Great Clips looks to add 44 stores in Birmingham area

Hair salon franchise Great Clips said it’s looking for franchisees to open 44 new salons in the Birmingham area as part of a national franchise push.

Great Clips already has seven local salons and recently signed a new franchisee to open its eighth, said Rob Goggins, vice president of franchise development in a news release. It has 2,700 franchise salons in the U.S. and Canada, which employ 30,000 stylists.

The plan is to open salons throughout the Birmingham market, he said, from southwest of Tuscaloosa, through Birmingham to northwest of Gadsden.

The company said in a news release the opportunity for franchisees is “recession resistant” with a company that’s had more than $700 million in total systemwide sales and consistent same-store sales growth.

In 2008, Great Clips experienced a 35 percent growth in its franchise recruitment and this year was ranked as one of the fastest growing franchises by Entrepreneur Magazine, said the release. It is based in Minneapolis, Minn.