From Orlando Dot Bizjournals Dot Com

Friday, July 23, 2010
Thedford starts new pawn shop chain, plans 20 stores by year-end
Orlando Business Journal

- by Anjali Fluker

John Thedford is giving the pawn business another try — but this time he wants a different end ­result.

Thedford, who in 1994 established the Value Pawn & Jewelry chain in Central Florida, grew his business to 67 stores in Florida, Georgia and Tennessee with 700 employees and $120 million in 2007 revenue before selling the chain in 2008 to Austin, Texas-based publicly traded pawn giant EZCorp. for $115 million.

After the sale, Thedford was expected to become president of EZCorp, but opted out to create a new chain and write a book, Smart Moves Management. It will be published in October.

Last summer, Thedford’s new firm, Family Financial LLC, opened its first La Familia Casa de Empeno y Joyeria in Puerto Rico, expanding to two stores in February. This month, Thedford debuted his first Florida La Familia Pawn & Jewelry store in a 6,500-square-foot former Blockbuster Video shop on Curry Ford and Conway roads in ­Orlando.