Skip to content

NTY Franchise and Store Owners Featured in Franchising USA

Check out this article published in the December issue of Franchising USA featuring NTY Franchise and female store owners:

Female entrepreneurship is booming in America. The number of women-owned businesses in the U.S. continues to climb and is now estimated to have surpassed 9.4 million enterprises.

The American Express 2015 State of Women Owned Businesses Report shows that women-owned small businesses are on the rise, with around 30 percent of all small businesses owned by women in 2015.

However, that’s nothing compared to what’s going on in the $12 billion resale industry.

NTY Franchise Company, one of the fastest growing developers of resale brands in America, recently announced that of its four franchised brands, a whopping 67 percent of its franchisees are female. With trendsetting brands such as women’s upscale resale franchise Clothes Mentor and recently acquired children’s resale store Children’s Orchard, NTY Franchise Company executives are optimistic that those trends will continue.

Clothes Mentor franchisee Kate Paynter standing in her store, neat and organized with many clothes and shoes on racks
Kate Paynter, Clothes Mentor store owner in Cincinnati, OH. (Photo courtesy Franchising USA)

“Without a doubt, women have become the driving force of our franchise growth,” said Chief Operating Officer Chad Olson. “I think there are a lot of things to like about resale, and many of them are particularly important to women.”

Kate Paynter and her mother, Becky Finger, have led the resale revolution in Cincinnati for decades, with several resale franchise brands including Clothes Mentor. Paynter says their resale franchises buy more than $10 million worth of gently used items from local sellers annually, all while supporting charitable causes dear to her and her mom.

“It’s been a dream of ours to serve in this community,” Paynter said. “Along with putting dollars in the pockets of other Cincinnati women, we’ve been able to support local charities like March of Dimes, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the Pink Ribbon Girls. All while doing what we love!”

Suzanne Simpson, another pioneer in the resale industry, says she’s been able to pay local women more than $4.6 million in the past few years with her resale brands like Clothes Mentor in Ocoee, Florida. Like Paynter and her mom, Simpson enjoys putting more money in local women’s pockets while also donating to One Heart for Women and Children, a local charity that provides the necessary resources for families as they transition through and overcome varying hardships of daily living in the Central Florida area.

“It’s been a true blessing to do what we do here,” Simpson said. “When we succeed, our community succeeds. We help local families put some extra money in their pockets when we buy their gently used items, plus we get to support great charities like One Heart for Women and Children. I couldn’t ask for a better situation.”

For Clothes Mentor franchisee Christine Ilvedson, the regular interaction with customers-turned-sellers has made her life as an entrepreneur more enjoyable. Though she operates in the small market of Fargo, North Dakota, her Clothes Mentor is one of the top revenue generators in the entire NTY Franchise system. She has spent more than $2 million purchasing gently used items from women in Fargo in the past five years.

“I’m living my dream,” Ilvedson said. “I spend my day interacting with customers who engage with us so often that we’ve become friends. I’m able to provide them with some money for the great stuff they bring in to sell, then helping them look great at a fraction of what they would pay at retail.”

Whether the resale brand focuses on apparel, children’s items, household goods or electronic devices, female entrepreneurs are flocking to resale opportunities for several reasons.

It’s environmentally and community friendly: A recent story in the LA Times focused on the growing body of social science indicating that “women consistently (highly) rank values strongly linked to environmental concern — things such as altruism, personal responsibility and empathy.” Resale stores keep unwanted items out of landfills and extend their use by offering them to new customers. Further, resale stores in the NTY Franchise Company system offer their goods for as much as 70 percent less than retail price, making it easier for people to get the items they love without straining the family budget.

Greater emotional connection with customers: Unlike retail stores focused exclusively on selling items, resale stores feature twice as many engagement opportunities, thanks to their two-way commerce model. Store owners develop more meaningful relationships with customers that make regular visits to buy and sell items and apparel.

Shopping is half the job: A 2013 survey of more than 2,000 people found that men got bored with shopping in just 26 minutes while women could easily last for two hours. In a job where 50 percent of your interactions with customers involving shopping their used goods, women are more likely to not just survive the daily shopping task, but enjoy it.

Founded in 2006 by resale godfather Ron Olson, NTY Franchise Company features 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.

Read more from Franchising USA at franchisingusamagazine.com.

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 has held numerous roles with NTY Franchise since 2010. He is currently the Vice President of Franchise Development and 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.