Press Releases - Westlake Sylvan - News | Sylvan Learning

• Home
• About Sylvan
• Press Room
• News Archives
• Westlake Sylvan

• Print this page
• Share this page

Westlake Sylvan Learning Center Gets New Ownership

Janet "Jt" Tomaskovich brings local expertise, business experience and passion for education as newest Sylvan franchisee

WESTLAKE, OH and BALTIMORE - Sept. 4, 2007 - Sylvan Learning, Inc., the nation’s leading provider of private tutoring for students in grades pre-K through 12, today announced the re-franchise of its corporate-owned Westlake, OH, center to local entrepreneur Janet "Jt" Tomaskovich.

A Sylvan parent 20 years ago when she enrolled her seven-year-old son in a reading program, Tomaskovich retired from a corporate sales position in the telecom industry and became the center director for the Westlake Sylvan Learning Center in February, prior to purchasing the center this summer.

"The opportunity to become a Sylvan franchisee has offered me tremendous professional and personal fulfillment," said Jt Tomaskovich. "This business responds to the need in the community for supplemental education services - a market that is rapidly growing - and gives me the opportunity to have a positive impact on a child’s education, which in turn has a positive impact on each family as a whole."

Nationwide, consumer spending on tutoring is growing, with annual increases of 7 to 10 percent over the past three years, and projected annual increases of 12 to 15 percent, according to Eduventures, Inc.

As the demand for supplemental education programs has skyrocketed, so too has the interest among potential Sylvan franchisees, particularly those of the baby boom generation. Nationwide, nearly half of Sylvan’s qualified franchising inquiries came from baby boomers in 2007.

"Jt is an example of how baby boomers are finding rewarding second careers as Sylvan franchisees," said Peter Cohen, president and CEO of Sylvan Learning, Inc. "Many wish to become business owners and relish the idea of a business that provides both the opportunity for personal growth and serves the needs of families looking to help their children excel in school and life."

The re-franchise of the Westlake center, located at 26040 Detroit Road in the Regency Centre, represents a move by Sylvan Learning to focus on franchising to local entrepreneurs and business operators. Tomaskovich has lived in the Westlake area for the past seven years.

Sylvan is currently redistricting a group of territories to address changes in consumer population and density that have occurred since the company’s territories originally were drawn. As a result of this re-franchising strategy, Sylvan is making new territories and centers available across the country, with three centers available for re-franchising in the Cleveland metropolitan area.

Entrepreneurs interested in exploring opportunities in supplemental education franchising may contact Greg Helwig, Sylvan Learning’s vice president for franchise development at (410) 843-8729.

"With the continuing changes in the supplemental education marketplace, we’ve found that local center ownership, local community involvement and partnerships with local school systems are key components of each Sylvan Learning center’s success," Cohen said. "As our newest Sylvan franchisee, Jt brings an entrepreneurial spirit, local involvement in the Westlake community and a true passion for helping children succeed."

The Sylvan Learning Center in Westlake offers a full range of in-center and online tutoring for children in grades pre-K through 12, including homework help and test preparation.

About Sylvan Learning

Sylvan Learning is the leading provider of in-center and live, online tutoring at home to students of all ages, grades and skill levels. With approximately 30 years of experience and nearly 1,100 centers located throughout North America, Sylvan’s proven process and personalized methods have inspired more than 2 million students to discover the joy of learning. Sylvan’s trained and certified personal instructors provide individual instruction in reading, writing, mathematics, study skills and test-prep for college entrance and state exams. Sylvan helps transform unique kids into uniquely inspired learners with the skills to do better in school and the confidence to do better in everything else. For more information, call 1-800-31-SUCCESS or visit http://tutoring.sylvanlearning.com.

For more information, contact:
Jennifer Gaegler, Sylvan Learning Center
(410) 843-8928
jennifer.gaegler@sylvanlearning.com