HART Health introduces franchise offering to expand product distribution nationwide

Aug 25 2010

Seattle based HART Health, a manufacturer and distributor of first aid kits and supplies for the workplace since 1974, has launched a franchise offering to expand its product distribution nationally.

The new franchise model builds on seven years of double-digit upward growth in company's van-based delivery service and allows HART Health to greatly increase its customer base. Although not the most expensive, HART Health first aid supplies are considered the highest quality commercial first aid supplies on the industrial market.

OSHA requires companies to provide necessary first aid supplies for their employees and most companies outsource management and supply of first aid kits. Outsourcing controls costs and helps companies stay in legal compliance with little effort.

"We're passionate about and focused on commercial first aid supplies," said Larry Shaw, HART Health CEO. "We've built a prosperous company that has thrived in the Pacific Northwest and franchising allows us to expand nationally and gives us substantial advantages over our competitors."

Shaw, a pharmacist, started HART Health in 1974 and the company now offers over 4,000 unique first aid products, many specially designed for specific industries.

Franchisees own and operate van service businesses that provide commercial grade first aid supplies to medium and large sized businesses. A typical company with 100 employees has 3-4 large first aid kits and each stocks 30-40 items. Franchisees add new accounts and service existing ones on a regular basis, keeping supplies in stock and making sure items are within their expiration dates.

"Franchising gives us two critical advantages over other large scale first aid suppliers," Shaw added. "Franchising has lower overhead than corporate run operations which allow us to provide higher quality supplies at lower rates. Additionally, franchisees provide more to detail and more personalized customer service than company employees."

"Our customers will get better supplies for generally less cost and will get far more personalized service with fewer errors," said Shaw. "OSHA requires first aid supplies for a good reason: having the right supplies in the right place at the right time can save lives and get employees back on the job quicker."

HART Health's company owned van service posted a mid-year 12.6% gain over last year on top of 6 successive years of positive growth.  

SOURCE HART Health