ZX Fitness Closes Three Clubs in South Carolina

Coop’s Health and Fitness has acquired three ZX Fitness clubs in South Carolina, according to local media reports.

Beginning Friday, Coop’s clubs in Spartanburg, Greenville and Anderson, SC, will take on an estimated 8,000 memberships from the ZX Fitness clubs in Spartanburg, Greenville and Taylors, SC, the Spartanburg Herald-Journal reported.

“I’m absolutely over the moon about this,” Michael Cooper, founder and CEO of Coop’s, told the newspaper. “This is a very exciting time for Coop’s. It is one of the largest fitness mergers in the Upstate’s history. It’s a way for us to become stronger and better serve the fitness needs of the community.”

ZX Fitness spokesman David Buzo told the newspaper that ZX Fitness’ decision to close the three South Carolina clubs was due to its inability to negotiate a long-term lease at each location.

“We wanted to provide an equal health and fitness provider, and as a result of Coop’s reputation, amenities and locations, it was an easy and logical partnership,” Buzo told the Herald-Journal.

On June 18, an employee of the ZX Fitness club in Spartanburg told local authorities that someone had broken into the club, damaged several items and stole fitness equipment, the newspaper reported.

ZX Fitness, Charlotte, NC, entered the low-price/high-volume arena with its $10-per-month memberships after taking over the troubled Peak Fitness clubs, which filed for bankruptcy. The closures leave ZX Fitness with eight clubs in North Carolina. Buzo told the newspaper that the company plans to focus its attention on the North Carolina clubs with hopes of expansion on the West Coast.
By Club Industry staff

ZX Fitness Closes Three Clubs in South Carolina

Coop’s Health and Fitness has acquired three ZX Fitness clubs in South Carolina, according to local media reports.

Beginning Friday, Coop’s clubs in Spartanburg, Greenville and Anderson, SC, will take on an estimated 8,000 memberships from the ZX Fitness clubs in Spartanburg, Greenville and Taylors, SC, the Spartanburg Herald-Journal reported.

“I’m absolutely over the moon about this,” Michael Cooper, founder and CEO of Coop’s, told the newspaper. “This is a very exciting time for Coop’s. It is one of the largest fitness mergers in the Upstate’s history. It’s a way for us to become stronger and better serve the fitness needs of the community.”

ZX Fitness spokesman David Buzo told the newspaper that ZX Fitness’ decision to close the three South Carolina clubs was due to its inability to negotiate a long-term lease at each location.

“We wanted to provide an equal health and fitness provider, and as a result of Coop’s reputation, amenities and locations, it was an easy and logical partnership,” Buzo told the Herald-Journal.

On June 18, an employee of the ZX Fitness club in Spartanburg told local authorities that someone had broken into the club, damaged several items and stole fitness equipment, the newspaper reported.

ZX Fitness, Charlotte, NC, entered the low-price/high-volume arena with its $10-per-month memberships after taking over the troubled Peak Fitness clubs, which filed for bankruptcy. The closures leave ZX Fitness with eight clubs in North Carolina. Buzo told the newspaper that the company plans to focus its attention on the North Carolina clubs with hopes of expansion on the West Coast.
By Club Industry staff

Health Club News…..Gold’s Gym in Talks to Buy Bally! Breaking news on the industry, people on the move, mergers and acquisitions and much more. Delivered weekly.

