I’ve been writing recently about some of our newer Edible Arrangements franchisees. It’s always exciting to watch the family of franchisees grow and meet the new entrepreneurs who are pursuing their own version of the American Dream.
Equally dear to my heart, however, are those long-term franchisees who have been the foundation upon which Edible Arrangements has grown into a global icon.
I first met Rich and Pat 10 years ago. Pat had a computer science degree while Rich had a computer engineering degree. Both worked for Xerox in product development, but had been bitten by the entrepreneurial bug. In May of 2005 they opened their first Edible Arrangements store in Rochester, NY. They have since opened five more locations as well as a dipped fruit shipping center.
Five years ago they moved to Minneapolis where Rich became the Managing Director of Hollander Inc., a software company servicing the Automotive Recycling industry. They manage their stores remotely with the help of a great management team back in Rochester and a set of processes and tools that have developed over the years.
Rich and Pat have four children, ranging in age from 11 to 27. Michelle, the oldest, joined the management team in 2012. Claire owns a marketing consulting company in Tampa, FL, while David is a freshman at Iowa State University and Caitlin is a sixth grader. Oh yes, they also have a 10-year-old black lab named Keira.
In their spare time, they enjoy boating, yard work and healthy eating. Rich is also a runner and just completed his first marathon.
I mention Pat and Rich because they just renewed their initial franchise agreement for another 10 years. We are blessed to have passionate franchisees like Rich and Pat as part of the Edible Arrangements family. I hope to feature more in the coming weeks.
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