Franchising.com: Office Evolution Expanding its Florida Footprint
Navy veteran signs deal for two coworking spaces in South Florida
Louisville, Colo. – Office Evolution, the largest coworking franchisor in the U.S., is adding a new location in Plantation, Florida. This will be the brand’s fifth deal in Florida, joining existing locations in Jacksonville and Tampa.
The first location is slated to open in February of 2020, and will be located at 261 N University Drive in Plantation and is part of the new $350 million Plantation Walk mixed-use development. The 10,250-square-foot-center will be owned and operated by local residents Eddie and Mitzy Uribazo. The Uribazos are eyeing Pembroke Pines, Sunrise, and Weston, among others as potential destinations for their second location.
“We are excited to be adding two more locations in Florida,” said Mark Hemmeter, founder, and CEO of Office Evolution. “The Hollywood-Fort Lauderdale area is packed with independent employers and small businesses that are ready to elevate their operations and we can’t wait to serve them. Community-focused partners such as Eddie and Mitzy help make that happen. We are proud to welcome them to our Ohana (Hawaiian for ‘family’).”
Eddie, a United States Navy veteran, spent 24 years with Johnson Controls Inc., an HVAC corporation, where he worked as a system application engineer, a project engineer, and a senior project manager. For 13 years, he worked as a senior project manager, where he was responsible for managing multi-million-dollar operations and executing major systems projects. Eddie also has experience as an entrepreneur, having founded his own controls company. He believes his management experience coupled with his entrepreneurial knowledge will be valuable in helping small businesses and independent employers take their operations to the next level.
“I know what it is like to be an entrepreneur trying to elevate your business to the next level,” said Eddie. “I believe Office Evolution is the perfect opportunity for us to support entrepreneurs and really support the local business community. Office Evolution places a lot of emphasis on helping franchisees succeed so that the businesses they serve can thrive as well.”
Office Evolution, with 64 locations open and nearly 80 in various stages of development, is the largest coworking franchise and the fourth largest network in the U.S. The model is based on local owners who are committed to serving their community, backed by the resources and distribution of a national brand and network is unique to the category. With more than 24 million non-employer businesses in the U.S. and more than 3.5 million U.S. businesses with four employees or less, demand for shared office space is high.
“We are proud of the Uribazos for bringing the Office Evolution brand to the South Florida market,” Office Evolution COO and Global Workspace Association Board Member William Edmundson said. “Eddie’s entrepreneurial background combined with his management experience will be a great opportunity for local business owners to elevate their systems.”
With dedicated workspaces, including private offices, conference rooms, and shared workspace, Office Evolution has solutions for every business. There are also phone-answering services, address & mail services, and other professional capabilities to make each small-business owner exceed their goals.