Swim school chain Water Wings now will offer franchising opportunities.
The company was founded in 2003 and provides year-round swim instruction for children and adults of all skill levels. Earlier this year, it was acquired by Unleashed Brands, a youth-enrichment platform with several child-related brands in its portfolio.
With the backing of Unleashed Brands, Water Wings seeks to expand nationally through the franchise model.
"The launch of the Water Wings Swim School franchise program marks an important milestone in expanding access to high-quality swim education across the country,” said Unleashed Brands COO Josh Wall. “With more than 20 years of experience, Water Wings offers a proven model that meets the urgent need for early swim instruction. Combined with our ability to build efficiently in today’s cost-conscious environment, we’re well-positioned to scale and bring these critical skills to more families nationwide.”
The company currently has 13 facilities in Nevada, California, Idaho and Texas. For the near future, it has targeted Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Utah as states to break into, while also seeking to increase its presence in Texas.
According to the company's research, demand for swim instruction is on the rise. A recent survey by Unleashed Brands showed that 34% of parents who responded indicated they expect their children to take swim lessons over the next year. The younger the children, the higher the interest: For parents of kids 6 to 9, it was 39%, for those with little ones ages 2 to 5, that figured reached 46%.
