Franchising Pioneer Lonnie Helgerson to Lead Veteran Franchise Centers; New Firm Will Help Veterans Find Business Opportunities
RecruitMilitary, a military-to-civilian recruiting firm based in Cincinnati, has formed an affiliated company, Veteran Franchise Centers (VFC), and appointed Lonnie Helgerson, an Army veteran and a pioneer in the franchise industry, as its President. VFC will assist veterans in acquiring military-friendly franchised businesses that are members of VetFran, a program of the International Franchise Association (IFA). VFC franchise headquarters will be located in Sarasota, Florida.
Cincinnati, OH (PRWEB) July 6, 2010
RecruitMilitary, a military-to-civilian recruiting firm based in Cincinnati, has formed an affiliated company, Veteran Franchise Centers (VFC), and appointed Lonnie Helgerson, an Army veteran and a pioneer in the franchise industry, as its President. VFC will assist veterans in acquiring military-friendly franchised businesses that are members of VetFran, a program of the International Franchise Association (IFA). VFC franchise headquarters will be located in Sarasota, Florida.
"We are delighted to welcome Lonnie into the RecruitMilitary family," said Drew Myers, president and founder of RecruitMilitary and a former captain in the United States Marine Corps. "He is absolutely world class in franchising. He has a great reputation for getting things done; he knows the companies, the associations, all the major players. He understands the industry from top to bottom, because he has worked in all the segments."
VFC is launching nationally this summer with franchised offices throughout the United States. All VFC offices will be veteran-operated; providing veteran-to-veteran business counseling. In addition, VFC is creating strategic partnerships with financial institutions, banks, and other supplier entities that can provide special veteran financing options and business programs.
Having worked in the franchise industry for more than 25 years, Helgerson created the first franchised chain of on-site, full-service computer repair and networking stores by founding Computer Doctor in 1993. In addition, he founded and established two other technology franchise chains--Expetec Technology Services and InstantFX Web Services. Helgerson's background also includes work in franchise operations for Computerland, MicroAge, and Super 8 Motels.
From 2006 to 2009, he was President and Chief Operations Officer of the nation's largest child safety franchise chain, Ident-A-Kid Services of America, and its affiliate, eMed-ID, whose franchisees sell personal health-record products to consumers.
Helgerson is a Certified Franchise Executive and Chairman of the IFA VetFran committee. He also serves on the IFA Institute of Certified Franchise Executives (ICFE) Board of Governors; the IFA Franchisor Forum; the Board of Advisors of The International Institute of Franchise Education, a unit of Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; the Board of Advisors of the Rosenberg International Center of Franchising at the University of New Hampshire; and the Board of Directors of the Franchisor Association of Florida.
About RecruitMilitary
RecruitMilitary connects employers, franchisors, and educational institutions with job seekers who have military backgrounds. All of the company's owners, account executives, and search consultants are either veterans or active or former reservists. Since 2006, RecruitMilitary has produced Veteran Opportunity Expos throughout the United States. The company also offers subscriptions to its database of more than 450,000 registered candidates who have military backgrounds at www. recruitmilitary. com, retained hiring services, and advertising space in online and print media. RecruitMilitary distributes more than 36,000 copies of each issue of Search & Employ, a bimonthly print magazine, to over 220 military bases throughout the world, National Guard and reserve units, and job seekers who attend the company's expos. Drew Myers founded the company in 1998.
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