisco; Coastal Carolina; Florida’s Atlantic Coast; Lake Charles, LA, Eastern Suffolk County, NY; Kent and Sussex County, DE; Grand Rapids, MI, and Rockford, IL. Markets including those in New York, Louisiana and Delaware are new territories for Valpak and residents in these areas will receive the Blue Envelope for the very first time.
These developments are part of an aggressive growth plan for the Valpak to increase its presence throughout North America, and Courchane is actively looking for franchisee candidates to join the thriving brand. Valpak franchisees have diverse backgrounds ranging from executives with major corporations and small business owners to U.S. military veterans and marketing/sales professionals.
Valpak also supports returning military veterans by waiving start-up fees, and making it easier for them to go into business for themselves. Valpak’s offering is part of “Operation Enduring Opportunity,” a program developed by the International Franchise Association (IFA) with the goal to hire and recruit 75,000 veterans as franchise business owners by 2014.
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 45 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 Samsung Wallet, iOS Passbook, Google Wallet and Windows Phone Wallet, as well as QR codes and online coupons 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.
Since its launch in 1968, Valpak has been broadly recognized and trusted, which has contributed significantly to its current success. Valpak’s 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.
About Valpak
Valpak, one of the leading direct marketing companies in North America, is owned and operated by Cox Target Media. With nearly 170 franchises across the United States and Canada, the signature Blue Envelope delivers coupons and savings to nearly 40 million households each month. Annually, Valpak will distribute some 20 billion offers inserted in more than 500 million envelopes. Valpak also offers digital solutions online through www.valpak.com and www.valpak.ca, sites offering free coupons, e-commerce and coupon codes. Additionally, the Valpak coupon mobile coupon app for smartphone platforms delivers easy to find savings for consumers.
About Cox Media Group
Cox Media Group is an integrated broadcasting, publishing, direct marketing and digital media company that includes the national advertising rep firms of CoxReps. Additionally, CMG owns Cox Target Media, which operates Valpak, one of North America’s leading direct marketing companies, and Savings.com, a leading online source for savings. The company’s operations currently include 19 broadcast television stations and one local cable channel, 88 radio stations, eight daily newspapers and more than a dozen non-daily publications, and more than 100 digital services. CMG currently operates in more than 30 media markets and reaches approximately 52 million Americans weekly, including more than 32 million TV viewers, more than 4 million print and online newspaper readers, and 18 million radio listeners.
Source: Valpak.
