History and Executive Team
Primrose Schools Corporate History and Franchise Background
Founded in Atlanta in 1982 by Paul and Marcy Erwin, Primrose Schools revolutionized the
concept of child care, making education a key part of the service in an era when "all-play
and nothing-but-play" was the accepted norm.
When it came time to open their fourth school, in 1988, the Erwins began to think about
franchising. Only a handful of child care companies were franchised in the late 1980s,
a period when the child care industry was dominated by independent businesses. The high
standards required by the Primrose brand were also a rarity in the franchise field, where
there were few premium-quality/premium-price companies. Franchising was primarily a
low-end category, where volume was the business approach.
The Erwins hired Jo Kirchner to consult with them in developing their franchise model
and strategic marketing efforts. Ms. Kirchner was profoundly impressed with the schools’
commitment to excellence—something she had personally struggled to find as a professional
working mother of two children. In 1990, Ms. Kirchner sold her marketing company to join
Primrose. With their dream of developing a first-class educational child-care standard
achieved, the Erwins retired in 1999, selling the company to Security Capital Corp., a
Greenwich, CT-based private equity investment firm. Ms. Kirchner then assumed the role
of President and CEO, where she remains today. In June of 2008, Primrose Schools entered into a strategic equity partnership with Roark Capital Group, an Atlanta-based private equity firm.
Balanced Learning®
The Primrose Balanced Learning® curriculum, launched in 2001 and built upon the original
school model, blends the two leading philosophies of teaching young children—the
child-initiated approach and the teacher-directed approach—and balances this with character
development and play. The Primrose character development program teaches children the
importance of helping others and being involved in the local community. The academic,
character development and play elements are carefully structured into the day, in all
Primrose schools, in age-appropriate ways for every grade level. Primrose serves children
from 6 weeks to 5 years old in its child care program, and up to age 12 in its after-school
program.
The success of this balanced approach has been recognized by leading educational
organizations. Primrose is the first educational child care company and franchise to
receive accreditation from the Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation
(CITA), the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Accreditation and
School Improvement (SACS CASI) and the North Central Association of Commission on
Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI), for meeting stringent standards on
curriculum, safety and teacher training.
"Child care is probably the hardest decision a parent ever has to make," observed Ms.
Kirchner. “Our vision is to continually strengthen our standard of excellence as the best
and most trusted provider of early childhood education and child care for families across
America.”
The Executive Management Team
Jo Kirchner
President and CEO
Jo Kirchner is the very definition of passion and determination. In 1990, when she joined
Primrose as Vice President of Marketing and Operations, she had a dream of nationwide growth for
the Georgia-based company. As a working mother, she had personally experienced the stress
of searching for quality education and care for her own children. She knew if the company
could expand and maintain the high quality delivery of the original Primrose School there
would be tremendous demand from families across America. Today, that vision has become a
reality. Jo thinks it is the collaborative leadership strength of the corporate staff and
franchise owners and the organization’s culture that has enabled the company to expand from 10
schools in 1990 to over 180 today. “We believe in embracing continual learning and
innovation. More importantly, we are passionately determined to consistently deliver on
our promise to parents in every Primrose School. I have tremendous pride in the wonderful
early childhood experience thousands of young children have received, and will receive,
in our schools," she said. "I also delight in the peace of mind we provide working parents.
So many of them tell us they trust us and therefore we are helping to bring balance to
their lives. What a wonderful way to make a living…and make a difference!" With all her
success at Primrose, she believes her thirty six year marriage and two grown children are
her greatest achievements. She also loves gardening and spending time on the horse farm
she and her husband share.
Darin Harris
Chief Operating Officer
As Chief Operating Officer of Primrose Schools, Darin Harris' role is to assist the company in maintaining high-quality Primrose delivery and brand consistency, which helps drive the company's growth and profitability. As COO, Darin has oversight over Franchising & Compliance, Franchise Finance, Real Estate & Development as well as Franchise Recruitment, Marketing and Public Relations. Before joining Primrose Schools, Darin served as senior vice president for Arby's Restaurant Group, Inc. (ARG), where he oversaw franchise development and recruiting as well as unit growth and development. Harris spent a majority of his professional career in the restaurant business. He began in franchise development at Pizza Hut, Inc. and sales and marketing management at Hudson/Pierre Foods. From there, he held vice president of franchise development roles at Orion Foodsystems, LLC and as an officer leading all development functions for Captain D's Seafood. Before joining Arby’s, Darin broadened his operations skills as a multi-unit owner of eight Papa John's and three Qdoba Mexican Grill Restaurants. He was the franchise owner, chief manager and chairman of two companies that employed more than 350 people. In his free time, he can be found playing sports, watching movies, and participating in his church. He lives in Alpharetta, Georgia and with his wife, Mary, and their three children, Henry, Miley, and Sophia. Darin puts his family first and has a strong reputation for living his life with integrity.
