Press release from our friends at Bearclaw Coffee:
CHELSEA, MI: Bearclaw Coffee Co. (Bearclaw) of Chelsea, Michigan, has expanded its Board of Directors with the addition of Ms. Mary Jean Raab. The announcement was made by Bearclaw President and cofounder, Debi Scroggins. Ms. Raab has also been retained as a business and franchise development consultant for Bearclaw. She will assist in the company with its strategic planning, marketing and product development.
Ms. Raab until recently was a Senior Vice President, of Borders Group Incorporated, and a member of the Borders executive committee. Her responsibilities included planning, concept design, financial modeling, marketing, operations, system implantation, and purchasing for several key corporate entrepreneurial initiatives. She also served as Vice President of Cafe Operations for all of Borders
350 superstores.
“Mary is a great addition to the Bearclaw team,” says Bearclaw President, Debi Scroggins. “She is a highly respected and highly sought after consultant with incredible industry insight. Mary will provide excellent support and direction as we expand nationally.”
Started with one store in a Dexter, Michigan, cornfield in 2002 by owners Debi and Doug Scroggins, Bearclaw has grown to become one of the fastest growing Coffee Shop Franchise businesses in the country, with stores opening throughout the Midwest , East Coast and South. Bearclaw offers three different types of franchise stores including their signature drive-thru cabin, a freestanding sit-down facility, and a strip mall end cap store that can be drive-thru, sit-down or a combination of both.
“This is a very exciting opportunity to be a part of such a fast growing company like Bearclaw,” says Raab. “There is endless potential with this company and I am anxious to come on board and help get to that next level.”
Bearclaw Coffee Co. is a member of the International Franchise Association (IFA), and of MinorityFran, an initiative of the International Franchise Association (IFA). Launched in February, 2006, MinorityFran was created to build the awareness of franchising within minority communities and increase the numbers of minority franchisees, employees and suppliers.
Bearclaw currently has 21 stores located throughout Michigan with several more franchise stores scheduled to open in 2007. Projected sales for 2007 are $4.3 million.
For more information, contact Bearclaw Coffee Co. at 734-433-0009 or go to www.bearclawcoffee.com. Bearclaw Coffee Co. headquarters is located at 780 Taylor Street, Chelsea, Michigan 48118.