Franchise With Us
Med Threads is Ohio’s medical uniform superstore and the country’s premier scrub store franchise. We specialize in providing the largest selection of medical uniforms, nursing shoes, and accessories. We strive for an extremely high level of customer service, all while saving the consumer money and increasing profit for our franchisees.
The Med Threads Franchise
Starting your own business can be challenging; you don’t have to do it on your own. Med Threads’ franchise system helps to protect your business investment and saves you money through the buying power of our existing franchises and our developed franchise system. Med Threads has been selling premium, fashionable scrubs since 1995; we have years of experience to share with our franchisees. Mark Vana, Our founder and president, has been working with uniforms for over 30 years and has opened many Med Threads retail locations, negotiated leases, and created the Med Threads Mobile On-Site division.
Mark's Story
In 1995 Mark Vana was 32 years old, lived in Garfield Heights, Ohio with his wife and three young children, and had 2 or 3 jobs to make ends meet. One of his jobs at this time was as a route driver for a mid-sized uniform rental company. He was the sole provider and was supporting his family on a salary of about $24,000 while picking up and delivering uniforms to different businesses in the greater Cleveland area.
At this time Mark was also delivering The Plain Dealer on the weekends and he would say that he just wanted a day off and to be able to sleep in! Between his full time job and weekend paper route he was becoming burnt out and had nothing to show for it.
At the uniform rental company there was an excess of used work clothes that they had throw away simply because they didn’t have room for them anymore. So of the work clothes were practically brand new but they had no other alternative for the workwear. Mark talked with his manager and asked if he have these clothes that were being tossed out, and he agreed. He began taking these used, yet adequate work clothes and sold them to a small retail store called Affordable Workwear. This small business, located in Garfield Heights, Ohio, sold new and used work clothes. Mark would take a cargo van full of used work clothes to the manager of the shop and sell them for a couple hundred dollars. The extra $200 or $300 that Mark made on these work clothes was a small fortune for the young father of three. Some time later, Mr. Vana noticed that Affordable Workwear was going out of business and he was going to lose his much needed extra income. He decided to speak to the owner about the decision. After meeting the owner of Affordable Workwear, he began an immediate friendship with him based on their common Christian faith and similar business interests. A deal was arranged, and Affordable Workwear was no longer going out of business but under new ownership!
From Used Workwear to Scrub Superstore
With his new business, Mark quickly saw the need for affordable scrubs and medical uniforms and was able to slowly introduce medical apparel into the store. This was an immediate success, and soon the number of medical uniforms exceeded the number of work uniforms. Mark expanded his small, 1,000 square foot store to make room for more medical uniforms. Affordable Uniforms became the brand name in 2000 in order to reflect the new direction and success of the business. A second store was added in 2000, as well as an On-Site Sales division that is designed to service hospitals and nursing homes. Friends and family saw the success of the company and asked how they could become involved with the business venture. With the addition of new members in the company in 2002, the current medical uniform and scrub store franchise was born, and the third location of Affordable Uniforms opened. In 2011 a franchise was added in Columbus. Then in 2024 Affordable Uniforms rebranded to Med Threads. Since Mark started selling scrubs in the mid to late nineties scrubs have come a very long way. Med Threads better represents the medical uniform brands we sell.
The success of Med Threads has continued to skyrocket due to the rapid growth of the healthcare industry, and the advancements in healthcare apparel. Today, there are five Med Threads locations that all reside in the state of Ohio, and the Mobile Sales Division also continues to thrive. The original Garfield Heights location is still owned by Mark.
If you can foresee the future potential for even more success and growth of our scrub franchise due to the exploding healthcare industry, take a minute to request the information that may change your future and put you at the front of this exciting business.
Support & Training
Affordable Uniforms provides initial one-on-one training at our corporate headquarters located in Cleveland, Ohio. The training lasts for at least one week, and gives you the tools and skills you need to know about site selection, initial inventory ordering, pricing, uniform fashions, store design, and much more. That’s not all; we come to your new scrub store franchise and work with you and your new staff at your location; making sure you are prepared for your grand opening. We spend a minimum of two weeks at your location to make sure you’re comfortable running your business. Don’t worry, if you feel like you need more training, you only have to ask. We welcome franchisees at our flagship store year round for as long as they like. At our flagship store you can work with an experienced staff learning the exact skills you’ll need in your day-to-day business. The same goes for additional on-site training; your never on your own with the Affordable Uniforms scrub store franchise
Besides material support and business guidance, part of our support comes from our vendors. As part of the franchise system, you will have access to the biggest names in our industry, like Cherokee, Dickies, Barco, WonderWink, Dansko, Landau, Littmann, Koi, and a lot more. We’ve built a trusted brand reputation with our vendors and have earned discounts that can save you thousands of dollars every month! Being part of a group as big as ours and as successful as ours has benefits that other uniform stores never receive. You’ll get the benefit of seven superstore locations before you even open your doors and it will fast track you to success.
