JW Tumbles Get Kids in the Gym Throughout the U.S.
JW Tumbles CEO Ash Robinson Purchases Company at Age 26: She Learned Early on What it Takes to Succeed.
San Diego, CA, January 28, 2008 --(PR.com)-- Twenty-six-year-old Ash Robinson, president and CEO of JW Tumbles, seems as though she was destined to lead the franchisor of children's fitness and learning centers.
Her grandfather, a successful antiques dealer, and his three sons – including Robinson's father, Mark – have become self-made millionaires in the facilities management, restaurant and real estate development industries, respectively.
“I think it's safe to say that the entrepreneurial gene runs in our family,” said Ash.
On June 1, 2007, an investment group headed by Robinson purchased San Diego-based JW Tumbles, whose franchised gyms throughout the United States promote physical activity and fun in children ages four months to nine years old, while at the same time developing athletic skills and self-confidence in a non-competitive environment.
Robinson began her association with JW Tumbles as a part-time business consultant in 2003, eventually becoming vice president of franchise development and COO for the company that was founded by Jeff and Melissa Woods outside San Diego in 1985.
However, the founders – who had been community focused and content to operate six gyms in the San Diego area for much of their ownership tenure – began searching for a buyer in late 2006 after being overwhelmed by the demands of their franchising program, which they had launched in 2004 in an effort to join the boom in kids' fitness concepts.
Though she had already been working with several interested parties, Melissa Woods called Robinson into her office one day and said, “Why don't you buy it, Ash?”
The question wasn't met with trepidation. Actually, Robinson's reaction was quite the opposite, but it should have come as no surprise given the entrepreneurial roots of Robinson's family tree.
“I've never been afraid to get out of my comfort zone and take a chance. I knew the business inside and out and knowledge is power when you're making a decision,” Robinson said. “I realized the company's potential. The only decision I had to make was for myself. But I've never had any 'company people' in my family. JW Tumbles was a young franchising company. I just knew I would have to push, push, push. That's all I understood.”
Today, JW Tumbles has 32 gyms in 10 states, with 15 additional locations in development. Projections call for 20 new franchisees to be added in 2008 and 100 locations to be open in the United States by the end of 2010. JW Tumbles, which has gyms from California to New York, is targeting major metropolitan markets across the country for its continued growth.
Aggressive international expansion is also on the docket. With two locations in Singapore and one each in Hong Kong and Mexico, Robinson wants to open 20 JW Tumbles across Asia over the next three years. Expansion to Canada is also possible.
“It's a huge potential market for us,” Robinson said of Asia. “We already have some of our top-performing franchises there. Asia is going to be a major focus of our international expansion.”
It all might seem like a challenging agenda for a 26-year-old, but Robinson sees otherwise, as do those in her investment group.
“I acknowledge that I am a young CEO, but my investors are the type of people who look for ability and commitment within the company's management team and my team is as solid as it gets,” Robinson said.
Robinson's moxie can be traced to her father. Mark Robinson and his twin brother, Matt, were formerly franchisees of a popular steakhouse chain that went bankrupt. Turning misfortune into opportunity, Mark launched his own facilities management and maintenance services company – ServiceMax Corporation in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Robinson has brought that sense of “family” to JW Tumbles, which not only offers franchisees a strong potential return on investment, but also an enjoyable and rewarding business opportunity.
“But we're still close-knit and we like to call ourselves the 'Tumbles family,'” Robinson said. “We have a great support network amongst our franchisees that represents the spirit of franchising. A lot of other companies say the same, but we truly practice it.”
Robinson said her franchisees come from all walks of life but share a common trait: the ability to manage a successful business with five to nine employees while living up to JW Tumbles' community-centric focus on children and their parents. About 60 to 70 percent are husband/wife teams.
The company's training program is comprehensive, lasting 21 to 30 days and including 35 hours of classroom training and 117 hours of on hands-on gym instruction.
