CKO Kickboxing Named 2012 Military Friendly Franchise by G.I. Jobs Magazine

HOBOKEN, N.J., May 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- CKO Kickboxing announces it was ranked in the top 10 percent of all franchises nationwide and named a 2012 Military Friendly Franchise® by G.I. Jobs Magazine.

The health fitness franchise company honors military veterans all year round by offering service members a 20 percent discount on the initial franchise fee, allowing veterans to use their training and operational skills in a new civilian career.

"I have been involved with the CKO Kickboxing family for over 10 awesome years as a trainer and as a franchise owner for over 3 years," said Salvatore A. Ferrara, who served two tours of duty in Iraq, and now owns CKO Kickboxing franchises in Lodi, Teterboro and Wallington, N.J.

"One of the best things about CKO Kickboxing is that I get to help people of all different fitness levels get into great shape. I encourage all returning veterans to consider getting involved in a military-approved franchise such as CKO Kickboxing. For me, it's been one of the best things I've ever done," said Ferrara.

"The Military Friendly Franchises® list was created three years ago out of demand from military veterans, many of whom want to start or own their own business but are unclear where to begin," said Sean Collins, director for G.I. Jobs. "Being selected as a Military Friendly Franchise places CKO Kickboxing in this elite group, and is testimony to CKO Kickboxing's world-class programs and policies that support military veterans interested in franchise opportunities."

"We are proud to be a military-friendly franchise opportunity for veterans who want to own a health fitness franchise. CKO Kickboxing is emerging as one of the leading fitness franchise opportunities in the country," said Joe Andreula, Founder of CKO Kickboxing, one of America's fastest-growing franchises according to industry standard Entrepreneur Magazine, which included the kickboxing gym franchise in its Franchise 500 list of best franchises. The magazine also rated CKO Kickboxing as the 48th top new franchise in 2011. "Veterans also make great franchise owners because they know how to lead, they enjoy being fit and they have a culture of service to the community. People come to CKO for the fitness but they stay for the community," he said.

Not only does CKO Kickboxing have several franchises owned by veterans, there are CKO Kickboxing gyms near several military bases, including San Diego, and Jacksonville, NC. CKO Kickboxing is actively recruiting veterans to become franchisees.

"Veterans have a background that is very good for this business. They have undergone a lot of training. They know how to train people in a group setting. They lived it. They are designed to do this," said Andreula.

"We treat our franchisee owners like they are family, because they are," Andreula said. "They aren't numbers or faceless profit centers. They are people who we want to help succeed. That's why so many people, including former military members, want to take advantage of our veteran-friendly fitness franchise opportunity." Fitness kickboxing is a fast-growing health trend. People who have tried to lose weight with yoga, Pilates and spin classes are now getting in shape by joining kickboxing gyms, he said. "Kickboxing is the perfect way to cross train," he said.

"Veterans and current military personnel love kickboxing because it is the best cross-fitness workout routine. Kickboxing fits in with the rigorous training they are used to. Many of our franchisees are veterans who seize this opportunity to own a kickboxing franchise because it fits in with their core values of healthy living and fitness."

For more information about franchising, go to http://www.ckokickboxing.com. 

The full list of Military Friendly Franchises® is published each June in G.I. Jobs Magazine, and on http://www.MilitaryFranchising.com, a web tool that helps veterans decide which franchise to choose. Additional resources are posted on the Military Friendly Franchises® Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/MilitaryFranchising

G.I. Jobs (http://www.gijobs.com) is published 12 times per year by Victory Media, a veteran-owned business. The company also publishes The Guide to Military Friendly Schools®.

You can follow G.I. Jobs on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/GIJobsMagazine or on Twitter @gijobsmagazine

For further information on G.I. Jobs or Military Franchising, or to arrange interviews contact:

BP Media Relations, LLC - Barbara Pflughaupt - [email protected] - 212-707-8181

or

Judee Cohen - [email protected] - 917-721-0663

SOURCE CKO Kickboxing; G.I. Jobs