In what would be a blockbuster deal, Gold’s Gym International (GGI) is in discussions to acquire Bally Total Fitness, multiple sources tell Club Industry. The talks have been going on for about a month, and they are intensifying, according to sources. One source described the acquisition discussions as “hot and heavy and real.”
Bally CEO Michael Sheehan says he first heard rumors about the acquisition last week. “Our general approach is to not respond to rumors,” Sheehan told Club Industry. JP Morgan Chase Bank, the primary owner of Bally, Chicago, declined comment for this story. So, too, did a high-ranking official at GGI, Irving, TX.
The lack of public comments from Bally and Gold’s has not stopped speculation about an acquisition, when it would take place and what it would mean for the industry. One source says a deal could get done in the next month, around the time of GGI’s franchise convention July 18-20 in Las Vegas. Another industry observer says a deal might not be announced for another 60 to 90 days. If a deal materializes, the two companies would need to get landlord consents to close the transaction. GGI is owned by private equity firm TRT Holdings, whose assets include the Omni Hotel chain. TRT bought Gold’s from Brockway Moran and Partners in 2004 for $158 million. JP Morgan shares ownership of Bally with Anchorage Advisors LLC. In 2009, after Bally’s second bankruptcy in 17 months, JP Morgan received 50.5 percent of Bally’s equity, and Anchorage Advisors received 33.7 percent in a reorganization plan approved in bankruptcy court. Bally had been a public company prior to emerging from its first bankruptcy in 2007. Under its current ownership, GGI has not traditionally disclosed financial information about the company to Club Industry for the magazine’s annual Top 100 Clubs list. GGI did report this year that it had 700 clubs (63 corporate clubs and 637 clubs run by franchisees) at the end of 2010. Bally, after declining to submit financial information last year, reported $550 million in revenue for 2010, placing the company fifth on this year’s Top 100 Clubs list, which will be released next month. By comparison, Bally reported $1.059 billion in 2006 prior to its first bankruptcy. Sources have speculated about the asking price for Bally. One source says that if it sells for $1 million per club, then the total acquisition could be about $270 million. (Bally reported to Club Industry that it operated 278 clubs at the end of 2010.)“Where else can you buy 270 clubs for $270 million? You can’t,” the source says. But the source adds that a company buying Bally likely would have to invest an additional $100 million for upgrades and/or a possible re-brand. “Gold’s might get some religion when they figure out how much it’s actually going to cost,” the source says. If this deal goes through, there are other issues to consider, sources say. Would Gold’s keep the Bally brand or convert them all to Gold’s Gyms? And how would that sit with current Gold’s franchisees who might have to compete with other company-owned clubs in their territory?
“If they were to operate Bally as a separate entity, then maybe that allows them to run the two concepts, and where there’s overlap with the franchisee, they’d just keep the Bally name,” one source says. Another source says that if GGI were to acquire Bally, GGI would turn those clubs into corporate clubs, and the Bally brand would disappear. “As far as position in the marketplace, it certainly enhances GGI’s positioning immediately,” the source says. Officials at the Gold’s Gym Franchisee Association declined to comment about the speculation of a possible Gold’s acquisition. In addition to enhancing GGI’s position in the industry, the speculated acquisition also might result in “mass confusion and litigation,” as one source put it. Another source says the acquisition would set in motion an entire consolidation phase of clubs in the industry. Sheehan, who took over as Bally CEO in 2008 after serving as an executive at 24 Hour Fitness, San Ramon, CA, says he has heard rumors of a Bally sale in the past, even after joining Bally and not long after Bally re-emerged from bankruptcy. “In our industry, somebody’s buying and selling somebody probably every week,” Sheehan says. “This industry is certainly rife with rumors.” This time, the speculated Gold’s acquisition of Bally, according to sources, may be more than just a rumor.

Health Club News…..Gold’s Gym in Talks to Buy Bally! Breaking news on the industry, people on the move, mergers and acquisitions and much more. Delivered weekly.

