Lightbridge Academy Plans to Open its First Locations in North Carolina

Early education and child care brand Lightbridge Academy* is gearing up to open its first North Carolina locations with franchise owners, and the company is signing additional agreements with qualified franchise prospects in major cities across the state including Charlotte, Raleigh and Greensboro.

The franchise system has nearly sold out its home state of New Jersey and saturated other marketplaces in the Mid-Atlantic. As the brand continues its rapid growth, Lightbridge Academy is now establishing itself in the southern region of the East Coast, starting with North Carolina.

“Our brand was founded on the Circle of Care philosophy, which places equal importance on the needs of children, their families, teachers, center owners and the community,” said Mark Mele, Lightbridge Academy Sr. Vice President of Franchise Development. “There are several neighborhoods across the Carolinas with communities that will embrace this message and possess the prime demographics for our centers. We are welcoming several new franchisees who want to make a difference in their communities.”

The first franchisees to join the brand in North Carolina are Rebecca and Brian Grovenstein. With Rebecca’s background in education and Brian’s business experience, the two found their combined skills would be a perfect asset to own a Lightbridge Academy center. The couple is currently working with the Lightbridge development team to find the right location in the Apex area.

“Compared to other child care and early education franchises, Lightbridge Academy put together all the puzzle pieces necessary to create a high-quality educational facility,” said Rebecca. “We’re looking for experienced educators to join our team and provide quality child care and learning services to families in the area.”

Recently, Lightbridge Academy brought on another husband-wife team that is already connected to the brand. Alison Friedman and her husband Joe are bringing the first Lightbridge location to the Charlotte area.

Alison and Joe lead the sales and marketing team for a nationwide polyethylene packaging company with a combined 50 years of industry experience. After moving to the Charlotte area in 2015, the two began discussing the possibilities of starting a new career venture together that would allow them to work with children in the community.

“It all came together after connecting with the brand’s leadership team, we found Lightbridge Academy to be the perfect fit for ourselves and the area where we live,” said Alison.

In the three years the Friedmans have lived on the South Carolina border in the Charlotte suburbs, they’ve seen tremendous growth in the area regarding both the population and infrastructure.

“We’ve noticed several homes and other developments going up over the past few years and I think as more families continue to settle in the area, the need for Lightbridge Academy’s services will become more prominent,” said Alison.

Lightbridge Academy is also targeting areas in Raleigh and Greensboro for growth. These cities not only provide a similar demographic to the Charlotte market, but they also share characteristics with the Mid-Atlantic territories where the brand has been prospering by meeting the needs of working families for 20 years.

“Many areas in the North Carolina have demographics closely aligned with our target customers. We believe the demand continues to be strong and are looking to bring 10 more locations to Charlotte, Raleigh and Greensboro over the next few years,” said Mele.

To learn more about Lightbridge Academy or view territories that are open for a child care franchise, visit www.lightbridgeacademyfranchise.com.