GREENBELT, Md. — Jared Jeffries of the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers, along with business partner Shawn Strader, recently joined the likes of Shaquille O’Neal, Venus Williams and Drew Brees in looking to make a fortune in franchises.
Jeffries and Strader have committed to opening a ZIPS Dry Cleaners, a Mid-Atlantic-based chain that has built a brand name on its low-cost, one-price-for-any-garment model. Their franchise is expected to open in Northern Virginia by the end of the year.
“Owning a franchise was the next logical step for me and Shawn, and ZIPS provided a safe and promising way to ease into the industry,” says Jeffries, who has been business partners with Strader since the two started their own company specializing in residential real estate investment in 2007.
Jeffries also believes franchising is uniquely suited to the skill sets he has developed as a professional athlete.
“It’s a good fit, because franchising parallels sports,” he says. “Athletes are executors. You follow prescribed movements put together by a coach and organization to win a ballgame. In franchising, you have the game plan and business model put together by the franchisor. Like an athlete, the operator has to come in and execute the plan.”
“We couldn’t be happier about investing in an exciting franchise that is poised for tremendous growth,” adds Strader, noting recent research from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics that highlighted dry cleaning as one of the next decade’s hottest industries. “We’ve had our eyes on ZIPS from afar and have been impressed with the incredible amount of leadership and industry experts they have assembled.”
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