Robert A. Benowitz
Executive Vice President of Operations
Robert A. (Bob) Benowitz is a highly regarded child care professional with a passion for people.
Bob has been employed by Primrose School Franchising Company since 1996 and serves as the
Executive Vice President of Operations. He has over 33 years experience in the Child Care
Service Industry. He began his career as a center director and has worked for large, national
child care organizations before joining Primrose Schools. He and his Operations Team are
responsible for pre-opening training, school openings, quality assurance, and on going franchise owner
support and relationships. Bob’s goals with franchise owners are to provide quality early
childhood education to our parents and children, and to maximize the enrollment potential of
each school. He believes Primrose franchise owner and corporate staff are second to none in the
industry. Bob says, "Our people are the best and that’s what sets us apart."
J. Derek Fuller
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Derek Fuller brings strong financial, business analysis and technology expertise to the
corporate staff. He has served as Chief Financial Officer, Vice President of Finance, and
Secretary of PSFC since July 2001. He has similar roles with affiliated Primrose Holdings,
Inc. and PS-Bentwater, Inc. Prior to his position with Primrose, Mr. Fuller was with
Jackson Thornton, P.C. for eight years as a manager and accountant. Mr. Fuller received
his CPA certification in 1996. Derek and his accounting team assist the franchise owner with
training on the Primrose Schools’ child care management software, office processes and
monthly financial reporting. Derek also oversees the information technology team which
administers the Primrose intranet communications for the franchise system and works with
the development and testing of new technologies. "My wife and I are very involved in the
community and committed to the highest standards of education for our two children. Our
daughter attended Primrose last year giving us the ability to enjoy the Primrose experience
from the parent side. Primrose and the educational philosophy is a great fit for my family".
Mary Zurn
Vice President, Early Childhood Education and Professional Development
Mary Zurn’s passion is the early education of young children. She worked actively in a
variety of educational arenas before coming to Primrose as an influential instructor,
administrator, and designer of innovative, interactive multimedia applications and teaching
materials. She has done research and conducted workshops in the fields of early reading,
emergent writing development, children’s literature, and the effective and appropriate uses
of technology in learning. Dr. Zurn is a native of Atlanta and earned her Ph.D. in Early
Childhood Education from Georgia State University. She believes, however, that raising her
own two children with her husband Warren has been the most rewarding and valuable learning
experience in her life. In 2004, she brought her expertise as an early childhood educator
to Primrose Schools as the Vice President of Early Childhood Education and Professional
Development. A firm believer in Primrose Balanced Learning
® curriculum, Mary’s goal is to
highlight the role of the child as an active learner. She also places special emphasis on
the professional development of Primrose teachers. "Teachers of young children have the
awesome responsibility of launching their students on happy, lifelong journeys in learning
and appreciating the world in which they live. We cannot place too much emphasis on
providing teachers with the training and support they need to be the best because they are
the key to children’s successful experiences at school."
Wayne King
Vice President, Real Estate & Development
Wayne King brings over 35 years experience in real estate development to Primrose. He
and his real estate team support franchise owners through the difficult challenges of securing
the right location and developing a first-class Primrose School campus. Wayne believes in
listening to others and highly values the importance of team work and communication.
Outside the office Wayne and his son Matt enjoy restoring antique cars (1948 Ford once
belonging to Willie Nelson.) "There is not a day that goes by that I don’t learn something
new."
Originally from Atlanta, Wayne and his wife Susan have been married for 34 years. They have
three grown children.
Paul Thaxton
Vice President, Brand Management
Paul’s career encompasses advertising agency and client-side brand and marketing leadership
for a number of nationally-recognized franchise-based organizations, including Long-John Silvers,
Wendy’s, Domino’s Pizza, and Chick-fil-A, Inc. Ultimately it was the "franchise connection"
that led him to joining us in 2007. "The key essentials of understanding our target consumers,
identifying their needs, and delivering the expectation of our brand have truly been the
mission of our company and department over the years," says Paul. The team he leads here not
only manages the national, regional, and local Brand Marketing strategies, but also strives daily
to equip the franchise community with the research and marketing tools necessary to be the
"leader in educational child care" in all of Primrose markets and communities. Paul’s passion for
education runs deep in his own family. His wife Carol is a private school principal, and both
of their grown boys understand the value of a strong educational foundation as they pursue their college experiences.