Lightbridge Academy® to Exhibit at The Franchise Show in Washington D.C. on April 9th and 10th

Lightbridge Academy has been franchising since 2011 and now has more than 65 centers nationwide with 65 additional franchises sold or in development across the U.S.

With a market opportunity for up to 20 locations in Northern Virginia, the brand’s expansion plans have the potential to bring more than 700 jobs to the D.C. metro area.

• Jim DiRugeris, Lightbridge’s senior vice president of franchise sales, attributes the brand’s substantial growth opportunities in the market to an ongoing urban exodus leading to residential growth in the suburbs.
• “It's a great opportunity for us to expand in a market that has a high demand for quality early childhood education programs,” said DiRugeris.
• “Dual income young families are moving into areas where they can commute into D.C. Child care is an important amenity that is needed to attract these professionals. Lightbridge Academy not only offers care and education for young children but also provides the support parents need to balance their work and home schedules.”

Local municipalities have paid close attention to workers’ migration from the city and have designed rail-system enhancements to make it easier for people to get to and from D.C., making it even more convenient for families to migrate to suburban regions.

Lightbridge is primarily looking at Fairfax and Loudon counties for expansion, targeting counties as far south as Prince William.

With so many emerging markets in Northern Virginia, the opportunity for franchisees is vast, and The Franchise Show gives Lightbridge the opportunity to identify and align with some of those franchisees.

• “There are many people who come to these franchise events without a specific industry in mind,” said DiRugeris.
• “They just know that they want a business that allows them a high quality of life. With a weekday, no nights or weekend schedule, a child care franchise is appealing. Franchise shows are a great opportunity to become educated on different concepts, and we have a lot of conversations with people who never even realized child care was actually a franchise. Once they understand not only the value that we bring to the community, but how we educate and get children socially ready for elementary school, they start to understand the greater return on their investment. It really clicks that not only is child care an attractive business model, it is also a great way to positively impact future generations.”

Lightbridge Academy currently has one location open in Virginia Beach, two schools under construction in Virginia, and four schools under construction in Maryland. It’s currently evaluating multiple real estate opportunities in Northern Virginia in anticipation of further suburban growth, targeting locations in and around newly developed communities and those still in development.

• “Our franchise growth is strategic,” said Gigi Schweikert, Lightbridge’s chief executive officer.
• “We’re really focused on providing the best early education and child care for families throughout focused markets in the East Coast and Southern states, and we believe we can also do that in Northern Virginia. We also create jobs while enabling children to grow and learn, parents to receive quality child care and franchise owners the ability to start a business and make a difference in their communities.”

Lightbridge’s focus on building new, state-of-the-art centers across Northern Virginia is part of that strategy. The brand is known as innovators in educational child care for their forward thinking approach and use of technology. It is used throughout the center to create a healthier, safer and more interactive learning environment.

Some of these technological advancements include facial recognition entry systems to create a more secure and convenient way for parents carrying a young child to enter the building, a proprietary parent eCommunication app that allows for seamless communication between parents and teachers, and classrooms outfitted with ParentView internet monitoring system so parents can see what their children are up to throughout the day. All Lightbridge Academy centers are also fitted with state of the art systems for air purification and filtration to create a healthier learning environment.

• “The growth opportunity right now is aligned perfectly for child care,” said DiRugeris.
• “And as communities grow and we have fresh, new, single-family homes and beautiful high-end apartments and townhomes sprouting up, parents want a deeper connection with their young children’s day. The Lightbridge Academy offering aligns perfectly with today's younger families, and that holds true in the Northern Virginia market.”

Start-up costs for a Lightbridge Academy franchise range from $581,233 to $784,150. The franchise fee is $40,000.