CORPORATE
PROFILE
UFSI is a venture management company that currently has investments
in 18 brands with locations in 30 states including Jreck Subs, Li'l
Dino's Deli & Grille, Sobik's Subs, Central Park Hamburgers,
Gators Dockside Restaurant, Seawest Subs, obees soups salads &
subs, Central Park Hamburgers, and Juicy Lucy Hamburgers.
UFSI's strategy is to grow through
acquisition. The company looks for affiliations that are strong,
regionally dominant retail brands; that have had historical success
and a strong franchisee community. Once the company invests in a
new affiliation UFSI then consolidates the franchise support services
and corporate functions and assists their brands in preparation
for growth in new markets.
COMPANY
HISTORY
In 1996, Ultimate Franchise Systems, Inc. became public through
a merger with a public company. Ultimate Franchise Systems, Inc.
trades on the NASDAQ Pink Sheets under the symbol "UFSJ". Consistent
with its initial strategy to consolidate the highly fragmented fast
food industry business and increase the Company's revenues and earnings,
the Company completed several acquisitions of quick service restaurant
chain operators and franchisors in various parts of the U.S.
Management believes that acquisitions
enable the Company to achieve critical mass more quickly and with
a smaller capital investment than would a program of building company-owned
restaurants. Unlike most acquisition-minded franchisers, the Company
initially maintains the affiliated brand's decor and menu specifications,
to keep its regional name recognition and loyal customer base which
the Company believes provides a more stable royalty stream.
AREAS
AND BENEFITS OF GROWTH
UFSI intends to continue to grow primarily through acquisition.
However, the Company will continue to focus on developing its existing
concepts through cultivation of new franchisees and encouraging
existing franchisees to become multi-unit operators. Current franchisees
are our best sales force and source for brand expansion. The Company
believes that many of its operating and growth strategies present
opportunities to its franchisees that will strengthen the franchisee/franchiser
relationship.
Newly acquired concepts offer franchisees
the opportunity to diversify through UFSI's portfolio of concepts.
As UFSI completes additional strategic
acquisitions and expands its unit count by selling new franchises
and leverages its corporate infrastructure to support an optimal
number of units, it will increase opportunity for co-branding, realize
greater operating efficiencies, enhance its purchasing power and
achieve greater economies of scale.
BENEFITS
FROM ECONOMIES OF SCALE
The Company has achieved certain economies of scale with regard
to consolidation and elimination of redundant services of Accounting,
Franchise Compliance, Marketing and Purchasing. For example, purchasing
and procurement and distribution of food suppliers. As a result
of growth through acquisition, the Company has enhanced it negotiating
leverage with suppliers of paper & dry goods, beverage and food
companies, among other items. As the Company's volume of purchases
increases as a result of acquisitions and internal expansion, the
Company will significantly improve discount levels from vendors.
STRENGTH
OF CONCEPTS AND BRAND NAMES
The Company's strategy is to acquire chains with strong concepts
and brand names that dominate their regional markets and have been
in operation for approximately 15 years or more. Each of the Acquisitions
had been in operation for an average of 17 years prior to being
acquired by the Company. The Company does not try to change the
acquired concept drastically, but chooses to capitalize on the strength
of the acquired entities existing brands to maintain the existing
customer base. Management believes these integration strategies
enables it to simultaneously maintain the stability of the royalty
stream generated by each of the acquired concepts and enhance unit
performance and royalty revenues through co-branding. The Company
intends to expand each concept's unit numbers through solicitations
of new franchisees and incentives to existing franchisees to operate
multi-units.
SUBSTANTIAL
EQUITY OWNERSHIP
The Company has a diverse management team with operational, financial
and restaurant chain expertise. Christopher M. Swartz, the Company's
President and Chief Executive Officer, has been responsible for
the development and management of multi-unit submarine sandwich
shops for over nine years. The Company's advisors and equity investors
have experience in top management positions in the quick service
restaurant and franchising industries. |