Batteries Plus, the world's leading specialty battery franchise, recently welcomed its latest signed agreement to secure an 80-mile radius around the Atlanta market. This deal represents the brand's strong presence in the region as well as a roadmap for sustained success for years to come.

Inking this unique deal with Batteries Plus is Equicorp Partners LLC, a juggernaut in franchise restaurant concepts for nearly 30 years with brands including Arby's, Popeyes, Cinnabon, and more. The group plans to have 35 total Batteries Plus stores in the Atlanta market, beginning with the 17 existing locations and over a dozen new territories currently being considered for future development. Equicorp is also partnered with Freeman Spogli & Co., the private equity firm that acquired majority interest of Batteries Plus in 2016.

"We're thrilled to develop Atlanta into a Batteries Plus-powered city," said Greg Belatti, Partner and Counsel at Equicorp. "Being a strong franchisee is important to us and with Batteries Plus we can not only help bring reliable expertise and power services to the residents and businesses of Atlanta, but we can also build the brand's reputation, while providing opportunities for a number of talented, customer focused team members."

"We always strive to maintain exceptional support of our franchisees and this transaction is a great example of the level of direct support our franchisees receive from us and how a program such as this one can be replicated in other markets," added Joe Malmuth, Chief Franchising Officer. "This is just the beginning of a new development strategy for Batteries Plus, and I couldn't be happier to have Atlanta as the inaugural city of the program, with Equicorp as our franchising partner."

This agreement is the very first deal under Batteries Plus's new Market Stewardship Program. This program hybridizes what is typically found in Master Franchise (MFA) and an Area Development (ADA) Agreements, allowing Equicorp to have franchise oversight on the entire market. Batteries Plus had never offered an MFA or ADA to any previous franchisees, further marking the Market Stewardship Program as a milestone initiative for the company.

"This is an exciting deal for us because it's the first of its kind for Batteries Plus," said Jon Sica, Chief Business Officer of Batteries Plus. "There are over 6 million people in and around Atlanta and this deal gives us the potential to power devices, homes, businesses, schools, hospitals, and more, with a large base of retail stores, over 100 trusted associates and commercial sales and service centers with an extremely reliable franchise partner."

With over 800 store locations in operation and development nationwide, Batteries Plus has also carved out a unique niche in the industry with its 'plus' services – including cell phone repair and key fob replacement. Positioned for the battery-powered future, Batteries Plus was ranked on Franchise Times Top 400 list, coming in at #130. Plus, for the 30^thyear in a row, the brand ranked on Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500 list, climbing 53 spots over last year's rank and even becoming one of only 49 franchise brands to be inducted into Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 Hall of Fame. To learn more about Batteries Plus, visit batteriesplusfranchise.com.