1851

<p>Today, John Kohler is one of the largest area developers in the entire <a href="http://sportclipsfranchise.com/1851?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=one-of-sport-clips-largest-area-developers-looks-to-continue-expansion-throughout-illinois-missouri-and-michigan-4861" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sport Clips</a> system. But if you had asked him a few years ago if he would ever consider becoming a franchisee, his answer would have been a resounding &#8220;no.&#8221;  </p>  <p>Since 1984, Kohler had been a major figure in the corporate world. As the senior vice president of global operations for telecommunications giant Tellabs, Inc., Kohler had more than 4,700 workers reporting to his division. But in the early 2000s, when the dot-com bubble burst, the fallout forced the company to start outsourcing tasks to other countries. Ultimately, Kohler had no choice but to lay off nearly 3,800 of his employees. The experience wasn&#8217;t easy, and Kohler realized it was time to move forward and do something completely different with his life. He accepted an early retirement package and began his hunt for the next great business opportunity.  </p>  <p>Then, on a day in March 2004, Kohler unexpectedly found himself driving to a seminar on franchising, which had been arranged by an executive outplacement firm. </p>  <p>&#8220;I was hesitant at first, and I remember reluctantly driving to that seminar,&#8221; Kohler said. &#8220;Now when I look back, I&#8217;m so glad I saw it through to the end. I was so inspired by the broker I met that day. He presented me with a total of eight different franchise opportunities that he thought would be a great fit for me, but one in particular stuck with me&#8212;<a href="http://sportclips.1851franchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=one-of-sport-clips-largest-area-developers-looks-to-continue-expansion-throughout-illinois-missouri-and-michigan-4861" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sport Clips</a>. It was such a simple yet incredibly efficient franchise model. It&#8217;s a cash business, everyone needs a haircut every few weeks, and it&#8217;s a service you can&#8217;t outsource.&#8221; </p>  <p>By June 2004, Kohler signed on with the brand as an area developer in Northern Illinois. His goal was to build out the Chicagoland area&#8212;a sweeping territory that was untapped at the time. Development picked up quickly, and three years later, he acquired the rights to bring Sport Clips to Eastern Missouri. By 2011, he was expanding the brand&#8217;s footprint throughout Eastern Michigan. Today, he oversees more than 130 stores throughout those three regions. </p>  <p>&#8220;It&#8217;s crazy to think how about how far things have come since I started with the brand 12 years ago. When I first signed on as an area developer in Northern Illinois, Sport Clips only had 143 stores. Today they have more than 1,500. What&#8217;s even more incredible is that over the past six years, the brand has only closed five stores,&#8221; Kohler said. &#8220;This has been an unbelievably positive and rewarding experience.&#8221;</p>  <p>Kohler believes that Sport Clips&#8217; secret to success is its culture. Gordon Logan, the brand&#8217;s founder and CEO, built a system based on one simple principle&#8212;just do the right thing. This means that Sport Clips embraces full transparency. They do whatever it takes to make sure their franchisees are successful. And they&#8217;re always focused on inspiring every single person in the system to achieve next-level greatness.</p>  <p>&#8220;The people who join the Sport Clips team aren&#8217;t in this business for the sake of being in the business. We&#8217;re all unified by a common bond&#8212;to focus on how we can best serve our clients. Sport Clips cares deeply about our customer base in whatever we do,&#8221; Kohler added. </p>  <p>Kohler&#8217;s goal now is to keep growing alongside a brand that has become his lifeblood and his passion. As he sets his sights on reaching his 209-store-goal within the next five to seven years, Kohler will be representing the brand&#8212;and its immense opportunity for growth&#8212;at the upcoming <a href="http://www.ifeinfo.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=one-of-sport-clips-largest-area-developers-looks-to-continue-expansion-throughout-illinois-missouri-and-michigan-4861" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">International Franchise Expo</a> (IFE) in New York. Between June 16 and 18, prospective franchisees will be able to explore what exactly a successful future with Sport Clips could look like.   </p>  <div><span style="115%;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;minor-latin;Calibri; minor-latin;minor-latin;&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;minor-bidi;EN-US; EN-US;AR-SA">&#8220;I always tell people I haven&#8217;t bought a job; I&#8217;ve invested in an adventure. My goal is to run a great brand and a great company. I want to support my employees, develop their talents and continue to make each and every one of our customers&#8217; days,&#8221; Kohler said. &#8220;As we look to continue expanding Sport Clips in the years to come, my goal is to convey that very message to prospective franchisees. If you are the type of person who can nurture, create, motivate and inspire a team of professionals, you will be successful.&#8221;</span></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>To learn more about franchising opportunities with Sport Clips, <a href="https://sportclips.1851franchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=one-of-sport-clips-largest-area-developers-looks-to-continue-expansion-throughout-illinois-missouri-and-michigan-4861" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here.</a> &nbsp;</div>

john kohler Sport Clips Multi-unit franchisee

1851 Franchise

Since joining the brand in 2004, John Kohler has helped to bring 130 stores to Northern Illinois, Eastern Missouri and Eastern Michigan--and he's just getting started. 

