Thomas Murphy was awarded the Franchisee Excellence Award for his excellence in business performance, strong leadership, and dedication. In 2025, Tom reached the $1 million milestone in both of his Huntington Learning Centers, a significant accomplishment that’s a direct result of his leadership.
Tom is a standout leader and mentor to both his teams and fellow franchisees. He consistently fosters a positive, growth-focused culture by investing in the personal and professional development of his staff, including bringing team members to corporate training and conventions.
His commitment to developing others extends beyond his own centers. This year, he led a training at our convention for fellow franchisees on leadership, management, and fulfilling the mission of Huntington Learning Center.
From a strategic business standpoint, Tom has a long history of smart partnerships with schools to support students across districts.
His center in Springfield, PA was awarded a school partnership contract with Chester Upland School District in Chester, PA, in April 2025. The district has made them the sole provider of tutoring, eliminating their other 2 competitors. He instructed 140 students in grades 2-5, focusing on improving their reading and math skills in small group ratios during the school day. This partnership program generated over $200,000 in revenue for his center, exemplifying Tom’s drive for success and dedication to the mission.
Read Our Q&A With Thomas Murphy, Franchise Owner at Huntington Learning Center
When did you start your business?
I started my business in 2007, and I’m the owner of the Huntington Learning Centers of Springfield, PA, and Abington, PA.
During your research, what made your franchise brand stand out?
Because I had a background in education, I could clearly see that Huntington’s philosophy and methodology were superior to other supplemental education franchises. There will always be a great need for services like those we provide, creating broad opportunities to work directly with students and their families, with public and private schools, and with other education-focused organizations.
How did your franchisor help you to prepare for and launch your business?
Huntington offered extensive, in-depth training specifically for new franchisees, and amazing support that began at startup and continued throughout ownership.
The Huntington corporate team helps franchise owners stay up to date with changes and trends in the industry, and provides many resources to support owners, managers, and staff.
What advice would you give potential franchisees considering your brand?
A strong educational foundation is the most important tool we can give young people. The work we do truly changes lives. To be successful, franchisees should be willing to commit to Huntington’s methods and put quality of service first. With both staff and customers, we work to reinforce the importance of Huntington’s core mission: to give every student the best education possible.
What specific things set YOUR franchise apart?
Huntington franchise locations have a wide variety of customer bases. Our two centers have adapted to the unique needs of surrounding communities to help serve students, families, and schools in a way that drives success and naturally generates referrals. Offering flexible delivery of service allows us to help students in-center, online, in school settings, and through a variety of public and nonprofit organizations.
What specific things contributed to your success?
We believe a student-first, communication-heavy approach has been critical to our success. Great communication helps students, families and schools see that their success matters to us, and gives them a forum to provide meaningful feedback.
Teaching staff are the backbone of great service, and their development and performance are a big part of what makes Huntington work for our students and for us. Careful hiring and ongoing development and observation help ensure the highest quality instruction and best possible outcomes.
What unique strengths and skills do YOU bring to your franchise?
I’m a former teacher with a Master’s in Education. I have seen how critical confidence is for student growth and success. I can appreciate and stand behind Huntington’s approach to identifying and closing learning gaps while developing motivation. We get to nurture and grow the kind of skills that students can carry forward throughout their academic careers.
What is something that might surprise people about franchise ownership?
There’s business strategy and service strategy – and the two must work together under a leadership that’s really present. The business strategy should be focused on efficiency, organization, and profitability. Service strategy requires something more: a real interest and investment in the franchise philosophy, and care and concern for customer satisfaction.
The Huntington Learning Center Franchise Opportunity:
Huntington Learning Center is a top-ranked education franchise specializing in K-12 tutoring and test preparation services. Founded in 1977, the franchise has served over one million students across nearly 50 years of operation.
Huntington’s approach delivers individualized learning programs both in-center and online, helping students improve in subjects from phonics to calculus.
Huntington Learning Center uses the FBR franchisee satisfaction surveys to gain unbiased insights into their franchisees, and they have ranked highly on our unbiased awards lists for many years, including:
- Recession-Resistant Franchises
- Top Franchises for Women
- Franchise Rock Stars
- Top Franchises for Culture
Interested in Becoming a Huntington Learning Center Franchise Owner?
Huntington Learning Centers offers franchisees comprehensive training, marketing support, and operational systems. Supported by world-class training programs, ongoing coaching, and a national call center to help franchisees build profitable businesses.
To learn more about the Huntington Learning Center franchise opportunity and get more information, call 866-844-2690 or visit huntingtonfranchise.com
