IWG plc in Switzerland, a worldwide provider of flexible workspaces including Regus and Spaces, has announced the opening of its first franchise location in the U.S. in Birmingham.
The Birmingham location is the first of seven to launch in the metro Detroit area as part of a collaboration with John Schmidt, a long-time franchising partner and CEO of Megatron Inc., with was founded in 1978 in Bloomfield Hills and today has its headquarters in Miami.
“With demand for flexible workspace at an all-time high, there has never been a better time to open IWG’s first franchise location in the United States,” says Wayne Berger, CEO of IWG Americas. “By 2030, 30 percent of the commercial office space in the US is predicted to be flexible. As more and more companies shift permanently to hybrid work arrangements, it is the perfect time for professionals interested in diversifying their portfolio to turn their attention to franchising with IWG.
“IWG treats all franchisees as an extension of our business and provides advice every step of the way, from choosing a location to establishing sales and marketing channels. Franchising with IWG is an opportunity to lean into a proven business model in an unsaturated, yet high-demand, industry.”
Based in The Ford Building at 135 N. Old Woodward Ave., at Maple Road, the location has 45 offices, four meeting rooms, and an event space that can accommodate up to 145 workers. Rates start as low as $59 per hour for a meeting room or $330 per month per person for coworking spaces.
Recent user numbers and deals reflect the momentum of IWG and its flexible workspaces. In 2021, the company added 2 million new customers globally and signed record enterprise deals with Standard Chartered and NTT. It also opened a total of 150 new center commitments compared to 67 in 2020.
“It is a privilege to be an extension of the IWG brand,” says Schmidt, who also operates IWG franchise locations in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. “With the unpredictability of the last 18 months, the non-binding and flexible workspace contracts we provide are more important than ever for businesses. I look forward to bringing flexible workspaces to companies large and small in the Detroit metro area, enabling them to join the hybrid work revolution.”
To learn more about franchise opportunities with IWG, visit here.
