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NTY Franchise Company News and Press Releases

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Explore NTY Franchise Company’s latest news and press. Discover the lucrative potential of Clothes Mentor and Chidlren’s Orchard resale brands and envision owning your very own local resale business.

Clothes Mentor Launches Game Changing Ecommerce Site

Online Lifeline – Clothes Mentor Launches Game-Changing Ecommerce Site Clothes Mentor, the nation’s fastest-growing women’s resale clothing franchise,
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Women Share Their Secrets for Successfully Running a Clothing Resale Store

Ask anyone who runs a business how they make it a success, and you’ll hear the same answer:
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These Clothes Mentor Owners Make a Difference in Their Communities

Many resale clothing franchise operations are small businesses, deeply dependent on a loyal customer base. Most of those
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New Report Shows Why Owning a Resale Clothing Franchise is Smart Business

The concept of shopping for clothing continues to evolve rapidly and resale is at the center of the
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Why Women Franchise Owners Left Their Careers to Buy a Resale Clothing Franchise

WHY WOMEN FRANCHISE OWNERS LEFT THEIR CAREERS TO BUY A RESALE CLOTHING FRANCHISE It takes more than a
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Interview with COO Chad Olson Featured in USA Weekly

If you could go back in time, what business advice would you tell your younger self? Chad Olson,
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Get Paid For Selling Your Fall Styles at Clothes Mentor

It’s simple: bring in your fall fashions (including boots and scarves!) for cash on the spot. Clothes Mentor
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Your One-Stop Shop for All Things Electronic

Discover what our Device Pitstop franchise is all about in this TV spot featuring Josh Powell of Lexington,
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Spend Less on Back-to-School at Children’s Orchard Huntersville

Parents rejoice! Back-to-school shopping just got a whole lot easier (and less spendy) at Children’s Orchard.
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What Does “Gently Loved” Really Mean?

Our Children’s Orchard franchisee in Manhattan Beach, CA has the answer in this clip featured on Fox-11 News.
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Receive Cash On the Spot at Device Pitstop Overland Park

Ready for a new phone? Get rid of your old devices and earn cash on the spot at
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Top Four Tech Tips from Device Pitstop Maplewood

Cathy Ferrazzo, franchisee of Device Pitstop in Maplewood, MN, shares her four biggest tech tips in this clip
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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.

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.

Sarah Primmer

Vice President 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.

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.

Jenny Mann

Vice President of Operations | Executive Director of IT

Jenny Mann is the Senior Vice President Clothes Mentor and Children’s Orchard. In February of 2024, Jenny took on her current role overseeing IT, Marketing 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.

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 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.

Ashley Huebner

Director of Marketing

Ashley Huebner oversees NTY Franchise Company’s marketing and advertising efforts to drive sales, build brand awareness and lead the planning on how to effectively market both brands. She leads creative initiatives for NTY Franchise Company, driving the brands’ vision in aesthetics, tone, and trends to elevate our brand position as a leader in the resale category. Ashley joined the Clothes Mentor team in March of 2015. Ashley has 8+ years of Graphic Design experience. Ashley holds a strong background in design, user experience, and a passion for creativity. She holds a BA degree in Advertising and Art.

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.