Our Team
Craig Slavin

Drawing on nearly 40 years of solid experience directly in concept creation; marketing; franchising and various other forms of distribution systems, Craig provides the direction required for creating, managing and implementing successful growth concepts and companies.

In addition, he has assisted many existing companies improve their competitive position by repositioning their concepts; learning how to better respond to changes more effectively; streamlining operations; developing new operating concepts, products and services; implementing automation and teaching franchisors how to find more top performing franchisees.

Mr. Slavin’s strengths are divided into three broad categories:

1. Concept Development,
2. Franchise Development and Refinement and,
3. Legal and Litigation Support.

Many companies, throughout the world, have retained Mr. Slavin to develop their original prototype location(s). This impressive list of companies include: the Disney Store; ETD, the retail convenience store for Shell Oil; health clubs for Bally Total Fitness; the original business model for cellular in the United States for AT&T Cellular; the new retail store for Pella Window Stores; a new service business for Hewlett-Packard; retail stores for Bata Shoe Organization, Vintage Stock, Apple Computers, Wizards of The Coast, a new restaurant prototype for El Taco Tote Real Mexican Grill and the most successful fast food operation in the Middle East named, Al Tazaj (The Fresh).

His Franchise Development services, provided by Franchise Architects, a company he founded in 1980, begins once the prototype or business is validated. Hundreds of worldwide organizations have contracted for his franchising services, which are tailored for the specific needs of each client. Sears Roebuck & Co.; Great Clips for Hair; TCBY; Precision Tune and Lube; NEC Computers; Reliance Petroleum; Stratis Business Centers; Luk Oil (Russia);The Circle K Corporation; TCBY; Texas State Optical; Mrs. Fields Cookies; the State of California; Boston Pizza; Dairy Queen; Red Robin Restaurants, and El Taco Tote Real Mexican Grill, are just some of the companies who have engaged us to create, design and assist in implementation of their franchise strategies.

As part of our Refinement Services many existing franchisors utilize our Franchisee High Performer Profiling System from Franchise Navigator. This is the first scientific methodology that identifies the common characteristics amongst a franchise company’s top performing franchisees. Once we have identified who they are and why they perform so well we create attraction strategies to attract more of them. Just ask executives from over 125 brands about the quality of their new franchisees.

Finally, when the franchising process is not done right and the values and expectations of either party are not met we are oftentimes called in to either resolve the conflict or to provide representation and support during litigation, arbitration and mediation.

Although it is a lucrative part of our business this is not the creative and proactive part of consulting that we enjoy the most.

As a professional speaker Craig has conducted educational seminars on franchising for many prestigious institutions and groups throughout the world. He has been featured in many articles on franchising in leading publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, Success Magazine, US News & World Report, Nation's Restaurant News, The Chicago Tribune, INC. Magazine, SKY Magazine (Delta Airlines), Women's Wear Daily, Chain Store Age Executive, National Petroleum News and Canadian Foodservice and Hospitality Magazine to name a few.

Mr. Slavin was selected to the 1990 faculty of the American Bar Association's Forum Committee on Franchising, is a re-elected member of the advisory council of the International Franchise Association's Counsel of Franchise Suppliers and is currently a member of the Association of Management Consultants; an approved arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association Panel on Franchising, serves as an expert witness in franchise litigation and was selected to the Board of Editors for Leader’s Franchising Business & Law Alert, which is division of the New York Law Publishing Co.

Mr. Slavin is: the originator of the nationally acclaimed franchisor survey, which was published annually in SUCCESS MAGAZINE; creator of FRANCHISE CENTRAL; Creator of ConnectMe, which matches individuals with specific franchised businesses based on their Franchise Navigator profile, geographic preference and investment criteria and author of THE FRANCHISE SUCCESS SYSTEM , a self-study workbook and audio cassette series covering the essential elements on how to evaluate and select a franchise business. Mr. Slavin also authored the chapter on a Franchisor's evolutionary growth process in the American Management Association's Handbook of Franchise Management.