In what would be a blockbuster deal, Gold’s Gym International (GGI) is in discussions to acquire Bally Total Fitness, multiple sources tell Club Industry. The talks have been going on for about a month, and they are intensifying, according to sources. One source described the acquisition discussions as “hot and heavy and real.”
Bally CEO Michael Sheehan says he first heard rumors about the acquisition last week. “Our general approach is to not respond to rumors,” Sheehan told Club Industry. JP Morgan Chase Bank, the primary owner of Bally, Chicago, declined comment for this story. So, too, did a high-ranking official at GGI, Irving, TX.
The lack of public comments from Bally and Gold’s has not stopped speculation about an acquisition, when it would take place and what it would mean for the industry. One source says a deal could get done in the next month, around the time of GGI’s franchise convention July 18-20 in Las Vegas. Another industry observer says a deal might not be announced for another 60 to 90 days. If a deal materializes, the two companies would need to get landlord consents to close the transaction. GGI is owned by private equity firm TRT Holdings, whose assets include the Omni Hotel chain. TRT bought Gold’s from Brockway Moran and Partners in 2004 for $158 million. JP Morgan shares ownership of Bally with Anchorage Advisors LLC. In 2009, after Bally’s second bankruptcy in 17 months, JP Morgan received 50.5 percent of Bally’s equity, and Anchorage Advisors received 33.7 percent in a reorganization plan approved in bankruptcy court. Bally had been a public company prior to emerging from its first bankruptcy in 2007. Under its current ownership, GGI has not traditionally disclosed financial information about the company to Club Industry for the magazine’s annual Top 100 Clubs list. GGI did report this year that it had 700 clubs (63 corporate clubs and 637 clubs run by franchisees) at the end of 2010. Bally, after declining to submit financial information last year, reported $550 million in revenue for 2010, placing the company fifth on this year’s Top 100 Clubs list, which will be released next month. By comparison, Bally reported $1.059 billion in 2006 prior to its first bankruptcy. Sources have speculated about the asking price for Bally. One source says that if it sells for $1 million per club, then the total acquisition could be about $270 million. (Bally reported to Club Industry that it operated 278 clubs at the end of 2010.)“Where else can you buy 270 clubs for $270 million? You can’t,” the source says. But the source adds that a company buying Bally likely would have to invest an additional $100 million for upgrades and/or a possible re-brand. “Gold’s might get some religion when they figure out how much it’s actually going to cost,” the source says. If this deal goes through, there are other issues to consider, sources say. Would Gold’s keep the Bally brand or convert them all to Gold’s Gyms? And how would that sit with current Gold’s franchisees who might have to compete with other company-owned clubs in their territory?
“If they were to operate Bally as a separate entity, then maybe that allows them to run the two concepts, and where there’s overlap with the franchisee, they’d just keep the Bally name,” one source says. Another source says that if GGI were to acquire Bally, GGI would turn those clubs into corporate clubs, and the Bally brand would disappear. “As far as position in the marketplace, it certainly enhances GGI’s positioning immediately,” the source says. Officials at the Gold’s Gym Franchisee Association declined to comment about the speculation of a possible Gold’s acquisition. In addition to enhancing GGI’s position in the industry, the speculated acquisition also might result in “mass confusion and litigation,” as one source put it. Another source says the acquisition would set in motion an entire consolidation phase of clubs in the industry. Sheehan, who took over as Bally CEO in 2008 after serving as an executive at 24 Hour Fitness, San Ramon, CA, says he has heard rumors of a Bally sale in the past, even after joining Bally and not long after Bally re-emerged from bankruptcy. “In our industry, somebody’s buying and selling somebody probably every week,” Sheehan says. “This industry is certainly rife with rumors.” This time, the speculated Gold’s acquisition of Bally, according to sources, may be more than just a rumor.

