Skip to content

Tag: franchise

News

We invite you to discover what it would be like to start your own successful resale business with the help of our proven techniques, training and support team.

Chad Olson and Children’s Orchard Featured on Forbes.com

Learn about NTY Franchise Company’s merger with Children’s Orchard in this quick read from forbes.com. Find out why
Read More

CHILDREN’S ORCHARD: Highlights from the 2016 Conference

NTY Franchise hosted its first-annual conference for Children’s Orchard earlier this week. Many hardworking and inspiring franchisees joined
Read More

Own Your Own Business with NTY Franchise Company: You Can Do It!

Watch this video message from Chad Olson, NTY Franchise Company’s Chief Operations Officer, and be inspired to open
Read More

DEVICE PITSTOP: Eden Prairie Store Grand Opening This Week

The latest Device Pitstop is opening its doors in Eden Prairie, MN, this week. Check out an article
Read More

CLOTHES MENTOR Makes Franchise of the Day!

Clothes Mentor was recently named Franchise of the Day by Entrepreneur. Read the brief write-up here, or check
Read More

How Upscale Resale Has Created a Booming Niche in American Retail

This article, originally published on huffingtonpost.com, mentions NTY Franchise as a growing company in the booming resale industry.
Read More

CLOTHES MENTOR Spartanburg Opens This Month

On the verge of opening her third Clothes Mentor store in Spartanburg, South Carolina, on March 17, franchisee
Read More

CLOTHES MENTOR: Spartanburg is the Third Store for Cherneys

Check out an article about Clothes Mentor Spartanburg, which is the third store for Bill and Sadie Cherney
Read More

CLOTHES MENTOR: Ardmore Store has Treasures for Everyone

Check out the Mainline Media News article about the soon-to-be-open Clothes Mentor store in Ardmore, Pennsylvania: Clothing has
Read More

NTY Highlighted in Franchising World Magazine

The following excerpt was taken from the article “Creative Narrative, Original Messaging Offer Powerful Marketing for Unique Franchises”
Read More
Load More

Connect

Questions about Buying a Franchise? Let’s Connect!

Buying a Franchise

Questions about Buying a Franchise? Let’s Connect!

Request info

All Other Inquiries

Other inquiries not related to buying a franchise.

Contact Us

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.