Baskin-Robbins announced this week that it plans to open 45 new locations in the St. Louis region and is actively seeking entrepreneurs in the area who feel they are a good fit for the chain.

Salman Siddiqui, vice president of global business development at Baskin-Robbins, says the company works closely with franchisees to make sure the partnership is positive for both parties.

"By continuing our history of developing new product innovations and keeping our focus on customer service and business success for our franchisees, Baskin-Robbins is providing a completely new experience in 2009," said Siddiqui. "We share common objectives with our store developers, which focus on building and sustaining a profitable business and strong brand in this increasingly challenging economy."

The popular ice cream chain has more than 6,000 locations in 35 countries with almost 2,700 of those stores in the U.S. Last year the company opened more than 600 stores around the world.