ZIPS Dry Cleaners, LLC, recently announced that it has named Jeremy Larkin as director of procurement and strategic development and Brooks Walter as director of marketing. Both men will be based in the company headquarters in Savage, MD, and will report directly to President/CEO Bob Barry.
Larkins has more than 20 years of experience in the supply chain management field. Most recently, he was the director of supply chain for the sports-themed casual chain The Greene Turtle, and he previously worked as a food and beverage manager for Choice Hotels International and as a beverage wholesaler based in Maryland.
At ZIPS, he will develop and implement a new strategy for the company’s supplier portfolio, negotiate all pricing, contracts, terms and conditions and distribution of supplies to ZIPS stores. He will also play a key role in the company’s research and development efforts, spearheading innovation and strategy to ensure consistent delivery on customer expectations.
Walter also comes to ZIPS from The Green Turtle where he most recently served as director of marketing. A graduate of York College of Pennsylvania with a degree in Public Relations, Marketing and Speech Communications, he brings more than ten years of experience in corporate sponsorships, partnership marketing, brand marketing, public relations and other activities to his new role. Earlier in his career, he was director of brand marketing at Executive Media Communications, a full-service advertising and marketing agency heavily involved with professional sports organizations manager of partnership marketing for Monumental Sports & Entertainment, owner of the NBA’s Washington Wizards, NHL’s Washington Capitals and WNBA’s Washington Mystics, and held additional roles with the Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Eagles and other professional sports teams.
At ZIPS, he will be responsible for maximizing the return on the company’s marketing investment as measured by new trials and overall sales volume. He will guide the company’s in-house and external marketing resources in executing a program to build comparable sales growth, championing the cause for franchisee success via systemwide and local store marketing, and curating the systemwide brand.
“I feel very fortunate — and know that ZIPS is very fortunate — to have Jeremy and Brooks join our team,” said Barry, who worked with both men while he was president/CEO of The Greene Turtle. “More than extensive skills in their respective fields, they both bring incredible passion for pursuing excellence and deep appreciation for teamwork as a vehicle for companywide success. I am confident that they will play integral roles in making ZIPS the premier garment care brand that our founders envisioned at the start, and that our corporate team and franchisees strive to be every day.”
ZIPS is currently engaged in a system expansion initiative. The company is seeking ambitious, business-savvy investors interested in taking part in the $10 billion garment care segment, independent and competitive drycleaners wanting to align with a well-established brand founded on more than 100 combined years of garment care expertise, and existing single- and multi-unit operators interested in selling their business. To learn more about available opportunities, visit here or contact Director of Business Development Mike Waintraub at [email protected] or (717) 495-7995
