Leadership
Edward Bacome
Chief Executive Officer & Director
Edward Bacome is one of the founding partners of Epcon Communities. Ed has over 40 years of experience in property management, construction, operations, and real estate development. He earned his undergraduate and law degrees from The Ohio State University and is a licensed real estate broker. Ed supports many non-profit organizations within the community including the Columbus Foundation and The Ohio State University. He is also on the Board of Directors for Benchmark Bank.
Philip Fankhauser
President & Director
Philip Fankhauser is one of the founding partners of Epcon Communities and has been involved in commercial and residential development for over 40 years. As a visionary leader for the company, Phil’s insights help steer the company’s strategic direction for land acquisition, marketing and future ventures. Phil holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from Franklin University and is a licensed real estate broker. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Franklin University and on the Senior Housing Council of the Urban Land Institute (ULI).
Paul Hanson
President, Epcon Franchising
Paul Hanson was appointed President of Epcon Franchising in 2018 and has been involved in the building industry since 2003, serving in various strategic roles involving construction and operations. Prior to joining Epcon, he served as Group Vice President for Arthur Rutenberg Homes where he led an expansion and development effort that covered a six-state Midwestern market. Prior to that, he was with NVR for over ten years in leadership roles in both Ohio and Florida. Paul is a graduate of Grove City College in Pennsylvania and earned his MBA from the University of Florida in 2009. Contact Paul
Rob Krohn
Vice President, Marketing
Rob Krohn has 20+ years of experience leading marketing, advertising and lead generation strategies. As the vice president of marketing for Epcon, Rob oversees strategy and execution for all company marketing initiatives. He also serves as a consultant to Epcon’s national network of Franchise Builders. Prior to his current position, Rob oversaw brand management and marketing for Assurex Global, HSG/CodeBlue and HTP (acquired by McKesson). Rob holds a BFA from The University of Akron. Rob speaks frequently at industry conferences on topics such as traditional and digital lead generation, lead conversion techniques, marketing technology, as well as virtual and augmented reality.
Franchise Services
“With Epcon Franchising you tap into the experience of top U.S. home builders.”
Jad Buckman, CFE
Business Development Director
Jad Buckman originally joined Epcon in November of 2016 and brings over a decade of franchise experience to Epcon. Jad is a Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) and has led sales and development efforts of several nationally recognized franchise systems. Prior to his involvement in franchising Jad worked in finance for Wells Fargo and has a unique understanding of what it takes to get businesses funded. Jad is a graduate of Bowling Green State University and earned a Certificate in Franchise Management from Georgetown University in 2018. Contact Jad
Dominique Main
Business Development Director
Dominique Main began working with Epcon Franchising in 2017 and her skills in business development, client consultation and marketing have been instrumental in the growth our system has seen in recent years. Prior to joining Epcon, she owned and operated four successful businesses, including those in home services and construction. Dominique entered franchising in 2006, when she joined a national brand in the health and wellness industry. She became a top-performing sales and service consultant, and quickly ascended through the ranks to become Vice President of Operations. Later, as Director of Franchising for Olson & Associates, Dominique served in a consulting capacity for brands such as Arby’s, Franchise Services, FirstLight Homecare, Pizza Factory, and many others. Through their relationships with her, those brands grew up to 300%. Dominique holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Southern Oregon University, and her deep understanding of the systems and support needs of small business owners positions her extremely well in her role of recruiting and evaluating candidates who could benefit from Epcon Franchising’s unique opportunity. Contact Dominique
Jennifer Dimel
Business Development Specialist
Jennifer Dimel has over 10 years of experience in account management and sales. Her expertise spans several related industries and she is widely known and recognized for her attention to detail and sense of urgency around customer needs. Jennifer is the initial point of contact for those interested to be awarded a franchise and is well-qualified to help anyone interested in learning more about Epcon’s business model to understand the possibilities surrounding Epcon’s residential building franchise opportunity. Contact Jennifer
Steve Peck
Project Consultant, Land Acquisition
Steve Peck joined Epcon Franchising in 2018 and brings over 20 years of experience in land acquisition and development to our franchise support team. His work includes extensive land projects in Ohio, Kentucky and Georgia. Steve serves as a great asset to our franchisees as they evaluate land options for new projects to determine applicability to project requirements and goals. He has developed financial and other tools and guides that he shares with franchisees so they can make more informed decisions. Steve is available to collaborate with your project team as you consider land acquisition options. Steve is known for his cool, collected problem resolution skills, no matter what the inevitable land-related surprise!
Megan Tighe
Marketing Manager
Megan Tighe joined Epcon Franchising as Marketing Manager in 2020. She has a background working on both agency and in-house teams, and experience working in architecture, construction, design and senior living, making her well-suited to work alongside Epcon Franchise Builders to establish and grow their brand presence through a variety of digital and traditional marketing efforts. She graduated from The Ohio State University in 2010 with a Bachelors of Science in Marketing.
Rita Martin
Operations Manager
Rita Martin joined Epcon Franchising in 2018 and offers solid experience in the areas of franchise development, franchise law and franchise agreement administration. She also has a significant amount of expertise in zoning and land use law, commercial development and various land use matters. Rita’s role on the Epcon Franchising team is to provide our franchisees with ongoing account management and support, especially in the area of compliance. Rita works tirelessly with all of our franchise builders to provide best-in-class service and to ensure continued franchisor leadership.
Caitlin Schrimpf
Administration Coordinator
Caitlin Schrimpf has an extensive background in data, analytics and customer support. Caitlin provides Epcon Franchise Builders with periodic closing and data reports, as well as identifies community sales trends. She holds her Bachelors of Science in Mathematics from Wright State University. With her previous experience, Caitlin is an excellent fit for working directly with franchise builders and their teams to support their administrative needs.
Heidi Strutzel
Resource and Training Manager
Heidi Strutzel joined Epcon Franchising in 2020, bringing with her over 20 years of industry experience including property management and multi-family construction projects, new home and commercial building sales and most recently a leadership role with a national real estate brokerage where she focused on operations and training. Heidi’s new role as Resource and Training Manager on the Epcon Franchising team is to work with our national network of franchise builders to support the growth of their communities. She is extremely process-oriented and loves finding new systems and ways to be more efficient.
Morgan Knapp
National Sales Director
Morgan Knapp has been a top performer at Epcon Communities since 2010. She began as a Sales Consultant, served as Sales Manager for the Columbus region and most recently was the Sales Recruiter for Columbus, Charlotte and Raleigh. In her role as National Sales Director, she assists new and existing Franchise Builders in developing, refining and – ultimately – accelerating their sales efforts. She acts as an invaluable consultant for builders, helping to coach Sales Managers and Sales Consultants, strategizing community launch events and lotteries, enhancing sales resources and bringing about exceptional Epcon sales results across the country.
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