This brand page has been paid for by 1851. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

One of Sport Clips' Largest Area Developers Looks to Continue Expansion Throughout Illinois, Missouri and Michigan

one-of-sport-clips-largest-area-developers-looks-to-continue-expansion-throughout-illinois-missouri-and-michigan

Onigilly Japanese Kitchen

Unlocking the Potential: How Much Can You Earn as an Onigilly Franchisee?

unlocking-the-potential-how-much-can-you-earn-as-an-onigilly-franchisee

Filta Environmental Kitchen Solutions

DeWitts Ignite New Chapter for Filta Environmental Kitchen Solutions in Reno 

Grease, Grit, and Growth: DeWitts Ignite New Chapter for Filta Environmental Kitchen Solutions in Reno, Nevada

grease-grit-and-growth-dewitts-ignite-new-chapter-for-filta-environmental-kitchen-solutions-in-reno-nevada

Layne's Chicken Fingers

Layne's Chicken Fingers-50 Unit-Wendy's-Franchisee-June-2025

Why This 50 Unit Wendy’s Franchisee Is Betting on Layne’s for His Next Big Move

wendys-franchisee-expands-with-laynes-chicken-fingers-texas

CapitalSpring

CapitalSpring’s Jim Balis Talks Growth, ROI and the Future of Fast Casual on “Rock My Restaurant”

capitalsprings-jim-balis-talks-growth-roi-and-the-future-of-fast-casual-on-rock-my-restaurant

Children's Lighthouse

Children’s Lighthouse Ramps Up Growth in First Half of 2025 With Strategic Expansions, Franchise Signings, and New Headquarters

childrens-lighthouse-ramps-up-growth-in-first-half-of-2025-with-strategic-expansions-franchise-signings-and-new-headquarters

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

What June’s Jobs Report Means for the Franchise Industry

what-junes-jobs-report-means-for-the-franchise-industry

Drone Delivery Takes Flight in QSR: The Future of Franchise Operations?

drone-delivery-takes-flight-in-qsr-the-future-of-franchise-operations

Chick-fil-A Tops Customer Satisfaction Rankings for 11th Year as Challenger Brands Gain Ground

chick-fil-a-tops-customer-satisfaction-rankings-for-11th-year-as-challenger-brands-gain-ground

Technomic Releases Annual Ranking of the Top 15 Fast-Food Chains in the U.S.

technomic-releases-annual-ranking-of-the-top-15-fast-food-chains-in-the-us

Rising Jobless Claims Could Signal Challenges — and Opportunities — for Franchising

rising-jobless-claims-affect-franchising

The Ultimate Guide to Selling Franchises: How To Create a Strong Incentive

how-to-build-strong-incentives-to-attract-prospective-franchisees

Top 25 Franchise Marketing Leaders: Kelsey McManemin — Vice President of Marketing, HTeaO

top-25-franchise-marketing-leaders-kelsey-mcmanemin-vice-president-of-marketing-hteao

Photo of a large group of people standing in a circle, placing hands together in center

Franchise Opportunities for Minorities: Expanding the Franchise Network

franchise-opportunities-for-minorities

Missy Maio - Gong Cha - Top Franchise Marketing Leaders - 1851 Franchise

Top 25 Franchise Marketing Leaders: Missy Maio — Vice President of Marketing and Global Partnerships, Gong Cha

franchise-marketing-leader-missy-maio-gong-cha

How Vishal Juneja Turned a Family Tradition Into a Paris Baguette Franchise

How Vishal Juneja Turned a Family Tradition Into a Paris Baguette Franchise Built on Heart and Community

paris-baguette-franchise-rockaway-new-jersey-vishal-junjea

How This Franchise Consultant Turned a Love for Dogs Into a Business with Dog Training Elite

How This Franchise Consultant Turned a Lifelong Love for Dogs Into a Growing Business with Dog Training Elite

how-this-franchise-consultant-turned-a-lifelong-love-for-dogs-into-a-growing-business-with-dog-training-elite

Franchisee spotlight graphic with photo of Ricki Oberoi and Layne's Chicken Fingers logo

Multi-Unit Wendy’s Operator Signs 12-Unit Deal With Layne’s Chicken Fingers

ricki-oberoi-laynes-chicken-fingers-growth

Franchisee spotlight graphic with photos of Danielle Rosemond & Usman Khan & TruBlue logo

Family Members of Local Physicians Bring TruBlue Franchise to North Central Nassau, Long Island: A Health Care-Inspired Approach to Aging in Place

family-brings-trublue-franchise-to-north-central-nassau

One of Sport Clips' Largest Area Developers Looks to Continue Expansion Throughout Illinois, Missouri and Michigan

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS