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NTY Franchise Company’s 200th Store Featured on Franchising.com

Check out the article below from franchising.com highlighting NTY Franchise Company’s 200th store: Device Pitstop Newport News!

device pitstop store front
Photo from NTY Franchise Company

NTY Franchise Company Opens Their 200th Store

National Leader of Upscale Resale Brands Will Celebrate 200th Store Opening in November

NTY Franchise Company, a national upscale resale franchise headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota, today announced the opening of the company’s 200th store on Thursday, November 10 in Newport News, Virginia. Device Pitstop, NTY Franchise Company’s mobile and electronic device resale franchise, had the honor of achieving the company milestone when they opened their doors on Thursday morning.

“We’re very excited to open our 200th store in Newport News, Virginia this November,” NTY Franchise Company COO Chad Olson said.

“The opening signifies our continued growth and commitment to meeting the modern consumer’s need for high-quality clothing, devices and other items at an affordable price.”

NTY Franchise Company was founded in 2006 by President Ron Olson. Their first brand launched with the purchase of franchising rights for Clothes Mentor, a women’s resale store that today features more than 140 outlets. In 2011, NTY expanded its offerings by purchasing the franchise rights for New Uses, a resale store for home goods such as furniture, artwork and more. Expansion continued in 2013 when the company purchased Laptop Exchange and renamed it Device Pitstop, a franchise that buys, sells and repairs personal electronics.

In 2014, the company developed two new brands from scratch — NTY Kids, for newborns through preteens, and NTY Clothing Exchange for teens and young adults. A year later, NTY Franchise Company purchased an existing kids’ resale store, Children’s Orchard, and merged it with NTY Kids. The name Children’s Orchard stuck, and the new total of 30 stores were revamped to fit the modern design and concept developed by the NTY team.

About NTY Franchise Company

Founded in 2006 by Ron Olson, NTY Franchise Company is the gold standard in resale franchising companies. NTY franchises five brands, all with a different focus: Clothes Mentor, Children’s Orchard, Device Pitstop, New Uses, and NTY Clothing Exchange. The brands are all resale-based and cover women’s designer fashions, children’s apparel and accessories, furniture and household goods, electronic sales and repair, and clothing for teens and young adults. All are great business opportunities with cutting-edge technology, unmatched support, and lucrative resale franchises. NTY Franchise Company has helped individuals to establish resale stores throughout the United States in many communities, and it has territories available to develop nationwide.

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Linda Berg

Franchise Business Consultant

Linda Berg is the Franchise Business Consultant for Clothes Mentor’s Southeast region and the Franchise Operations Manager for Clothes Mentor, Children’s Orchard, and NTY Clothing Exchange. Linda joined the company in 2016 as the Store Manager and the Area Manager of the three corporate stores. Linda worked for Gap Inc. for 12 years at both Old Navy and Gap in various management roles. Her retail experience also includes 12 years at Mervyn’s in several management and training roles. 

Amy Donnelly

Director of Inventory Management | Franchise Business Consultant

Amy Donnelly is the Director of Inventory Management for Clothes Mentor. In addition, Amy holds the position as Franchise Business Consultant for Clothes Mentor’s Southeast Region. Prior to joining Clothes Mentor in 2013, she spent 8 years in retail management with Limited Brands.  Amy holds a BA degree.

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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.

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Sean Marrs

IT/Tech Administrator

IT/Tech Administrator
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Ashlyn Aarness

Social Media Specialist

Social Media Specialist

Marissa Stacy

Jr. Graphic Designer

Jr. Graphic Designer

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Gina Geary

Franchise Business Consultant

Franchise Business Consultant

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Alice Heidenreich

Franchise Business Consultant

Franchise Business Consultant

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Jessica Fix

Franchise Contract and Office Administrator

Jessica Fix is the Franchise Contracts and Office Administrator for NTY Franchise Company. She started with the company in January of 2018. Jessica works alongside the Franchise Development Team and provides office support to the headquarter office. She has 20 years in the franchise industry, previously working for Carlson Leisure Group/Travel Leaders Franchise Group in a variety of roles, such as Database Coordinator, Legal Contract Administrator, and Executive Assistant to the Franchise Sales Team.
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Ronald G. Olson

President

Ron Olson has been President and a Director of NTY Franchise Company since October 2006. Ron’s background included starting his career at Dayton’s Department Store, where he held many management positions. In 1977 he opened his own furniture store in Minnesota, which was a Drexel Heritage prototype store. In 1988 he co-founded Grow Biz International, now called Winmark. The first franchise rights that Olson purchased and started marketing was Play It Again Sports. Olson continued buying the Franchise rights for Once Upon A Child, Plato’s Closet, and Music Go Round. Today there over 1,000 Franchise locations.
Under NTY Franchise Company, the franchise rights were bought for Clothes Mentor and New Uses. In 2013 Olson bought Laptop Exchange and changed the name to Device Pitstop. In 2014 the company opened NTY Clothing Exchange and NTY Kids, now Children’s Orchard. There are currently 204 stores sold and 133 stores opened under the NTY Franchise umbrella.
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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.
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