Gina-Lynne Smith, who resigned last week at president of Value Place Franchise Services, and Kyle Rogg, the brand’s new COO, at The Lodging Conference in September.

Jack DeBoer loyalist and one of the first employees of the Value Place brand when it launched in 2004, Gina-Lynne Smith resigned as president of Value Place Franchise Services last week. In an internal memo to the Value Place community, Smith cited the need for “a lifestyle change for my family and me.” She added the move had nothing to do with the recent changes in the executive ranks at the 175-unit economy extended-stay brand.

In the past few months, the company added both a new CEO and COO. First to come on board: Dan Weber, who succeeded Greg Kossover as CEO. Weber came from RED Development LLC, a diversified commercial real estate firm. Kossover will advise the board through the end of 2011 and is Value Place’s newest franchisee. Shortly after, Kyle Rogg joined as chief operating officer.

Selling an inexpensive product can be a challenge, said Rogg during a recent interview at the Lodging Conference in the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix. Customers seeing signs advertising a week’s lodging for $169 to $349 may not believe Value Place can deliver a cleaner, safer stay. That makes spreading the word of this brand critical, says Rogg, who joined the DeBoer crew after 15 years with Corporate Lodging Consultants, a company that secures housing for blue-collar workers.

As senior vice president of business development, Rogg expanded CLC’s customer base from 200 to 5,000 firms, including IHG, Choice, Accor, Red Roof “and lots of independents.” Rarely in the mix: Value Place, which doesn’t discount and had already “found the right price,” Rogg says. Like Value Place, Corporate Lodging Consultants is based in Wichita, KS.

Before launching Value Place seven years ago, DeBoer created Residence Inn, Summerfield Suites and Candlewood Suites. Known as the father of extended-stay, his guideposts are innovation, fiscal discipline, attention to detail and good works. Another business signature: launching brands that larger brands buy. DeBoer sold Candlewood to IHG in 2004 for $15 million and secured a big management contract on the side. Marriott bought Residence Inn and Hyatt bought Summerfield Suites, which is morphing into Hyatt House. He remains chairman of the company.

Rogg met DeBoer when both were members of the CLC board. DeBoer first reached out to him in 2009. “Lunch begat a dinner which begat a lunch, and pretty soon I’m standing in front of the home office introducing myself. It was actually a relatively long courtship,” Rogg says. “Jack wanted to make sure there was a cultural fit.”

Construction on three Value Places started in late August and earth will turn on four more by the end of the year. At the Lodging Conference, then-President Smith said, “Everything we’re hearing is very minimal development, and the only development we do is new construction. Our product has now been proven; we’ve spent more years in the recession than we’ve spent out of the recession, and we’re performing exceptionally well.”

Chain-wide occupancy is in the high 80s; hard construction costs are $25,000 a key, or $40,000 all in. Only about 20% of a Value Place is public space, and there’s no lobby or swimming pool; there’s a vestibule, a laundry and a small office. “One of the things about Value Place is that we’re very disciplined about delivering a low-cost product,” Rogg says, noting these properties run on 4.5 full-time employees. There are three building models: 108, 116 and 124 studios.

An average stay at a Value Place is 100 nights, he says. “People stay months and even years at these properties, and when you take a tour with the property manager, it’s kind of like Cheers. Everybody knows your name.” The length of stay in its apartment-like units distinguishes a Value Place from the general hotel experience. “It’s really non-transient,” Rogg says.

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