Why Big Blue Swim School is Targeting Portland, Oregon for Franchise Growth

Big Blue Swim School, one of the nation’s fastest-growing swim school franchises, has set its sights on Portland as a top market for franchise development in 2022. Since its founding in 2009, Big Blue has focused on meeting parents where it is easiest, making scheduling and rescheduling simple through their mobile app as an extension of their proprietary technology LessonBuddy™, and putting locations in areas where they already frequent.

The brand has already signed 227 units in 25 states across the country and is uniquely positioned to be the leader in the $3 billion learn-to-swim industry. In Portland, Big Blue is aiming to add five units to the city over the next several years.

“We’ve identified Portland as an ideal market for growth because it has a dense population of kids and families,” said CEO Scott Sanders.

The Portland population is booming following the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw families fleeing more dense areas for smaller cities. According to ??United Van Lines’ Annual National Movers Study, Oregon was one of the top 10 states people relocated to over the past year. Portland specifically has seen record-breaking growth, with over 30,000 residents moving to the metropolitan area just last year.

Today, Portland includes over 260,000 households, with over 17% of the population representing children under the age of 18. For a brand with a mission to show kids they can do anything by unlocking their full potential in the water, Portland offers Big Blue a prime market in which demand is growing steadily and at a faster rate than most areas of the country.

The Big Blue team has identified five specific areas in the greater Portland area that are well-positioned for franchise development, including Tanasbourne, Hazel Dell, Vancouver, Gresham, and Clackamas. And in addition to the five Portland territories, there is also one territory available in Keizer, outside Salem. With wide-open territory availability, Sanders said Big Blue offers a rare opportunity to enter a market in which many other competitors are sold out.

Looking ahead, Sanders says Portland is just the latest phase of an aggressive national growth strategy for the franchise, which has a goal of reaching 240 awarded units by the end of 2022.

“We already have 227 locations awarded, and our goal now is to fill in the rest of the country,” Sanders said. “There are 48 million kids under 12 in the U.S., and we want to serve a third of that addressable market. We are looking forward to making a difference in the lives of Portland-area children by helping provide a vital life skill so that both parents and children can feel confident near the water.”

Multi-unit franchise opportunities are available for qualified candidates looking for their next big opportunity, and veterans can receive a 10 percent discount on the $80,000 franchise fee. The total investment necessary to begin operation of a new Big Blue is $2,475,200 to $3,966,700 (refer to item 7 in FDD) To learn more or inquire about Big Blue, visit https://www.bigblueswimschool.com/franchising/.