Triad MFG Makes Store Build Outs Easier Than Ever For Franchisees and Franchisors

Nearly 15 years ago, Bruce Olans got his first taste of the franchise industry while attending the International Franchisee Association’s annual convention in Miami.

What he quickly discovered was an industry that did very little to support their new franchisees when it came to building out new stores. The reality was, new franchisees were often just handed a binder during their training, leaving them to do everything on their own to get their brand new store up and running. This included everything from hiring an architect and general contractor to purchasing everything needed for the new business to open—such as custom millwork, graphics, exterior signage, flooring, lighting, and, in some cases, restaurant equipment.

“To say that this experience was painful for a franchisee would be an understatement,” Olans said. “The new owners need to spend their time and energy on their business—not their build out.”

Olans, who originally founded the company Total Resource Group, now a division of Triad MFG, has nearly 25 years of experience doing complete turnkey buildouts for corporate clients like Weight Watchers, Sprint and T-Mobile. In addition to rolling out these brands, his team also designed store interiors and launched initial prototype stores for them. Utilizing his past experience with corporate companies, he decided it was time to bring that same service to the franchise industry.

As a result, Total Resource Group became the first company to offer complete store build-outs that included permitting, architectural plans, general contracting and all the supply-side items needed to open a store.

“For the first time, franchisors had their stores opening on time and on budget,” Olans said. “We also became the protector of their brand by making sure all stores looked similar.”

Under Olans’ watch, new franchisee store owners saved money when compared to what an average franchisee would pay to build out their own store. During this time, he changed the name of his company to Store in a Box from Total Resource Group, and Olans continued to operate out of Chicago with offices and warehouses located there to service franchises throughout the country. But when he realized that many of his franchise clients were interested in opening stores all over the world, Olans knew it was time for his company—and its services—to evolve: He wanted to become a worldwide store rollout specialist.

That’s when Olans turned to Triad MFG—a St. Louis-based manufacturer of store fixtures. With plants worldwide—including five wood and metal plants in China—the company’s extensive reach and vast potential was unquestionable. In St. Louis alone, Triad’s wood, metal and solid surface facility and warehousing facility is 1.2 million square feet.

“They were a perfect fit for our company—they had the international scope that we wanted. And conversely, we were a perfect fit for them—they were looking for new markets to expand into, such as franchising,” Olans added.

Today, as the Vice President of Franchise Store Build-Outs at Triad, Olans oversees complete turnkey solutions for new franchise locations—from a napkin sketch to rollout. To date, he’s helped to build out thousands of stores nationally. And with a true passion for retail, Olans is confident that Triad will play a significant role in the build out of franchise brands in the years to come.

“The build-out of a franchised retail location involves a complex marriage of cost estimates, deadline orders, shipments and installations. Fortunately, there’s a solution—franchise companies can designate every aspect of the store-opening process to one party. That’s where Triad comes in,” Olans said.

“Because of the arsenal of tools offered through Triad to franchises, the ability to open quickly and efficiently is undeniable. Costs are decreased significantly, implementation time can be driven from months to weeks, and the pressure to get the store open is off the back of the new franchisee. There’s no better way to get a head start as a new business owner.”