News and jobs updated daily on www.healthclubmanagement.co.uk Email: healthclub@leisuremedia.com
Impuls becomes Baltics leader
Equinox makes its debut in Houston Premium US fitness operator Equinox has opened its first Houston club. The Equinox River Oaks club is part of a new high-end complex, which includes retailers such as Cartier, as well as office space and 279 apartments. The club will provide a luxurious mix of health and wellness offerings. Equinox chief development officer Jeff Weinhaus says: “Not only is Houston one of the fastest-growing cities in the US, but it also has a sophisticated population with a strong health and wellness orientation, which perfectly aligns with the Equinox lifestyle.” The company currently has 80 US clubs and one in the UK. Details: http://lei.sr?a=p2Q3a_H
Impuls CEO Vidmantas Siugzdinis says the company will continue to grow both its brands Lithuania-based fitness chain Impuls LTU acquired Estonia’s Arctic Sport Clubs, on 25 November, to become the first pan-Baltic fitness centre operator. Arctic Sport owns two 2,500sq m fitness centres, in Tallinn and Tartu, offering gyms, group exercise, PT and 25m pools. The current management team will be retained to help Impuls expand in Estonia. “We spent a long time planning and co-ordinating the acquisition of one of Estonia’s strongest health industry players,” says Impuls CEO Vidmantas Siugzdinis. “Arctic Sport Clubs are totally in line with
the premium concept of Impuls group – they are high quality centres with a complete range of fitness services.” When the first Lemon Gym opens in Riga in January, Impuls will be the first fitness operator with a presence in all three Baltic states – Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia – with more than 30,000 members. The company’s projected sales for 2015 are €11m. Siugzdinis says the company now has plans to grow both its premium brand, Impuls, and low-cost Lemon Gym chain, throughout the Baltics. Details: http://lei.sr?a=8t6z3_H
Chicago: 10 boutiques in one club Score Sports Center in Willow Springs – a suburb of Chicago, US – has re-opened following a 3.5-year renovation project. With its innovative new concept – featuring 10 boutique clubs under one roof – this independent, membership-based club is targeting millennials, couples and families in the upper middle / upper demographic. The 65,000sq ft facility now boasts a Premier Zone, The Aquatic Center features Hydrorider aqua bikes which covers all areas of fitness; a yoga studio; a cycling studio; a for outdoor exercise; a Kids Zone; a Power reformer pilates and ballet barre studio; a Zone, for strength training; and an Aquatic Movement Zone, which focuses on agility Center, which features Hydrorider aqua bikes and mobility training; a Stability Zone to and an aqua treadmill. engage the core; the End Zone – a turf field Details: http://lei.sr?a=A8U8r_H
24 Hour Fitness and LA Fitness swap clubs LA Fitness and 24 Hour Fitness have agreed to a club exchange, meaning that 24 Hour Fitness will leave the Arizona market and enter Oklahoma, while LA Fitness will exit the Oklahoma and Nebraska markets. As part of the deal, LA Fitness will acquire 11 clubs in Arizona, while 24 Hour Fitness will acquire two clubs in Oklahoma and one in Nebraska. Frank Napolitano, president of 24 Hour Fitness, says: “We believe the midwest offers interesting possibilities for us to make those cities core markets for 24 Hour Fitness.” Details: http://lei.sr?a=3K6W9_H
RealRyder teams up with Bodytech Indoor cycling company RealRyder has made its Latin American debut in partnership with Bodytech Corporation, which operates more than 140 full-service health clubs in Colombia, Peru and Chile. The club in Bogota, Colombia, was the first to adopt the bikes and programme, and this will be gradually rolled out at elite Bodytech locations. Regional chief marketing officer of Bodytech, Pablo Jacobsen, says the bikes are already proving popular: “Bodytech has a reputation for providing the best modern-day training equipment and classes in Latin America. We’re excited to be the first full-service club to bring members into this exciting era of cycling.” Details: http://lei.sr?a=t8y4h_H
©Cybertrek 2016 healthclubmanagement.co.uk January 2016
11