Big Blue Swim School Awards Four Deals for 14 Units in March

Growth during pandemic

“Despite the challenges that people and businesses are facing right now, Big Blue Swim School remains an incredibly compelling business opportunity,” said Big Blue Swim School Chief Development Officer Scott Thompson. “Teaching children to swim is a vital life skill, and is something parents will need regardless of the economic climate. We are seeing incredible interest from qualified franchise partners in markets across the U.S.”

In March, Big Blue Swim School signed deals for three units in Michigan, five schools in New York and Connecticut, three units in Pittsburgh and three units in Hartford, Connecticut.

Hiag Avsharian will bring Michigan’s first Big Blue Swim School to Southeast Michigan, with plans to open four pools in the cities of Ann Arbor, Northville, Canton and Royal Oak in the next five years. He signed on as a franchise partner after learning about the high-quality investment opportunity and best-in-class consumer offerings provided by Big Blue Swim School.

“I chose Big Blue because of their latest advancements in technology, similar to the tech startup I was working with prior,” said Avsharian. “My two children, ages 10 and seven, are both competitive swimmers, so my wife and I have seen first-hand what it takes to be a successful swim school. Big Blue’s cloud-based platform is simply unmatchable.”

Franchise differentiators

For franchise partners, Big Blue delivers numerous differentiators including LessonBuddy™, a proprietary enterprise system which allows partners to manage the business remotely and offers parents the ultimate flexibility in scheduling lessons. Other top-tier franchisor support services include data-driven site selection, construction, technology, and marketing.

Another differentiator is that Big Blue Swim School takes the unique approach of hiring exclusively full-time, highly trained swim associates, differentiating them from most kids' concepts. Children are taught by caring professionals who are more easily retained than a part time employee, while also helping to maintain consistency as a child has fun and builds trust with their instructor.

Founder and President Chris DeJong opened the first Big Blue Swim School in Wilmette, Illinois, and opened four other pools in the Chicago area over the next five years. Now, with an aggressive franchise growth plan in place Big Blue has already signed 81 units in 18 states across the country. With a goal of reaching 150 units by 2021, the brand is uniquely positioned to be the leader in the $3 billion learn-to-swim industry.

Big Blue Swim School franchise opportunities are still available in key markets across the country. To learn more, visit

Big Blue Swim School was founded in 2009 by competitive swimmer Chris DeJong. The first location opened in Wilmette, Illinois, followed by four additional Chicagoland schools. In 2017, Level 5 Capital Partners acquired a stake in the brand.

Through that investment, Big Blue plans to grow through franchising to 150 pools by 2021. Big Blue Swim School's real estate expertise, strong brand, proprietary technology, and leadership support, coupled with its best-in-class consumer offerings, position its franchise partners for long-term success.