Hand and Stone

CEO of two of the largest transmission repair specialists in the country, AAMCO and Cottman Transmission. He was called out of his brief and, self-admittedly, dull retirement to take Marco’s company to the next level. “I was looking for an opportunity to invest and to grow,” Leff recounts. “A few people had directed me to John Marco. He had just started to franchise and was getting it off the ground. I loved the underlying concept of the business. I loved that it was targeted to improving people’s health and wellness and that it was a business aimed at the middle market. I did some due diligence and within 60 days I wrote a check, invested in the company, and became the President and CEO. There were 25 units when I came here in 2009 and today we have 315 open units.We brought in a great team to run it and we have another hundred-plus units HAND & STONE MASSAGE AND FACIAL SPA AT A GLANCE HAND & STONE MASSAGE AND FACIAL SPA WHAT: A franchise company offering professional massage and facial services WHERE: Headquarters in Trevose, Pennsylvania WEBSITE: www.handandstone.com already sold and in development.” Hand & Stone currently operates in 28 states and Canada. “We try to cluster growth in major DMAs (Designated Market Areas) so we’re very heavy along the east coast –New York, Penn- sylvania, North Carolina, and Florida,” says Leff. “We’re very strong in Texas and Arizona and up through the coast of California.We’re pretty di- verse, but we’re really concentrated in the major DMAs in each of those states.” When vetting a potential franchisee wishing to join the Hand & Stone domain, McQuillan says the most attractive attributes are great communication skills, an ability to multi-task, an understanding of the financial end of the business, and a working knowledge of modern technologies. “Most of our successful franchi- sees have worked with or managed teams, or they’ve been with large corporations. They’ve been successful in their careers and moved up the ladder,” says McQuillan. “Those are the best people for us to bring into the franchise and, historically, the most successful.” “They have to be able to relate and motivate