Lightbridge Academy’s Got Carolina on Its Mind; Aims to Add an Impressive 45 Units Across North and South Carolina

Lightbridge Academy®, the pioneering early childhood education and child care franchise with a commendable reach, is strategically targeting North and South Carolina for an ambitious expansion, aiming to tap into the region's rapid residential growth and surging demand for quality child care.

“The Carolinas have experienced strong residential growth post-COVID,” said Jim DiRugeris, the Senior Vice President of Franchise Sales for Lightbridge Academy. “There's significant relocation occurring from the northeast, primarily comprising young working families with children. This presents an undeniable demand for quality child care, which currently outpaces the availability of high-quality programs currently in the area."

Overall, North Carolina is one of the nation’s fastest-growing states. From July 2021 to July 2022, an additional 133,000 people came to the state, indicating a pattern of strong population growth. Compared to a nationwide population increase of 0.4% in 2022, North Carolina experienced a 1.3% increase, demonstrating that the state is outpacing national averages. CNBC also named North Carolina as America's Top State for Business in 2023 for the second year in a row.

Meanwhile, South Carolina was the third-fastest growing state in 2022, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The state’s population grew 1.7% from 2021 to 2022, behind only Florida and Idaho. The demand for workers in South Carolina has remained strong, with job openings increasing by 60% compared to the period before the pandemic, which is higher than the national increase of 40%.

"Both North and South Carolina have experienced steady population growth over the years,” said Lightbridge Academy CEO Gigi Schweikert. “This economic growth often means that both parents in a household are working, increasing the demand for child care. Also, as many of the families relocating to this area are moving away from extended family, this also increases the need for child care services.?This makes it a prime location for our franchise owners to both operate and expand. Some of our top performing child care centers are located in the Carolinas.”

Lightbridge Academy has already planted successful seeds in the Carolinas, with two thriving schools in Apex and Holly Springs and a newly launched one in the Huntersville suburbs of Charlotte, NC, as well as three franchisees recently signed just over the border in South Carolina. Looking ahead, Lightbridge foresees the potential of opening up to 60 centers in the Carolinas, with a prime focus on Raleigh and Charlotte markets.

“Our potential for multi-unit growth is far greater than competitors already in the market,” said DiRugeris. “We aim to bring in franchisees who aspire to own more than one location, ensuring they flourish in the Carolinas."

Alison and Joe Friedman are a husband-and-wife franchisee duo that recently expanded from owning one newly opened child care center in Huntersville to adding two additional units, for example. The Friedmans, who are passionate about supporting their community and local families, are committed to serving the area by offering mission-driven, innovative child care services. 

“We think this is a perfect formula with a great brand — the Lightbridge brand,” said Alison. “Their values align with ours. We appreciate that support. We moved to Charlotte five years ago, and the growth here is just incredible, but there's a strong need for child care centers. We want to give the children in our community the best start possible by offering a warm, welcoming environment for clients and employees. Taking those ideas as far as we can take them is most exciting.”

The Summit Group — a franchisee group made up of Nish Patel, Mitul Patel, Ina Patel, Jiju Alex and Kal Patel — was recently awarded two additional units in the south Charlotte area, bringing their portfolio total to eleven units with five centers already opened. The Padgett family is another franchisee group that recently signed an agreement for six Lightbridge Academy centers throughout the Charlotte, NC region. These new owners bring their professional experiences in service related fields in finance and medicine and personal passion for children’s education to the brand.

To ensure the success of this expansion, Lightbridge Academy is pulling no punches. The brand has employed several new strategies to shorten the time to open including  proactively leasing real estate sites at the corporate level before franchise owners are signed. This strategy allows the brand to leverage its development partnerships and ensure a faster launch for new franchisees.

Looking ahead, with the brand’s focus on providing high-quality child care services and a supportive franchise model, Lightbridge Academy is set to make a lasting impact on communities in both states.

The initial investment required to start a Lightbridge Academy ranges from $2,611,900- $5,202,500. To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, visit: https://LightbridgeAcademyFranchise.com.