At first blush it might seem odd for a tropical tanning chain to be based, of all places, in Omaha, Nebraska. At second blush, it makes sense.
After all, the tropics don't need tanning salons. They've got... the tropics. The Midwest has got cornfields... and Tanworld.
I hadn't heard of Tanworld until recently when I learned that franchise industry exec Bob McQuillan had relocated to Omaha from New Jersey (He left New Jersey?! was my reaction. Why would ANYONE leave New Jersey?!). I like Bob because he is one of those franchise exec/franchisee hybrids who does not have the us vs. them outlook held by some franchisors. He's a down-to-earth guy who sees thing from the operator's perspective - which is, ultimately, the difference between success and failure in franchising. Bob likes me because I'm pale and Irish and will never hit him up for free tanning*.
The super-secret franchise insider buzz (which I'll let you in on if you promise not to tell) was that there was this tanning-industry dream team assembling in America's heartland (If you build it, they will come) hatching a master plan for world tanning industry domination. However, I'm not easily impressed by hotshot franchise concepts that do not involve food or alcoholic beverages. In those cases, I'm pretty easily swayed. Introducing the Wildest Thing Out of Omaha Since Marlin Perkins. OK - gotta say that the Tanworld marketing materials and unit photos caught my eye. Not since Marlin Perkins put the Wild in Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom have I been this captivated.
It turns out that in 2008 5 key executives with impressive credentials have joined together to bring the established Tanworld franchise chain to the next level. According to industry statistics, there are 25,000 domestic tanning salons generating $6 billion in sales. However, chains account for less than 5% of total sales.
The Tanworld team obviously sees this as an industry ripe for consolidation. FranBest has chosen Tanworld for a series of interviews to explore each of the major aspects of its franchising program and growth strategy, which we'll also be posting here. Learn more about the Tanworld franchise program by clicking on the links below: 
TanWorld: Creating the Next-Generation Tanning Salon Franchise .
* However, if Tanworld has hats, I'm an X-Large.
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