Tighter belts shape health club industry

The nearly $70-billion-dollar global health club industry is rolling with the punches of a tough economy while seizing the opportunities of globalization, a new report shows.Big health club chains tackled far-flung markets, and value clubs drew budget-minded consumers in 2009, according to the IHRSA (International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association) 2010 Global Report on the state of the health club industry.”Clubs doing well in Europe and the United States are either high end or budget clubs, because people want to cut back while still keeping gym memberships,” said IHRSA spokesperson Alison O’Kane. “It’s squeezing the middle market a lot.”In the United States health club chains made more money in 2009 but the number of clubs fell slightly. Club membership in Europe, led by the United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands, increased by four percent.”Europe and the United States are the most advanced markets, so the trends will start there,” O’Kane said. “There are more clubs open in Europe but America has more club members on average.”Over 128,000 health clubs served 119 million members around the world in 2009. And despite the weak economy, giant chains were keen to extend their global reach.The Curves franchise of women’s gyms is already in 76 countries and expects to enter Russia, China and India by the fall of 2010. O’Kane added that Gold’s Gym has several facilities in Egypt.And Anytime Fitness, a coed chain with 1300 gyms worldwide, has recently come to a franchise agreement with Japan, which had been among the most insular of markets.”Very few foreign brands have tried to enter the Japanese market,” said O’Kane. “And Japanese chains have stayed in Japan.”O’Kane said that while globalization has lessened the industry differences among countries, some remain.”There are a lot more community centers in Europe, where they’ll have a pool, soccer, workout equipment,” she said. “The big box model is unique to America.”She added that it is one-stop fitness, which is very big in Midwestern suburbs.”The whole family membership price is great, and there’s daycare. Huge clubs exist in Europe but the price point is way up there.”O’Kane said the 40-year-old global industry evolved from regional activities.”Every country has some sort of physical activity origin that the health club industry grew out of. It’s cultural thing,” she said.”The Japanese market developed through swimming pools. That was the center. Then they added a gym. The Netherlands’ health clubs developed out of martial arts, the U.S. clubs out of tennis and racquet ball.”She added that in Asia, the spa is very big and something that they’ve shared with the rest the world.So what’s on the horizon? O’Kane forsees a shift toward wellness.”The industry is trying to reposition itself as a solution to the global obesity problem,” she said. “Countries like Canada are leading in tax incentives for joining a health club. Switzerland and South Africa are also doing well.”O’Kane said it is happening in America, but much more slowly.”We need to find a way to leverage health promotion, working with governments, insurance companies, and doctors. Without branching out to these partnerships we’ll grow at a much smaller pace,” she explained.

Tighter belts shape health club industry

The nearly $70-billion-dollar global health club industry is rolling with the punches of a tough economy while seizing the opportunities of globalization, a new report shows.Big health club chains tackled far-flung markets, and value clubs drew budget-minded consumers in 2009, according to the IHRSA (International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association) 2010 Global Report on the state of the health club industry.”Clubs doing well in Europe and the United States are either high end or budget clubs, because people want to cut back while still keeping gym memberships,” said IHRSA spokesperson Alison O’Kane. “It’s squeezing the middle market a lot.”In the United States health club chains made more money in 2009 but the number of clubs fell slightly. Club membership in Europe, led by the United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands, increased by four percent.”Europe and the United States are the most advanced markets, so the trends will start there,” O’Kane said. “There are more clubs open in Europe but America has more club members on average.”Over 128,000 health clubs served 119 million members around the world in 2009. And despite the weak economy, giant chains were keen to extend their global reach.The Curves franchise of women’s gyms is already in 76 countries and expects to enter Russia, China and India by the fall of 2010. O’Kane added that Gold’s Gym has several facilities in Egypt.And Anytime Fitness, a coed chain with 1300 gyms worldwide, has recently come to a franchise agreement with Japan, which had been among the most insular of markets.”Very few foreign brands have tried to enter the Japanese market,” said O’Kane. “And Japanese chains have stayed in Japan.”O’Kane said that while globalization has lessened the industry differences among countries, some remain.”There are a lot more community centers in Europe, where they’ll have a pool, soccer, workout equipment,” she said. “The big box model is unique to America.”She added that it is one-stop fitness, which is very big in Midwestern suburbs.”The whole family membership price is great, and there’s daycare. Huge clubs exist in Europe but the price point is way up there.”O’Kane said the 40-year-old global industry evolved from regional activities.”Every country has some sort of physical activity origin that the health club industry grew out of. It’s cultural thing,” she said.”The Japanese market developed through swimming pools. That was the center. Then they added a gym. The Netherlands’ health clubs developed out of martial arts, the U.S. clubs out of tennis and racquet ball.”She added that in Asia, the spa is very big and something that they’ve shared with the rest the world.So what’s on the horizon? O’Kane forsees a shift toward wellness.”The industry is trying to reposition itself as a solution to the global obesity problem,” she said. “Countries like Canada are leading in tax incentives for joining a health club. Switzerland and South Africa are also doing well.”O’Kane said it is happening in America, but much more slowly.”We need to find a way to leverage health promotion, working with governments, insurance companies, and doctors. Without branching out to these partnerships we’ll grow at a much smaller pace,” she explained.

