Preschool firm looks to Mass.

By Dave Copeland, Globe Correspondent

A Georgia company that franchises high-end privately operated preschools plans to open its first Massachusetts location within 12 months.

Darin Harris, chief operating officer of Primrose Schools, said the company has secured property in Hingham. Primrose plans to open five additional locations in Massachusetts within the next four years and has been scouting potential locations in Bedford, Billerica, Canton, Lexington, Lynnfield, Sharon, Mansfield, Wayland, and Woburn.

Harris said company research indicates Boston is a good market for “the high premium segment, early childhood education that we offer,’’ adding, “It’s also a market where there was very little competition.’’

Harris said that the company, which sells franchises to operators of the schools, is spending $3.5 million to open the first Primrose school in the area and that the 12-month timetable was a conservative estimate. The facility, which would employ between 25 and 30 people, could open sooner if the permitting process goes quicker than expected, he said. The company is still searching for a franchisee for the Hingham location.

“We want people who have a good business background, people who love children, and people who really want to be in the business,’’ Harris said. “A lot of this business is about being active in the community.’’

Harris said that potential franchisees should be able to raise $350,000 and have a net value of $500,000 or more.

Primrose, based in Acworth, Ga., has 210 preschools in 16 states, mostly in the Southeast. Unlike traditional day care centers, Primrose offers educational programs for children 6 months to 6 years old, as well as after-school daycare programs for children between 6 and 12.

Jonathan Palumbo, spokesman for the Executive Office of Education, said Primrose has not begun the licensing process with the state, adding that officials will do “due diligence’’ before licensing the school to a particular franchisee.

“We’re most concerned with the quality of the operation,’’ he said.

Palumbo said franchising preschools wasn’t as common in Massachusetts as it was in other parts of the country.

“But if you were to look,’’ he said, “I think you would find instances where single owners are operating multiple locations in the state.’’

Harris said Primrose and companies like it have not been badly hurt by the recession, a sentiment echoed by Greg Helwig, chief development officer of Kiddie Academy, a competitor that operates 103 preschools in 23 states, including New Hampshire and Connecticut.

“Recent studies indicate that women comprise almost one-half of America’s labor force,’’ Helwig said. “The demand for high-quality education-based child care will continue to rise.’’

“I wouldn’t call our business recession-proof, but I would call it recession resistant,’’ Harris said. “When times are tight, we see that one of the last things parents want to cut is enrollment in our program. Even when one parent loses a job, we’re seeing them find ways to keep their children in Primrose Schools, even if it’s only for two or three days a week.’’