The support provided to our franchisees is never ending. We continually aid our franchises in areas such as marketing, ordering product, selling to groups, and advertising. Our franchise intranet is full of resources that you can use in your store and online to help sell to customers as well as help train employees. All of these aspects are crucial to the success of an Affordable Uniforms franchise.
We understand that sometimes these tasks feel like a lot to take on, especially for first time business owners; we are here to give you the tools you need to create success in your market. Your franchise support will always be just a phone call or e-mail away. Any time you have questions, one of our staff will be able to assist you and help you fine tune all aspects of your business, giving you the advantages you need.
Success Stories
Brigette & Dave | Franchisees Since 2002
Brigette and Dave own one scrub store and get almost all the help they need from their 9 daughters! Family friends of the Vana family, saw the fast success of the business and they asked “How can we get involved?” After much prayer and careful thought, Brigette and Dave became the first franchisees.
Vicki & Troy | Franchisees Since 2005
Vicki and Troy own two franchises and are our most successful owners. Early on Vicki and Troy noticed what was becoming of Mark’s nursing scrubs business and they also approached Mark about an opportunity to open a franchise. In 2012 they purchased their second scrub store franchise. Their two locations continue to grow very rapidly thanks to the friendly service that Vicki gives customers and Troy’s careful attention to detail and financial planning. Troy came from a similar career as Mark, driving a truck and route sales for a soda company and he says he doesn’t miss it at all.
Common Questions
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What types of franchises are available?
We franchise the right for you to establish and operate a retail scrub store that sells medical uniforms and professional garments. We specialize in medical uniforms, nursing shoes, and accessories. Providing the largest selection of discount nursing scrubs and accessories, we strive to for an extremely high level of customer service, all while saving the consumer money.
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How much does the franchise cost?
The initial franchise fee is $25,000. The average cost, including the franchise fee, is $250,000 to open a retail store. This average includes all expenses including inventory, signage, computers, fixtures and more. The total investment is between $175,000 and $325,000.
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How much is the fee for continuing support services?
The continuing services or “royalty fee,” is 5% of your net sales and is paid monthly. This fee entitles you to use the “Affordable Uniforms” service mark, use of distinctive system, marketing assistance, ongoing business development and counseling, and other benefits that come with being an Affordable Uniforms franchisee.
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What about advertising?
Affordable Uniforms takes a customized approach to marketing your franchise that you will have access to when you become a franchise. We sometimes charge up to 1% of your revenues to help fund the corporate marketing campaign that will continue to build and develop the brand for your market. We do not always have a corporate campaign in place so we do not always charge a marketing fee. Any additional funds from a corporate campaign are redistributed back to you.
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How much training is provided?
The initial training covers all material aspects of the operation of a Affordable Uniforms franchise and is comprised of classroom and on-the-job training. We also will provide training at your location and work with you and your staff before your Grand Opening. We provide at least three weeks of training. Additional training is always available to you. Also, our franchisee intranet provides lots of resources to make operating your scrub store franchise easier and faster.
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What territories are available?
Currently, we are offering franchises anywhere in the United States. Specifically, in Ohio we are looking to open franchises in Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati, Toledo, and Youngstown. We like to open scrub store franchises around larger cities with a population of about 75,000 people, because where there are people there are nurses and health care professionals that need uniforms and great service.
Take The Next Step
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Find a Retail Location
Med Threads is your scrub super store! We provide above and beyond service for groups, schools and hospitals of all sizes. Whatever you need we can do it for you and we can save you money in the process. Find a local retail store and start browsing in-person. Five convenient locations to shop with us at.
Group Discounts Available
Med Threads is your scrub super store! We provide above and beyond service for groups, schools and hospitals of all sizes. Whatever you need we can do it for you and we can save you money in the process. Services we offer to all groups include: embroidery, group discounts, custom order forms, name-tags, custom patches, free delivery, on-site fittings, and samples brought to you! Let us manage your uniforms so you can manage what matters to you.
Mobile Pop-up Stores
Our mobile scrub store brings more scrubs to your facility than most brick & mortar scrub stores have in-stock. We bring thousands of different options with something for everyone. We have dozens of colors, petite and tall options, full size range from XS - 3X, and all of the premium brands that your staff are looking for! Besides scrubs we have a full selection of nursing shoes, compression socks, bags, scissors, and more. We bring a complete scrub store to you.