SAVAGE, Md. — ZIPS Dry Cleaners, a nationwide chain of garment-care franchise stores, has recently named Jeremy Larkin as director of procurement and strategic development and Brooks Walter as director of marketing. Both men will be based in the company’s Savage, Maryland, headquarters.
Larkin has more than 20 years of experience in the supply chain management field and was most recently director of supply chain for sports-themed casual dining chain The Greene Turtle. He previously worked as a food and beverage manager for Choice Hotels International and as a sales and marketing representative for Katcef Brothers Inc., an Anheuser-Busch and craft beverage wholesaler based in Maryland.
At ZIPS, Larkin’s role will be to develop and implement a new strategy for the company’s supplier portfolio, the company states. He will also negotiate all pricing, contracts, terms and conditions and distribution of supplies to ZIPS stores and play a key role in the company’s research and development efforts, spearheading innovation and strategy to ensure consistent delivery on customer expectations.
Walter also comes to ZIPS from The Greene Turtle, where he most recently was director of marketing. A graduate of York College of Pennsylvania with a degree in public relations, marketing and speech communications, he brings more than a decade of experience in corporate sponsorships, partnership marketing, brand marketing, public relations and other activities to his new role.
Earlier in his career, Walter was director of brand marketing at Executive Media Communications, a full-service advertising and marketing agency involved heavily with professional sports organizations. At ZIPS, he will be responsible for maximizing the return on the company’s marketing investment as measured by new trials and overall sales volume. Walter’s role will be to guide the company’s in-house and external marketing resources in executing a program to build comparable sales growth, the company states, while also championing the cause for franchisee success via systemwide and local store marketing and curating the systemwide brand.
“I feel very fortunate — and know that ZIPS is very fortunate — to have Jeremy and Brooks join our team,” says Bob Barry, president and CEO of ZIPS. Barry worked with both men while he was president/CEO of The Greene Turtle. “More than extensive skills in their respective fields, they both bring incredible passion for pursuing excellence and deep appreciation for teamwork as a vehicle for companywide success. I am confident they will play integral roles in making ZIPS the premier garment-care brand that our founders envisioned at the start and that our corporate team and franchisees strive to be every day.”
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Dave Davis at [email protected].