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Clothes Mentor Lee’s Summit Reopens After Tornado

Clothes Mentor Lee’s Summit Reopens After Tornado

Congratulations to the Lee’s Summit Clothes Mentor store for reopening today after going through a tornado in July. We’re so glad you’re all okay and that things are getting back to normal. Stop by the Lee’s Summit Clothes Mentor and support them in the community as they make a new start! Source: kshb.com

LEE’S SUMMIT, MO – Clothes Mentor is reopening its doors for the first time since an EF-1 tornado tore holes in the roof and forced the store to throw away its entire inventory of clothes.

“This entire store would have had to be replaced if it wasn’t metal. The counters were ruined. The walls had to be replaced, the fixtures,” said Clothes Mentor store owner Lee Gardner.

The road to recovery was a $100,000 one, covered by insurance.  No one was hurt in the store during the tornado despite two employees being inside at the time.

They choose one of the two bathrooms inside the building to hide in. It turns out that was the only room not damaged.

Gardner says there have been blessings through the rebuilding process.

“The outreach from the community and the customers that we’ve had and how concerned they were about us and wanted us to re-open, well they wanted to help us clean,” said Gardner.

The store will open Thursday, October 1,  2015- three months to the day of the tornado.

Expecting a big turnout, the store won’t start buying clothes brought in until 1 p.m., choosing to focus solely on sales for the first few hours.

Store hours will be 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.

 

 

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Ashley Huebner

Director of Marketing

Ashley Huebner oversees Clothes Mentor’s marketing and advertising efforts to drive sales and build brand awareness. She also leads creative initiatives, driving the brand’s vision in aesthetics, tone, and trends to elevate our position as a leader in the resale category.

Ashley joined the Clothes Mentor team in March 2015. She has 10+ years of Graphic Design experience, a strong background in design and user experience, and a passion for creativity. She holds a BA degree in Advertising and Art.

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Michelle Vaudrin

Senior Director of Operations

Michelle Vaudrin is the Senior Director of Operations for Clothes Mentor and Children’s Orchard. Prior to joining NTY Franchise Company in March 2016, she worked in leadership roles for Burlington, American Eagle, and Macy’s. Michelle attended the University of Wisconsin-Stout with a degree in Retail Merchandising and Business Administration. She brings extensive background in training of strategies, merchandising, customer service and multi-unit store operations to the team.

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Jenny Mann

Vice President of Operations | Executive Director of IT

Jenny Mann is the Vice President of Operations for Clothes Mentor and Children’s Orchard. In January of 2020, Jenny also took on the role of Executive Director of IT, overseeing BST, our Point of Sale system, and the e-commerce platforms for both brands. Prior to this, Jenny was the Director of Marketing for NTY Franchise Company since January 2013. Jenny started with the NTY Franchise Company in 2008 with Clothes Mentor and has held many roles, including; Store Manager, New Store Opener, and Regional Operations Manager. Before joining NTY Franchise Company, Jenny worked for Old Navy (Gap, Inc.) and Target in management roles.

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Jarvis Herndon

Franchise Business Consultant

Jarvis Herndon is a Franchise Business Consultant for both Clothes Mentor and Device Pitstop. Jarvis has a strong background in retail management, leadership, and a history of operational success within a franchising system. He is passionate about assisting small business owners in developing their path to success while maximizing their businesses’ potential. Jarvis brings a great mix of skills and experience to the NTY Franchise Company.

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Sarah Primmer

VP of Finance & Human Resources

Sarah Primmer is the Vice President of Finance and Human Resources for NTY Franchise Company. She joined the company in January 2014. Prior to joining NTY, Sarah spent over 25 years as the controller and business manager of a local sales and marketing firm calling on Target stores.

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Chad Olson

Chief Operations Officer

Chad Olson has been Chief Operations Officer of NTY Franchise Company since January 2007. From May 1994 to December 2006, he held various positions for Winmark Corporation (f/k/a Grow Biz International, Inc.), including Field Operations Manager for the Once Upon a Child concept from 1999 to 2002, and Regional Operations Manager for the Plato’s Closet concept from 2002 to 2006.

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Dan Goetz

Franchise Business Consultant

Dan Goetz is the Franchise Business Consultant for Clothes Mentor in the West Region. Previous to joining the Clothes Mentor Corporate staff in February of 2014, he worked in leadership positions with Aèropostale, Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic, and Target stores. He attended the University of Minnesota-Duluth and St. Cloud State University. He brings a strong background in Operations, Merchandising, and Human Resources to the Clothes Mentor team.

Kaitlynn McShane

Graphic Designer + Marketing Coordinator

Graphic Designer + Marketing Coordinator

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Ashlyn Aarness

Social Media Specialist

Social Media Specialist
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Gina Geary

Franchise Business Consultant

Franchise Business Consultant

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Alice Heidenreich

Franchise Business Consultant

Franchise Business Consultant

Susan Praus

Training Manager

Training Manager

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Michael D. Smith

Vice President of Strategic Planning

Michael D. Smith is the Vice President of Strategic Planning. From December 2000 to July 2010, Michael held the position of Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of the franchise company Laptop Xchange. From June 1994 to December 2000, Michael held numerous roles within the Grow Biz International brands of Play It Again Sports and Computer Renaissance. These roles included Corporate Store Management, Field Operation Specialist, and Franchisee.