The Myth of the Health-Club Feeder System…Once the $10-per-month virus has entered a member’s system, our experience shows that it can never be cured.

Everyone in the health club industry has heard the idea that low-priced clubs are a “feeder system” to full-service health clubs. The low-priced guys themselves like to trot out this idea when they are trying to deflect the hatred spewed their way from owners of full-service clubs. Their argument is basically, “Don’t hate us, because at some point our members might want more than we can offer, and they’ll come look at your facility.”Except they won’t.Once the $10-per-month virus has entered a member’s system, our experience shows that it can never be cured. There seem to be two causes for this. One, most people really don’t want what our industry is selling, so if they can get it, whatever “it” is, for $10 per month, they are thrilled. Two, most consumers assume that every health club is the same, so why would they ever pay more? Once someone has been a member of a low-priced club, there’s not even an intellectual acknowledgement about why different health clubs might have different prices. They’ll say, “Oh, so you have a pool and classes and childcare and towel service and trainers who can answer my questions? That’s great. But my last club charged me $10 a month.”We’ve been seeing this as people move to our area and call for pricing. They are obviously gym-goers because these are the type of people who look for a new club immediately upon arriving in a new home. Yet, all they care about is price, and they even like to lecture us about how we’d get more members if we charged less. (The part of that suggestion that would cause us to go out of business doesn’t seem to interest them.)Another group that isn’t out there shopping for full-service health clubs is the large population of former members of low-priced clubs who got what they paid for at $10 per month, canceled their memberships, and now will never enter a gym again. With the $10-per-month virus having infected them and the ongoing assumption that all health clubs are the same, we aren’t counting on seeing a lot of these folks.So, let’s stop with the myth that a significant number of people will “graduate” from a low-priced club to a full-service club. They won’t. The key for full-service providers is to win the initial sales battle when a consumer is first shopping for a gym. How to win that battle is a topic for another day, but make no mistake that you have to get these new members first, before the $10-per-month virus infects the patient.

The Myth of the Health-Club Feeder System…Once the $10-per-month virus has entered a member’s system, our experience shows that it can never be cured.

Everyone in the health club industry has heard the idea that low-priced clubs are a “feeder system” to full-service health clubs. The low-priced guys themselves like to trot out this idea when they are trying to deflect the hatred spewed their way from owners of full-service clubs. Their argument is basically, “Don’t hate us, because at some point our members might want more than we can offer, and they’ll come look at your facility.”Except they won’t.Once the $10-per-month virus has entered a member’s system, our experience shows that it can never be cured. There seem to be two causes for this. One, most people really don’t want what our industry is selling, so if they can get it, whatever “it” is, for $10 per month, they are thrilled. Two, most consumers assume that every health club is the same, so why would they ever pay more? Once someone has been a member of a low-priced club, there’s not even an intellectual acknowledgement about why different health clubs might have different prices. They’ll say, “Oh, so you have a pool and classes and childcare and towel service and trainers who can answer my questions? That’s great. But my last club charged me $10 a month.”We’ve been seeing this as people move to our area and call for pricing. They are obviously gym-goers because these are the type of people who look for a new club immediately upon arriving in a new home. Yet, all they care about is price, and they even like to lecture us about how we’d get more members if we charged less. (The part of that suggestion that would cause us to go out of business doesn’t seem to interest them.)Another group that isn’t out there shopping for full-service health clubs is the large population of former members of low-priced clubs who got what they paid for at $10 per month, canceled their memberships, and now will never enter a gym again. With the $10-per-month virus having infected them and the ongoing assumption that all health clubs are the same, we aren’t counting on seeing a lot of these folks.So, let’s stop with the myth that a significant number of people will “graduate” from a low-priced club to a full-service club. They won’t. The key for full-service providers is to win the initial sales battle when a consumer is first shopping for a gym. How to win that battle is a topic for another day, but make no mistake that you have to get these new members first, before the $10-per-month virus infects the patient.