“Our product is our service,” Robinson said. “We don't have to teach our franchisees about managing inventory or other such things, but they need to know how make their product - our service - the best it can be.”
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Her grandfather, a successful antiques dealer, and his three sons – including Robinson's father, Mark – have become self-made millionaires in the facilities management, restaurant and real estate development industries, respectively.
“I think it's safe to say that the entrepreneurial gene runs in our family,” said Ash.
On June 1, 2007, an investment group headed by Robinson purchased San Diego-based JW Tumbles, whose franchised gyms throughout the United States promote physical activity and fun in children ages four months to nine years old, while at the same time developing athletic skills and self-confidence in a non-competitive environment.
Robinson began her association with JW Tumbles as a part-time business consultant in 2003, eventually becoming vice president of franchise development and COO for the company that was founded by Jeff and Melissa Woods outside San Diego in 1985.
However, the founders – who had been community focused and content to operate six gyms in the San Diego area for much of their ownership tenure – began searching for a buyer in late 2006 after being overwhelmed by the demands of their franchising program, which they had launched in 2004 in an effort to join the boom in kids' fitness concepts.
Though she had already been working with several interested parties, Melissa Woods called Robinson into her office one day and said, “Why don't you buy it, Ash?”
The question wasn't met with trepidation. Actually, Robinson's reaction was quite the opposite, but it should have come as no surprise given the entrepreneurial roots of Robinson's family tree.
“I've never been afraid to get out of my comfort zone and take a chance. I knew the business inside and out and knowledge is power when you're making a decision,” Robinson said. “I realized the company's potential. The only decision I had to make was for myself. But I've never had any 'company people' in my family. JW Tumbles was a young franchising company. I just knew I would have to push, push, push. That's all I understood.”
Today, JW Tumbles has 32 gyms in 10 states, with 15 additional locations in development. Projections call for 20 new franchisees to be added in 2008 and 100 locations to be open in the United States by the end of 2010. JW Tumbles, which has gyms from California to New York, is targeting major metropolitan markets across the country for its continued growth.
Aggressive international expansion is also on the docket. With two locations in Singapore and one each in Hong Kong and Mexico, Robinson wants to open 20 JW Tumbles across Asia over the next three years. Expansion to Canada is also possible.
“It's a huge potential market for us,” Robinson said of Asia. “We already have some of our top-performing franchises there. Asia is going to be a major focus of our international expansion.”
It all might seem like a challenging agenda for a 26-year-old, but Robinson sees otherwise, as do those in her investment group.
“I acknowledge that I am a young CEO, but my investors are the type of people who look for ability and commitment within the company's management team and my team is as solid as it gets,” Robinson said.
Robinson's moxie can be traced to her father. Mark Robinson and his twin brother, Matt, were formerly franchisees of a popular steakhouse chain that went bankrupt. Turning misfortune into opportunity, Mark launched his own facilities management and maintenance services company – ServiceMax Corporation in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Robinson has brought that sense of “family” to JW Tumbles, which not only offers franchisees a strong potential return on investment, but also an enjoyable and rewarding business opportunity.
“But we're still close-knit and we like to call ourselves the 'Tumbles family,'” Robinson said. “We have a great support network amongst our franchisees that represents the spirit of franchising. A lot of other companies say the same, but we truly practice it.”
Robinson said her franchisees come from all walks of life but share a common trait: the ability to manage a successful business with five to nine employees while living up to JW Tumbles' community-centric focus on children and their parents. About 60 to 70 percent are husband/wife teams.
The company's training program is comprehensive, lasting 21 to 30 days and including 35 hours of classroom training and 117 hours of on hands-on gym instruction.
“Our product is our service,” Robinson said. “We don't have to teach our franchisees about managing inventory or other such things, but they need to know how make their product - our service - the best it can be.”
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Contact
JW Tumbles
Lindsey Burke
312-829-4350
www.jwtumbles.com
Lindsey Burke
312-829-4350
www.jwtumbles.com
Contact
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