One of the Dermacaer Laser Center franchisees just sent me this press release from Dermacare corporate about expansion to Asia.

 
Quoted from the email: "It's great to see that Carl's put the money I've paid to good use. Now patients in Asia will be flocking to my doors. I've not only got national advertising dollars at work but now I'm international. If only I could get Dermacare to answer their phone or get me some local patients."

I guess you Dermacare franchisees are just a hard crowd to please. I've heard that Carl Mudd is a business genius and now I'm starting to believe it.  (The bolding and underlines are from the email.)

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dermacare Laser & Skin Care Clinics, the only physician-based laser aesthetic skin-care franchisor in the nation, has awarded an International Master Regional Franchise agreement (IMRF) for several Asian cities to Sylvia Ramirez, M.D., and Gunther Scherz. They will have the exclusive rights to open Dermacare clinics in Singapore; Jakarta, Indonesia; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Manila, Philippines; and Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, China; as well as additional development rights for the Asia Pacific region.

“Dermacare’s expansion into Asia will be led by an eminently qualified team,” says Carl Mudd, Dermacare CEO. “Dr. Ramirez and Gunther Scherz have the unique blend of international business experience and medical credentials that we believe will generate much success in an area that has huge market potential, which remains largely untapped by any American aesthetic skincare company.”

According to Ramirez, “We extensively researched the Pacific Rim and the U.S. for a franchise partner that could serve the Asian skin-care market. Only Dermacare offered the scientific methodology, ethical corporate culture, unequaled safety record and proven results that are critical for success in this competitive marketplace.” In March, Dermacare announced that its first Asian franchised outlet would likely open in the third quarter of 2007 in Singapore. Ramirez and Scherz will run that clinic.

Scherz describes Singapore as a major healthcare hub for Asia, especially for neighboring Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam. “People travel to Singapore for a variety of premium services, including anti-aging procedures. Establishing Dermacare in Singapore will instantly increase the brand’s visibility on a global level,” Scherz says. “We are proud to offer patients safe, effective and scientifically proven treatments through Dermacare.”

Dr. Ramirez is currently the vice president for global research and development at Arbor Research Collaborative for Health in Ann Arbor, Mich. She trained at Harvard Children’s Hospital in Boston, is board certified from the American Board of Pediatrics and has designed and developed clinical programs, as well as practiced medicine in several settings — from academic clinical practice, to government clinics and the pharmaceutical industry — in both Singapore and the United States. Her experience provides her with unique insights in providing clinical care to various segments of the population. In addition, she holds an Executive M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business and an M.P.H. in quantitative methods from the Harvard School of Public Health. A frequent contributor to peer-reviewed medical journals, Dr. Ramirez’s background includes extensive concentration in the fields of pediatrics and nephrology.

Scherz, who will focus on the marketing and management side of the business, is uniquely positioned to lead Dermacare’s rapid expansion in Asia. His last position was general manager of Audi Asia Pacific for ASEAN in Singapore, and he holds an Executive M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. He has other advanced degrees in international marketing and management from the University of Paris IX Dauphine and the University of Innsbruck in Austria.