Kids At Heart Photography Grants First Franchise in the State of Florida (Palm Bach County)

Hamilton, NJ, August 21, 2007 --(PR.com)-- Jeff and Vikki Slavin of Wellington, FL, were recently awarded a Kids At Heart Photography franchise and will service all of Palm Beach County, FL. “We were looking for a business opportunity that I could operate once our children were all in school,” said Jeff Slavin.

Kids At Heart Photography, Inc. is the premier leader in school and youth photography, with 16 years of "capturing children's smiles.” Founded in 1991, Kids At Heart is the alternative to the typical "point & click" school and sports photographers. We have successfully photographed over one million children.

From Wisconsin, Jeff has a B.A. Degree in Business Management from University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, and Vikki received her B.S. Degree in Speech Communication from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. They recently moved to Wellington, FL, with their three boys, Mason (8), Logan and Tanner (4-year-old twins).

For the past eight years, Jeff has been a “stay at home dad” for his three children. Prior to that Jeff was a Center Director for Kindercare in Sheboygan, WI. In this role, Jeff was responsible for the day to day operation of the Daycare Center, including staff scheduling, customer service, payroll, accounts payable, budget management, government agency compliance, and overall care for the children enrolled in the center. Prior to joining Kindercare, Jeff enjoyed the role of District Manager for American Studios (a portrait photography vendor for Wal-Mart). During his tenure with American Studios, Jeff photographed children of all ages. Additionally, he was responsible for maintaining positive relationships with the Wal-Mart store managers and their customers, managing schedules, recruiting and training photographers and sales associates, and ensuring portrait quality and customer satisfaction.

Vikki is a Group Marketing Manager for Jarden Consumer Solutions in Boca Raton, FL. Prior to joining Jarden, Vikki was a Marketing Director for Home Décor innovations in Charlotte, NC, where she led the Wall Décor business and developed a line of trend-right mirrors and mirror accessories. In addition, Vikki spent many years leading the marketing efforts of 2 Wisconsin-based businesses, Uniek Picture Frames and WearEver Cookware, a division of Newell/Rubbermaid.

“After researching Kids At Photography, we were excited that my background was a perfect fit for success”, says Jeff Slavin. “With my background as a daycare center Director and a children’s portrait photographer, I am able to relate to and identify with the needs of my customer base.”

In his spare time, Jeff is an avid golfer, while Vikki enjoys all things Disney. They are also personally involved with the Miracle League, a baseball league for special needs children.

Due to the growth in the youth photography market, Kids At Heart made the decision to expand - by bringing a few qualified franchisees into the picture. “With the addition of Jeff and Vikki Slavin into the Kids At Heart franchise family, we are expanding our brand and offering schools and parents a much better option for their portrait photography,” says Michael Stewart, COO of Kids At Heart Franchise Services. “Jeff truly understands the youth photography market, as a former daycare Director and children’s photographer, Jeff brings a unique and extremely beneficial perspective to his customers. Parents in Palm Beach County, FL, will no longer have to settle for average school pictures.”

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