Posted:18-November-2013
The Original Poster Company Chester franchise is snapped up
On hearing that Original Poster Company (OPC) franchisee, Liz Cooper was considering putting her Stoke on Trent territory up for resale shortly, fellow OPC franchisees, Steve Evans and Angela Wilkinson (Crewe/Chester), decided to take this opportunity and expand their current OPC franchise. Steve and Angela had been successfully operating their territory since 2007 so it was an obvious choice on realising the vast potential of Liz’s area, to purchase this 2nd territory and build on their on-going success.
OPC is the world’s leading greeting card distribution franchise, operating in an industry worth over £1.4 billion just in the UK. Established in 1991, OPC’s franchise network has had complete UK coverage for over 20 years and is a full member of the British Franchise Association. In the UK, OPC is a great franchise for those with strong management and customer service skills. Over 90% of OPC’s franchisees surveyed agree that their home-based system gives them the flexibility to enjoy family life.
Prior to buying their first OPC franchise, Steve had been working for his father in general haulage for over 20 years and had subsequently moved into trailer manufacturing, delivering and collecting trailers across the country. Angela was running a silk and dried flower farm-type shop with her mother but sadly, the downturn in the economy was affecting both these income sources and they knew the time had come for a change.
That change came in the form of one of the product lines Angela sold alongside her flowers which was OPC greetings cards and when Steve and Angela heard that the local OPC territory was up for resale, they decided to investigate further.
It was after meeting everyone at OPC’s Support Office in Walton on Thames and going out on subsequent field visits learning about the business that they decided to purchase their first territory, Crewe/Chester.
Some of OPC’s franchisees are currently selling their existing territories as they retire or move on to new business opportunities. So, when Steve and Angela found out that the Stoke on Trent territory was going on resale they snapped it up before it was even advertised!
Steve and Angela plan to build up their 2nd resale territory just as they have the first. There are some differences between the territories with the 2nd territory having loads of potential stores to service. “There’s almost a shop on every corner!” commented Steve.
Sean Muff, Business Development Manager (BDM) for the North, will continue to provide regular on-going field support for Steve and Angela in particular as they continue to grow their sales and keep overheads low, whilst achieving great profit margins in both of their territories.
Steve says, “We’re focussing on National Accounts first – that’s the most important – a sure and steady start. We’re still doing our rounds in the new area – checking out the potential but we’re very excited about this opportunity and ready to build long lasting relationships with the retailers as we’ve done in our current territory.”
Although veterans of the OPC franchise system, Steve and Angela know that if they ever need any help with either of their territories, Sean, their BDM is just a phone call away for support.
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