FORMER COVERALL NORTH AMERICA EXECUTIVE JOINS HCX SALONS AS DEVELOPMENT AGENT FOR NORTHERN OHIO

HCX Salons International LLC (HCX), the first national franchisor of salons specializing in expert, affordable hair color, cutting and styling services, today announced that Louis Crawford has joined the company as the development agent for Northern Ohio.

Based in Cleveland, Crawford will manage HCX Salons’ Northern Ohio franchise initiatives, including the identification of locations for HCX salons and the recruitment of franchisees and licensed beauty professionals with expertise in hair color, cutting and styling. He joins Stu Ludlow, HCX development agent for Southern Ohio, in helping to open 227 HCX salons in the state by 2008. Currently, two HCX salons are open in Toledo and three more salons will open in the state by June 30. The next salon will open at the end of this month in Columbus’ Short North District.

“We welcome Louis to our team and are confident his franchise experience and business knowledge will be an asset to the Ohio territory,” said Dana Bradley, HCX’s director of franchise development. “Our franchise sales in Ohio’s major markets are going strong with more than 40 franchise agreements already in place.”

Prior to joining HCX, Crawford was an area manager for one of the nation’s largest consulting firms to small- and mid-size business. Before this, he developed the Ohio, Michigan and Indiana territories for a dry-cleaning franchisor. Earlier in his career, he developed Coverall North America, a national franchisor of janitorial services, in the Cleveland, Pittsburgh and South Florida markets.

A recipient of a Salon Today Award of Distinction, HCX’s modern and elegantly appointed salons are 1,200- to 1,600-square-foot facilities that offer:

• High-quality color services featuring Wella’s European line of products
• Imaging technology that enables clients to preview desired hair colors and styles
• Customer profile cards that electronically store customers’ color formulations to ensure the quality and consistency of services at all HCX salons