The Spa Surge

Prime IV Hydration & Wellness has successfully weathered stormy waters.

- ANNABEL BURBA

A my Neary never expected she'd need a hurricane preparedness plan when she founded an intravenous nutrient therapy franchise in Colorado Springs, Colorado. But when Hurricane Helene struck more than 1,800 miles away in October, she had to act fast to keep Prime IV Hydration & Wellness's 150 locations up and running.

The storm temporarily shut down the North Cove, North Carolina, plant of Baxter International-the largest manufacturer of IV fluids in the U.S.--and triggered a national IV shortage that forced medical providers to scramble. Spa franchises rank low on suppliers' priority lists. Still, Neary's team found alternative manufacturers and implemented conservation protocols. "It was really all hands on deck," she says.