Former Starbucks executives to lead management team at The Joint Corp.

John B. Richards and David Orwasher to accelerate growth of healthcare franchiser

July 10, 2014 — The Joint Corp., a national franchiser aiming to transform chiropractic care, has announced that two new executives with impressive retail service pedigrees who previously helped catapult Starbucks’ sales from $400 million to $2.5 billion will lead the organization and facilitate its expansion.

John B. Richards (pictured right), former president of North American Operations for the Starbucks Coffee Company and current board member and advisor to The Joint Corp., has been named chief executive officer. Richards has more than 25 years of experience growing market share for prominent companies, including Four Seasons Hotels and Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spas. As CEO of The Joint Corp., Richards hopes to build on his success and ensure that the franchisor continues or exceeds the triple-digit growth achieved in 2013.

“Roughly 20 to 30 million individuals in the U.S. use chiropractic services each year,” Richards said. “Our game-changing, patient-focused, no-appointments, no-insurance approach resonates especially well with consumers because it makes it easy for them to access care as well as a pathway to wellness.”

While at Starbucks, Richards oversaw its meteoric national rollout that propelled the company’s growth from 500 to 3,000 retail stores in three years. As Executive Vice President of Four Seasons Hotels during its international expansion, the upscale hotel chain grew from eight to 40 locations in 20 countries. While Richards was its CEO, Elizabeth Arden Red Door doubled its national growth and returned to prominence as the leading spa company in the United States. A former McKinsey consultant, he holds an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania The Wharton School and a bachelor of arts in history and sociology from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.

David Orwasher (pictured left), who served at Starbucks with Richards as vice president of development for the eastern United States, was named president and chief operating officer. Orwasher’s more than 20 years of experience growing companies in the franchise and retail arena include Marriott, Medifast, and COSI, a retail restaurant chain. Orwasher will oversee the day-to-day operations and financial performance of The Joint Corp., using his operational and retail development experience to help the company expand the number of clinics throughout the U.S.

“Research shows that spending on chiropractic care in the U.S. will continue to grow and will exceed $12 billion next year,” Orwasher said. “Already a huge market, its continued expansion is a reflection of the increasing awareness of the benefits of chiropractic as a part of a commitment to health. The Joint’s revolutionary patient-centric approach, coupled with its commitment to affordability and convenience offers a unique opportunity for people to take advantage of the benefits of routine chiropractic care and for investors to become involved in a high-growth space with the proven leader in chiropractic care.”

Orwasher directed the development of more than 1,000 stores over a four-year period while at Starbucks, opening the eastern United States for the company while helping cement its position as the leading national retail coffee concept. He recently collaborated with Richards in growing the retail division at Medifast, a national weight loss chain where he served as executive vice president in charge of the company’s corporate and franchise retail group. Orwasher previously served as executive vice president of the COSI retail restaurant chain, which grew from 40 to 100 locations in 18 months. He holds a law degree from Pace University School of Law and a bachelor of arts in environmental science from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York.

Source: The Joint Corp.