Valpak® Announces Making Strides With 2012 Veteran Recruiting Initiative

LARGO, Fla., Nov. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- As Veteran's Day approaches, Valpak -- a leader in local print and digital coupons -- announces that the company has made great strides in veteran recruiting and hiring this year.  Since announcing a new incentive program in February waiving start-up fees for qualified, honorably discharged U.S. military veterans, Valpak has signed, or is in the process of signing, franchise agreements with five new veterans, more than doubling the total number of Valpak veteran franchisees.  These veterans took advantage of Valpak's special incentive program, which provides a savings of approximately $32,500 and makes it easier for them to start their own franchise business and receive training at no direct cost.

"We take great pride in providing these honorably discharged veterans an opportunity to own their own business following the great sacrifices they've made for our country," said Rick McElwain, vice president of network sales development at Valpak.  "They bring to our franchise system a unique skill set with the leadership and management experience needed for long-term success.  It is our hope that more veterans will take advantage of Valpak's special incentive program and join the growing coupon industry as franchise owners." 

Valpak will continue its veteran incentive program into 2013.  In addition to the waived franchise and training fee, the territory fee for the first three Neighborhood Trade Areas® (NTAs) will be waived as well.  As the franchisee's market grows, additional NTAs can be opened at a 50 percent discount.  This offering is part of "Operation Enduring Opportunity," a program developed by the International Franchise Association (IFA), which was launched a year ago with the goal "to hire as team members and recruit as franchise business owners 75,000 veterans and military spouses and 5,000 wounded warriors by 2014."

The most recent veteran to join Valpak's family of franchisees is Butch Jentzsch.  He now owns the Valpak of Southern Utah franchise, which has served the Iron, Beaver and Washington counties since 1992.  He served in the U.S. Navy Reserve, including on the USS Ticonderoga aircraft carrier, from 1968 to 1972.  He had been searching for a business to own for over two years before deciding to become a Valpak franchisee. 

"As a long-time business professional in the information technology industry, I was intrigued by Valpak's business model and the growth and stability the franchise opportunity provided.  That is needed in this tough economy and it made Valpak the perfect fit for me and my wife," said Jentzsch. "I definitely feel that Valpak is well suited for military veterans.  The company provides a proven system to follow that is much like the structured environment you'd experience during military service with a very direct and detailed process designed for success."

A leader in cooperative direct mail, Valpak mails over 20 billion coupons to more than 40 million demographically-targeted households per month in more than 100 markets in 48 states and four Canadian provinces. Today, in addition to its flagship Blue Envelope^®, the brand offers its business customers an impressive portfolio of digital advertising products including Smartphone apps, which are also integrated into the new Passbook, Valpak Deals^®, QR codes, online coupons and SMS/text messaging to reach consumers at home and on-the-go. 

Since its launch in 1968, The Blue Envelope^® has been broadly recognized and trusted, contributing significantly to Valpak's current success. Valpak's state-of-the-art, 470,000-square-foot manufacturing center in St. Petersburg, Fla., makes it possible for the company to mail to more than 500 million homes in North America.  Valpak is also backed by experienced leadership with Cox Enterprises, one of the largest media companies in North America, which acquired the brand in 1991. Recently, Cox Target Media also acquired Savings.com a leading online source for savings and personalized deals. Working together, Valpak and Savings.com will offer consumers a more extensive selection of offers and rewarding shopping experience as content is shared across platforms.

For more information on Valpak and franchising, as well as veteran incentives, please contact Mike Squiteri at [email protected] or (727) 399-3695.  You also may visit www.valpakfranchising.com.

About Valpak^®  
Valpak, one of the leading direct marketing companies in North America, is owned and operated by Cox Target Media, along with Savings.com. With nearly 170 franchises across the United States and Canada, the signature Blue Envelope® delivers savings and value to nearly 40 million households each month. Annually, Valpak will distribute some 20 billion offers inserted in more than 500 million envelopes. Valpak also offers digital solutions with www.Valpak.com^®, an online site for printable coupons, e-commerce and coupon codes, which has nearly 70 million offer views each month, as well as apps for smartphone platforms For more information about advertising with Valpak, please contact 1-800-676-6878.

About Cox Media Group   
Cox Media Group is an integrated broadcasting, publishing, direct marketing and digital media company that includes the national advertising rep firms of Cox Reps. Additionally, CMG owns and operates Cox Target Media, providers of Valpak, a leading North American direct marketing company and Savings.com, a leading online coupon site and community. With $1.7 billion in revenue, the company operations include 15 broadcast television stations and one local cable channel, 86 radio stations, eight daily newspapers and more than a dozen non-daily publications, and more than 100 digital services. CMG operates in more than 30 media markets and reaches approximately 52 million Americans weekly, including 30 million TV viewers, more than 4 million print and online newspaper readers, and 18 million radio listeners. For more information about Cox Media Group, please check us out online at www.coxmediagroup.com.

SOURCE Valpak