Oakville, ON,
2010: Instant Imprints Canada (II.CA) is proud to announce
yet another Area Franchise agreement within the span of a month.
Businessman Muhammad Azami is the new Area Franchisor for the
Western Greater Toronto Area. Mr. Azami also becomes a
co-owner of the Oakville flagship and training store on Cross Ave.
Last month Instant Imprints announced it had awarded the Alberta
Area Master Franchise license. There are now Area Franchise
agreements in place for British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba,
Saskatchewan and the GTA.
“We are a company that is in rapid growth mode and poised to be the
number one branding and promotional advertising chain in Canada,”
says Ralph Askar, President and CEO of Instant Imprints North
America.
Instant Imprints offers screen printing, promotional products,
embroidery, sign and banner production in a retail setting with
most services done in-house. Begun in the United States in 2002,
the Canadian chain was founded in 2007 when former The UPS Store
President and CEO Ralph Askar and a group of Shareholders purchased
the Canadian rights to the chain.
Says Askar, “The branding and promotional advertising industry
includes many different products and services. Most people do
not realize just how immense this industry has become. Until
Instant Imprints, the fields of screen printing, embroidery,
signage and promotional products was comprised of thousands of
independent shops. New innovations have allowed us to
completely revolutionize these well-established industries.
We have successfully merged these normally separate businesses into
a 'one stop shop' with an identifiable brand image and intelligent
approach to marketing and sales.”
For his part, new Area Franchise co-owner Mr. Azami is excited about growing the Instant Imprints brand. He brings extensive business experience to the chain having founded and built up an electronic automotive parts manufacturing company over the past 16 years in his native Iran, a company that now boasts over 200 employees.
After returning to Canada nine months ago (earlier he had lived and worked here for three years), Azami recognized that franchising was the ideal way to regain entry into the Canadian business landscape, by working with experienced and successful franchisors. After researching many business to business franchise concepts, Mr. Azami decided on Instant Imprints since there were many parallels to growing this business as there was when he built his first company from scratch in Iran.
“It is all about understanding your customers, their needs and providing solutions,” comments Azami.
“What attracted me to Instant Imprints, as a business concept, was how they have successfully merged several complementary industries into a single source provider – with an on-site showroom and in-house production which gives us a guaranteed fast turnaround and complete control of the final product,” says Azami.
“This business opportunity was also very interesting for me personally because there are two business streams to concentrate on: growing a market for the store in Oakville, and growing the chain within the GTA. I worked here in Canada eight years ago and was very eager to return with my family to start a new life. This opportunity excites me in so many ways, but mostly I look forward to helping other entrepreneurs maximize their own opportunities as well.”
About Instant Imprints
Instant Imprints is a branding and promotional advertising franchise that offers screen printing, promotional products, embroidery, sign and banner production in a retail setting with most services done in-house. Instant Imprints stores are approximately 1,200 square feet, conveniently located in easily accessible retail strip malls, and are open for both the business customer and retail consumer. The stores offer customers the opportunity to browse and inspect the merchandise, making it easier to make informed purchases.
There are approximately 50 Instant Imprints locations currently operating throughout the United States, where the concept was founded. There are five Instant Imprints stores in Canada, two in BC and three in Ontario, with an additional three stores to open in the next few months.
