LONDON, ON - (Marketwired - Jun 4, 2014) - Ed and Mari Hughes, owners of The Little Gym of London in Ontario, Canada, have been named The Little Gym International's Franchise Owners of the Year. The Hughes received the award at The Little Gym's 2014 Reunion, the company's annual meeting, which was held in San Diego.
The Hughes, who joined The Little Gym family in 2005, were recognized for their outstanding contributions to the overall success of The Little Gym. In addition to running a successful The Little Gym location, the couple has been actively involved as consultants in various capacities.
Ed has served as a field consultant to The Little Gym franchise owners in Canada since 2008 and has worked closely with the master franchisee in Quebec, helping to bring The Little Gym program to more families throughout the province. Mari is currently serving on The Little Gym International's Marketing Committee, contributes to The Little Gym's curriculum, and had previously served on the Executive Advisory Council. Both Ed and Mari are actively involved in their gym, each teaching multiple classes.
"The Little Gym has been a perfect fit for us. After we started our family, we sought an opportunity to focus on child development. The three-dimensional learning program at The Little Gym is so much more than teaching cartwheels: There's a thought process behind what children go through in order to take risks and attempt new skills. We help children harness the emotional confidence to try something new, and to grow important development skills like spatial awareness, trust in others, and so much more," said Mari Hughes. "We have raised our three daughters through The Little Gym program, and our oldest is now a competitive diver on the junior-national level."
The Hughes are members of The Little Gym's Presidents Circle in recognition of their exemplary performance in bringing the program to families in their local community. Their London gym currently employs 19 instructors and staff members and serves as an official training gym for franchise owners and employees throughout Canada.
"We are fortunate to have franchise owners like the Hughes who share their time and expertise in contributing to the overall success of The Little Gym," said Ruk Adams, President and CEO, The Little Gym International. "The Hughes have been involved in a number of corporate initiatives and committees over the past 9 years, and their passion for sharing The Little Gym experience with other franchise owners is helping build the brand in Canada. The executive committee is honored to recognize Ed and Mari Hughes as Owners of the Year."
For more information about The Little Gym, please visit www.TheLittleGym.com.
The Little Gym is an internationally recognized program that helps children build the developmental skills and confidence needed at each stage of childhood. The very first location was established in 1976 by Robin Wes, an innovative educator with a genuine love for children. The Little Gym International, Inc., headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, was formed in 1992 to franchise The Little Gym concept. Today, The Little Gym International has locations in 28 countries and is represented by more than 200 gyms in the U.S. and nearly 300 total worldwide. For more information, visit The Little Gym at www.TheLittleGym.com.
Ron Antonette
The Little Gym International
562-596-4466
Own a rewarding business and help children develop skills for life with The Little Gym, the world's largest children's motor skill development franchise.