Lightbridge Academy: Why a New Brand in a New Market May Be the Way to Go

Lightbridge Academy, one of the nation’s leading providers of early education and child care, has been experiencing major franchise growth over the past few years. Now, the East Coast-based franchise is expanding into new states and providing entrepreneurs the opportunity to introduce an essential service to their local community. 

“Over the years, the focus has been on concentrically building out from New Jersey to Pennsylvania and New York, and this strategy has enabled us to ensure we are operationally strong,” said Senior Vice President of Franchise Sales Jim DiRugeris. “We wanted to build close to home and put the infrastructure in place to make sure that we could provide the necessary support to our existing owners before expanding further from the home base. Now we’re more than ready for that expansion, and so are our franchisees.”

This year, for example, the Lightbridge Academy brand signed franchise agreements in Texas and Ohio for the first time in addition to securing a lease for its first location in Florida. 

Becky and Brian Grovenstein are multi-unit Lightbridge Academy owners who were the first to be awarded franchise centers in North Carolina. The couple opened the first-ever North Carolina Lightbridge Academy in Holly Springs in 2020, followed by a second location in their home community of Apex within the year.

“It is a very unique and exciting challenge to bring a brand like Lightbridge Academy to a new market for the first time,” said Becky. “No one has heard of you before, and with that comes uncertainty in the community, but it also brings curiosity. Who is this new brand, and what are they all about? We were very committed to taking that challenge and teaching people about the Lightbridge brand because we knew they would fall in love with it. Why? It is all about the people… the teachers, the owners, the home office. That is what makes a child care provider stand out. We were excited to teach families about the core values and the philosophy behind Lightbridge Academy.”

And that philosophy was one of the primary reasons the Grovensteins signed on with the brand to begin with. “We knew this was a school that truly understood that child care is all about trust and building relationships,” Becky said. “Through the Circle of Care® and our commitment to being an asset to the community, we make sure education doesn’t just stop at home.”

Lightbridge Academy’s Circle of Care recognizes the network surrounding a child’s development by placing equal importance on the needs of children, their families, teachers, center owners and the community. With this, the brand continues to stand out from competitors with industry-leading programs like ParentView® Internet Monitoring, a parent eCommunication app, extended hours and state-of-the-art security systems. In 2020, the brand also introduced The Lightbridge Promise®, the Gold Standard in health and safety for child care, including installing an enhanced air purification and filtration system along with heightened cleaning and sanitation processes.

Since opening their first center a few years ago, Becky says they have continued to build relationships with families in the community. “I am in both of my schools as an owner-operator throughout the week,” she said. “I teach music classes in our schools. I know every child and all of the teachers. As the town grows and new families come to the area, they ask their neighbors and hear about Lightbridge. Our strong reputation helps to build trust and get the word out about who and what we are. We also have a lot of marketing events, but word-of-mouth is a huge benefit.”

That relationship-driven strategy is proving to be a success. Both the Apex and Holly Springs locations are currently at full occupancy, with a waitlist for new families. Now, fueled by their strong area reputation, the Grovensteins are gearing up to open their third center. 

“We have a lot of people who call both of our schools looking for care, but we do not have the space to provide it for them,” said Becky. “We have safety restrictions in place and make sure to give attention to everyone, so that limits us on how many children we can have in each classroom.  We decided to open a third center in the Apex/Holly Springs area, so we can support our two current schools as well as introduce the brand to new communities and neighborhoods.”

Another major benefit of that growth, Becky says, is the ability to support teachers and educators in the state of North Carolina. “As a former teacher, I know that teachers can feel stuck if they only see the four walls of the classroom and they want to have a bigger impact,” she said. “I don’t want my teachers to feel that way. I want to give them career opportunities. We have teachers who start as an assistant, and we coach them to eventually become a lead teacher or administration staff. As we open new schools, it gives us even more opportunities for career development.” 

Overall, Becky says she is excited to continue the momentum and build up the Lightbridge Academy name in her home state and community.

“It has been so exciting to bring a new brand to the market of North Carolina,” said Becky. “Whether it be families who have never heard of the brand or families from the East Coast who already love Lightbridge, we are happy to be a resource for everyone. The Lightbridge Academy team has supported us every step of the way, and since our service is so valuable and in demand, the experience has been incredibly rewarding — and we have continued to scale the business rapidly.”

The company is now eyeing entering untapped markets across Florida, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia with qualified franchise partners.

Learn more about franchise opportunities at https://lightbridgeacademyfranchise.com/.