Lightbridge Academy Franchisees to Open First Unit for the Brand in the Charlotte Area

Lightbridge Academy* continues to expand throughout North Carolina, with plans to add 10 locations to the state over the next five years. The early education child care brand has signed its first North Carolina franchisees who are targeting to open a center in the Charlotte market. Alison and Joe Friedman lead the sales and marketing department for a nationwide packaging company with a combined 50 years of experience in the industry. The two are originally from New Jersey, and after moving to the Carolinas nearly three years ago, they began discussing the possibility of investing in a franchise opportunity together.

“We’re very close with the ownership at the packaging company and we’re passionate about the business, but when we settled on the South Carolina border of Charlotte, we thought the bustling area provided a great opportunity to bring in a business that would support the development of the infrastructure of the rapidly growing population,” said Alison.

With two young children, the Friedmans began looking into investment opportunities that would allow them to become more involved with their community. In New Jersey, Joe’s daughter was employed at a Lightbridge Academy franchise for several years. After speaking with her and learning more about the brand’s early education curriculum, core values, and its corporate team, the Friedmans began thinking about how successful a Lightbridge Academy location would be in the greater Charlotte area.

“We learned more about the brand and its focus on providing families and children with exceptional programs and services and a Circle of Care philosophy that takes into account not only the care of the child, but also the parents, community, teachers and franchise owners” said Alison.

After connecting with the Lightbridge franchise development team and hearing more about its business model and the support system, Alison and Joe fell in love with the brand and the team at the home office.

“We feel like part of the Lightbridge family. We really connected with the Circle of Care philosophy and believe it will be the foundation for creating this culture of care in our center. Everyone is overwhelmingly supportive on the home office team and we can’t wait to bring this Lightbridge Academy to the Charlotte area,” said Alison.

The Friedman’s are currently looking for real estate in the area that meets the brands strict quality criteria. Keeping the busy commuting parent in mind, they are seeking a convenient location for and evaluating real estate opportunities for their center in the southern Charlotte suburbs.  

Lightbridge Academy signed its first North Carolina franchisees in late 2017, with Rebecca and Brian Grovenstein scoping out real estate in the Apex area. The brand is also targeting other large cities including Raleigh and Greensboro.

To learn more about Lightbridge Academy’s child care programs and services or view territories available for franchising, visit LightbridgeAcademyFranchise.com.