Verlo makes Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500® for 2006

Furniture World Magazine

The stats are in … Verlo Mattress Factory Stores has officially made Entrepreneur Magazine’s 27th Annual Franchise 500®! Earning the #399 spot among the sub shops and convenience stores, Verlo Mattress Factory Stores has made its mark for the first time in three years with an increase in rank by 61 slots. Verlo Mattress Factory Stores made the grade by meeting Entrepreneur’s objective, quantifiable measures of a franchise operation. The most important factors include: financial strength and stability, growth rate and size of the system. According to the magazine, the number of years in business and length of time franchising, startup costs, litigation, percentage of terminations and whether the company provides financing is also considered. An independent CPA audits the financial data. Entrepreneur does not measure subjective elements such as franchisee satisfaction or management style. The objective factors are then plugged into Entrepreneur’s exclusive Franchise 500 formula, with each eligible company receiving a cumulative score. The 500 franchises with the highest cumulative scores become the Franchise 500. “Being a part of this esteemed ranking further validates our franchise model and system,” Verlo Mattress Factory Stores Vice President Mike Schweiger said. “Collectively, we will continue to build equity in the Verlo brand, which is what franchising is all about.” Top 10 qualifiers include Subway, Quiznos, Curves, The UPS Store, Jackson Hewitt Tax Service, Dunkin’ Donuts, Jani-King, Re/Max Int’l, Inc., 7-Eleven Inc. and Liberty Tax Service. According to Entrepreneur, 2005 exemplifies a year that franchising itself became a trend. In fact, the total number of franchise units for all Franchise 500 companies grew 11 percent from 2004 to 2005. Entrepreneur attributes this exceptional growth to the draw of jaded corporate employees ready to invest their business know-how and skills to making their own dreams come true. A generation of baby boomers has also discovered franchising as a means to retain an income, as they are not quite ready to settle into retirement. As a result, the 2006 Franchise 500® companies generated an incredible $134.2 billion in sales during the past fiscal year. “It’s quite apparent that franchising continues to drive retail,” Schweiger said. “Verlo Mattress Factory Stores has found its niche to take advantage of this source for continued growth.” About Verlo Mattress Factory Stores Headquartered in Whitewater, Wisconsin, Verlo Mattress Factory Stores is the nation’s largest Craftsman-Direct® mattress retailer, providing specialty sleep products directly to customers. The Verlo Mattress Factory Stores Craftsman-Direct philosophy is a unique concept in the industry. Mattresses are handcrafted to customer’s specifications. In addition to mattresses, Verlo Mattress Factory Stores also sell a wide range of futon sofa sleepers and futon sofa sleeper mattresses. Customers will also find quality ornamental headboards, pillows and mattress pads. Founded in 1958, Verlo Mattress Factory Stores currently has 73 locations throughout the United States. The Company opened its first franchise organization in 1981. In 2003, the company has signed 6 new franchise agreements and 4 resale agreements. The company has consistently demonstrated positive growth by number of units and gross sales. To learn more about our franchising opportunities, visit www.verlofranchise.com.