Goldfish Swim School Rides Wave of Expansion, Dives into Media, PA

Media, PA – Goldfish Swim School, the leading premier learn-to-swim concept, recently opened its newest school in Media. Located at 1117 W Baltimore Pike Suite C, the school provides swim lessons and water safety instruction to infants and children ages four months to 12 years. This new opening further propels the brand’s explosive growth in 2021 as it continues aggressive expansion across the country with both single and multi-unit owners.

The school is owned and operated by Greg and Alexandra DeRise, and Anthony Pistilli. The DeRises and Pistilli are also owners of the Goldfish Swim School – Malvern which opened in 2018. The trio saw now as an opportune time to expand with the brand as parents continue to prioritize the importance of water safety.

“It’s a great feeling to know your business is truly impacting the community where you live,” said Greg DeRise. “With Goldfish, we’ve found an organization with a strong culture, solid systems, and a strong business model with a talented support team – all reminders that this was the brand we wanted to invest and grow with. We’re grateful to have the opportunity to bring such an incredible and necessary business to the Media community.”

In line with the company’s core values, the ownership group’s core focus will be educating children on water safety while teaching them how to swim and respect the water. Families in the community now have access to the school’s renowned proprietary curriculum, The Science of SwimPlay®, which helps to build life skills both in and out of the water using play-based learning in a fun and safe environment. The 8,600 square-foot school features a 75 x 25 ft pool – kept at a comfortable 90 degrees – and a viewing room nearby for families.

“We’re thrilled Greg, Alexandra and Anthony continue to grow the Goldfish Swim School family,” shared Chris McCuiston, who co-founded the franchise with his wife Jenny McCuiston. “As we continue to grow, it’s more important than ever that we partner with local community leaders who are just as passionate about water safety as we are. Jenny and I are confident this team will help us continue to bring awareness to the drowning epidemic and ultimately get us one step closer to reducing the number of accidental drownings. We’ve built an incredible infrastructure for growth and by partnering with like-minded franchisees, we are poised for long-term success.”

The brand is seeking qualified, active and engaged individuals who are involved with their community, have a passion for water safety, and are hungry to dive into the world of franchising. Today, with 110-plus schools open and more than 130 in development, Goldfish Swim School continues to be on the fast-track for growth. The franchise is seeking partners to develop in the southern and western region of the United States in addition to Canada. Specifically, company executives see substantial growth opportunities in California, Texas, and Florida where there is strong demand for the brand’s services.

Goldfish Swim School’s growth and overall success has not gone unnoticed as the franchise industry has honored the brand with several recent award wins – No. 11 on Franchise Times’ Fast & Serious List, No. 29 and the top swim school franchise in Entrepreneur Magazine’s 2021 Franchise 500®, named a Top Franchise for 2021 by Franchise Business Review, while also making an appearance on The Inc. 5000 list for the sixth year in a row. Consistently outranking its competition, Goldfish Swim School continues to prove itself as the largest and most established swim school franchise in the space. Its ability to go above and beyond to nurture a culture that provides a GOLDEN Experience! to its members is unmatched by its competition and is what drives prospective franchisees to continuously choose Goldfish.

Goldfish Swim School credits this success to be a collective effort of its dedicated franchisees, loyal team members and exceptional leadership. From passionate co-founders, industry veterans and innovative young minds, Goldfish Swim School’s award-winning leadership team is unmatched. Amid the pandemic, the brand opened its milestone 100th school, celebrated one million square feet in open real estate, began piloting new innovations, successfully lobbied for safe re-openings, signed 19 franchise agreements, and debuted in four new states. As a result, Goldfish Swim School is optimistic that it will regain its pre-COVID enrollment numbers teaching more than 138,000 children each week how to be safer in and around the water

For more information on Goldfish Swim School and its franchise opportunity, please visit https://www.goldfishswimschool.com/franchise-opportunities/ or call 248-801-1850. 

About Goldfish Swim School 

Founded by husband and wife team Chris and Jenny McCuiston, Goldfish Swim School provides swim lessons and water safety instruction to infants and children ages four months to 12 years. Classes are offered by specially trained instructors in a safe, child-friendly and fun environment using their research-based philosophy called The Science of SwimPlay®. Headquartered in Troy, Michigan, Goldfish Swim School was established in Birmingham, Michigan in 2006, and opened its first franchise location in 2009. Recently, the brand was recognized by Entrepreneur in its Franchise 500® ranking, Franchise Times’ Fast & Serious List, and Inc. Magazine’s Top 5000. Goldfish Swim School is currently in the process of expanding franchise opportunities throughout North America, with more than 110 schools open, and an additional 130+ in development in more than 30 states and Canada.

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