Sylvan Learning Looks to Grow Throughout Florida

Leading supplemental and enrichment education franchise brand Sylvan Learning is looking to expand its presence throughout the state of Florida in response to the immense success it’s seen through the expansion of franchisees within the state. With a fresh face recently joining the Sylvan system in Pensacola and a seasoned Sylvan franchisee opening a fifth location in Tampa, the nation’s largest provider of STEM education in addition to a variety of traditional tutoring programs is on track to further saturate the entire state.

At her first job out of college, Gloria Swardenski worked at a Sylvan Learning in Peoria, Illinois as an instructor. Twenty-five years later, her life has come full circle, and upon moving to Pensacola, Gloria decided to dive into her first business ownership venture and acquire ownership in the Sylvan Learning in the area.

“I graduated from college with a degree in secondary education but took on several roles in various business coaching, consulting and entrepreneurial outlets,” said Swardenski. “The next step I wanted to take in the business world was franchise ownership, and Sylvan allowed me to have a positive effect on my community while also getting back with my education roots, as well.”

After seeing great success in Pensacola, Gloria purchased a second location in Mobile. She is planning to further expand with the Sylvan brand in the future, specifically looking into the territory near the Fort Walton Beach area. Gloria believes there is a significant need for Sylvan’s services in the Florida Panhandle and hopes to saturate the local marketplace so that students can reap the benefits of all the programs Sylvan has to offer.

Adding to Sylvan’s growing presence in the state is longtime Sylvan Learning franchise owner Dr. Judy Johnson who is operating her centers alongside her daughter Alice Harper. Dr. Johnson worked as a professor at the University of South Florida and initially brought the first Sylvan Learning to the Greater Tampa Bay area in 1985. Harper was enrolled as a student at her mother’s center, so she grew up with the Sylvan brand. After college graduation, she became a director at the family’s center in Zephyrhills, and the family recently opened their fifth location in Wesley Chapel in October 2017.

“Sylvan Learning is engrained in the values of our family and we consider the staff at each of our centers to be a part of our own,” said Harper. “My mom became involved with Sylvan nearly 32 years ago and we will continue to grow with the brand as we grow as a family.”

Harper will eventually acquire ownership at all centers overseen by the family upon her mother’s retirement.

With several successful franchise owners already growing the brand in the state of Florida, Sylvan is on track to continue to dominate the education industry by helping children catch up and also providing programs to help other children get ahead. The brand is continuing to seek out promising potential franchisees to add to their growth throughout Florida, looking to bring five more locations to the state this year, with a pipeline for 2019 already growing. The top cities Sylvan is aiming to develop in Florida include Naples and Largo.

To learn more about franchising opportunities with Sylvan Learning in Florida, visit http://sylvanfranchise.com/