Batteries Plus Expands Store Development Team Amidst Substantial System-Wide Growth

HARTLAND, Wis., Nov. 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to the strong third quarter which saw the signing of 20 new store agreements, bringing the brand's total signings for the year to 66, Batteries Plus, the nation's largest and fastest-growing battery, light bulb, key fob and repair franchise, had to make sure its Store Development Team was set up for success. As a result, the franchise has made some substantial changes to this department in the form of promotions and the addition of new team members to help support continued growth.

To aid in the forward momentum of the development team, Kirtis Hill was promoted to Chief Retail Growth Officer in February 2021. In this role Kirtis works directly with franchisees to optimize store growth in markets nationwide, while providing leadership to enterprise teams working on high-priority strategic initiatives to drive sales and profitability. "Kirtis' background in both strategy and analytics, and his boots-on-the-ground approach to working with franchisees, makes him the perfect fit as the quarterback of our most important growth initiatives," said Jon Sica, Chief Strategy and Development Officer at Batteries Plus.  

Jason Moss was also promoted to Director of Real Estate and has brought on a new Real Estate Manager, Mary Hardin Rathel. In her role, Hardin Rathel will be focused on visiting franchisees and providing them support during the site-selection process. In Jason's new role, he will leverage his skill at negotiating and deal-making across both real estate and corporate acquisitions. Batteries Plus takes pride in delivering "turn key" real estate support, and Jason has made a name for himself with franchisees by helping them secure ideal sites in both urban and rural markets.  

In addition, the Development team at Batteries Plus has promoted Justin Schaper to Director of New Store Development. Schaper will oversee store openings, grand openings, and the crucial first-year support a franchisee receives. Schaper's franchisee-facing role will play a key part on the Development leadership team that helps Batteries Plus build 30-plus stores in 2021, and more in years to come as interest in this franchise brand in red hot.

"I have spent over two decades at Batteries Plus – starting as an Assistant Manager at the Oshkosh, Wisconsin store – so I am honored to be promoted to Director of New Store Development," said Schaper. "I am looking forward to helping our new owners not only become established in their new stores but also to ramp sales quickly and get off to a fast start.  It's exciting knowing that I'll be able to leverage the many best practices learned in my previous roles with the company in helping owners maximize their first-year sales."

Also joining the New Store Development team at Batteries Plus is Liz Duggan, who holds the position of Sr. Manager of Store Events and Partnerships. Duggan's efforts are focused on building the Grand Opening, Commercial and other store events and she works hand-in-hand with local owners to make sure each grand opening is a success. In addition, Batteries Plus is looking to hire another event coordinator which will aid in the support of Grand Openings in 2022.

"Supporting the growth and profitability of franchisee is the more important thing we do at Batteries Plus," said Kirtis Hill. "I'm looking forward to seeing this team continue to make a difference in the lives of our franchisees, while bringing Batteries Plus stores to communities across the country as our national expansion ramps up. I'm also excited that we can keep adding talent to an organization that already has one of the best teams in retail and franchising."  

Joe Malmuth, VP of Franchise Development and Relations, said "We're seeing more than 70 people a week inquire about joining our brand, and we have started weekly Discovery Days to handle the amount of interest in joining Batteries Plus. Because of the consistency and resiliency of our model in these uncertain times, and our 30-year track record of success – Batteries Plus continues to be one of the best franchise investments in the market today."

To learn more about Batteries Plus, including information on the franchise opportunity or tour a store virtually, visit batteriesplusfranchise.com.

ABOUT BATTERIES PLUS:
Batteries Plus, founded in 1988 and headquartered in Hartland, WI, is a leading omnichannel retailer of batteries, specialty light bulbs and phone repair services for the direct-to-consumer and commercial channels. The retailer also offers key programming, replacement and cutting services. Through a nationwide network of stores, the company offers a differentiated value proposition of unrivaled product selection, in-stock availability and customer service. Batteries Plus is owned by Freeman Spogli, a private equity firm based in Los Angeles and New York City. To learn more about one of Forbes®' Best Franchises to Buy in America, visit https://www.batteriesplusfranchise.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: Julianne Stevenson, Fishman Public Relations, [email protected] or 224-558-2510

SOURCE Batteries Plus

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