Mr. Slavin has appeared in the past seven editions of “Who’s Who In America” and was selected to “host” the first “ON-LINE” session, on owning a franchise, presented on the Microsoft Network (MSN).

Craig S. Slavin - Snapshots of Professional Accomplishments
  • Created the expansion program for AT&T's Cellular Telephone subsidiary, Advanced Mobile Phone Services, Inc.
  • Created the first non-union, franchised trucking company for l.U. International, the nation's 2nd largest motor carrier. This was accomplished for Ryder P.l.E., with $900 million in annual revenues.
  • Participated in the strategic planning for the creation of The Disney Store for The Walt Disney Company.
  • Created the original expansion program for T.C.B.Y., a foodservice company with over 2,000 locations.
  • Created an entire restaurant concept for the world's fourth largest integrated poultry producer, located in Saudi Arabia.
  • Participated in strategic planning/analysis of a dedicated retail store for Apple Computers.
  • Created and implemented the repositioning, imagery and operational formats for a twenty year old retail cleaning and maintenance organization.
  • Paarticipated in creation of a new retail/petroleum concept for the Shell Oil Company.
  • Participated in the repositioning of the 2nd oldest and 4th largest pizza/restaurant chain.
  • Facilitated the acquisition, by 65 franchisees, of the franchisor and subsequent expansion strategies for HQ, The Headquarters Companies.
  • Created the franchised expansion program and retail automation system for The Circle K Corporation.
  • Expanded an importing/distribution and retailing company with 1 location to $11 million in revenues and acknowledgment as one of Inc. Magazine's 500 fastest growing companies in 5 years.
  • Assisted Motorola in assessing distribution system alternatives.
  • Created the franchise expansion program for the carpet cleaning operation of Australian based Grace Brothers Department store.
  • Assisted in the analysis and repositioning of Sears' Retail Dealer Stores
  • Headed up the creation of a new operating business for Hewlett-Packard
Specialists

We have 40+ specialists who work on projects for our clients.  Our approach is not "assembly-line."   We assemble the "best and the brightest" specialists from each industry who can address the specific needs of our clients. For example our specialists have retail, food service, hospitality, service and sales distribution experience, just to name a few.

Frank Marcinkowski

Franchise Architects is very proud to have Frank’s participation on our retail consulting projects. An accomplished retailer with an extensive background in Operations, Finance, Marketing and Coaching, Frank met Franchise Architects in 2001 when he was Director of Marketing and Operations for the Sears Retail Dealer Store network. Frank participated in the start-up and development of this division which eventually grew into a nationwide chain of 750+ retail stores, generating over $1.5 billion in revenues and $50+ million in profit for Sears. This retail chain was owned and managed by independent contractors and driven by processes and procedures unique to the retail industry.

In addition to working with Franchise Architects, he has coached and mentored business owners and entrepreneurs on the issues facing both their professional and personal lives. These business owners and entrepreneurs rely on Frank to strengthen their businesses and improve their lives.

Frank’s experience and education, combined with his coaching and consulting skills, have uniquely positioned him as an expert in building businesses and in balancing the lives of owners.

Frank’s balanced approach touches all aspects essential to business and franchising success, including vision and planning, leadership and management, sales and marketing, human resources and training, clients and competitors, operations and finance, and many others.
Frank earned a Bachelors of Science in Accounting (1972) and a Masters of Business Administration with Beta Gamma Sigma honors (1994).

Gail Gordon

In her role as a Operations/Communication consultant, Gail has worked with a variety of companies to develop written, multimedia and electronic communication materials to educate, motivate and influence behaviors of the targeted audience. She has worked with such clients as the City of Chicago, BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois, Pentair, National Car Rental, Vintage Stock, Barrigas, El Taco Tote Real Mexican Grill, Super Cortes, Cintas and Whitman Corporation, to name a few.

Gail holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of Illinois.

 


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