Health Club News…. Miss Texas Pole Dance Competition Heats up Dallas

DALLAS—
The first-ever “Miss Texas Pole Dance” heated up north Texas over the weekend. The competitors say, they’re not dancers, they’re athletes.It takes a lot of strength, and a lot of control, to be able to do what the women were doing.”It’s a cardio workout, it’s strength, endurance, it’s flexibility, it’s technique. So, it’s a total body workout,” said Toy Laster of Choice Training. Laster, along with Rashida Hobbs of Pole’iticians, put the event together.”They’re not really considered ‘pole dancers.’ People need to know there’s a difference between an exotic dancer and a pole dancer. they are truly athletes,” said Hobbs.Sensuality is important. So is performance. “Pole can be, not just fitness, but you can also make it very artistic,” said Laster.What it all comes down to is athleticism.”I’m looking for lines. I’m looking for flexed feet. I’m looking for someone who can bring more of a fitness and an athletic side to the sport,” said judge Nicki Shaw, Miss Georgia. The competition was split into two categories: amateur and professional.Brynn Route competed in the pro competition, because she teaches pole fitness in Austin. She says, before pole dancing, she struggled to find a workout she could stick to. “I hated going to the gym. I hated running. I just could not get behind any form of exercise until I found pole dancing, and I just fell in love,” said Route.Sunday, Route was one of the nearly two dozen women in the competition. Each was expected to perform stunts on two poles: one stationary and one rotating.Each competitor we spoke with agreed on one thing: you’ve got to be fit to perform on the pole. “It is becoming more and more mainstream,” said Hobbs.Hobbs and Laster put the event together to draw more respect for the sport.”I wanted to give women an opportunity to showcase their skills, agility, and training in pole fitness. To really display that this is an art as well as a sport, so people can recognize it as a legit fitness,” said Hobbs.
Doug Magditch doug.magditch@the33tv.com
http://www.the33tv.com/news/kdaf-miss-texas-pole-dance-competition-heats-up-dallas-20110626,0,735755.story

Health Club News…. Miss Texas Pole Dance Competition Heats up Dallas

DALLAS—
The first-ever “Miss Texas Pole Dance” heated up north Texas over the weekend. The competitors say, they’re not dancers, they’re athletes.It takes a lot of strength, and a lot of control, to be able to do what the women were doing.”It’s a cardio workout, it’s strength, endurance, it’s flexibility, it’s technique. So, it’s a total body workout,” said Toy Laster of Choice Training. Laster, along with Rashida Hobbs of Pole’iticians, put the event together.”They’re not really considered ‘pole dancers.’ People need to know there’s a difference between an exotic dancer and a pole dancer. they are truly athletes,” said Hobbs.Sensuality is important. So is performance. “Pole can be, not just fitness, but you can also make it very artistic,” said Laster.What it all comes down to is athleticism.”I’m looking for lines. I’m looking for flexed feet. I’m looking for someone who can bring more of a fitness and an athletic side to the sport,” said judge Nicki Shaw, Miss Georgia. The competition was split into two categories: amateur and professional.Brynn Route competed in the pro competition, because she teaches pole fitness in Austin. She says, before pole dancing, she struggled to find a workout she could stick to. “I hated going to the gym. I hated running. I just could not get behind any form of exercise until I found pole dancing, and I just fell in love,” said Route.Sunday, Route was one of the nearly two dozen women in the competition. Each was expected to perform stunts on two poles: one stationary and one rotating.Each competitor we spoke with agreed on one thing: you’ve got to be fit to perform on the pole. “It is becoming more and more mainstream,” said Hobbs.Hobbs and Laster put the event together to draw more respect for the sport.”I wanted to give women an opportunity to showcase their skills, agility, and training in pole fitness. To really display that this is an art as well as a sport, so people can recognize it as a legit fitness,” said Hobbs.
Doug Magditch doug.magditch@the33tv.com
http://www.the33tv.com/news/kdaf-miss-texas-pole-dance-competition-heats-up-dallas-20110626,0,735755.story

 Page 5 of 24  « First  ... « 3  4  5  6  7 » ...  Last »