If you can’t beat ’em join ’em. So said Corey Butcher, a health club entrepreneur who progressively purchased four gyms before deciding he needed some national muscle to stay healthy in the competitive Dallas market. Last year, Butcher brought all of his clubs under the umbrella of Gold’s Gym, a national franchise with some 520 U.S. locations.
“The problem was you’re fighting against the dollars of LA Fitness, 24 Hour Fitness and Bally’s,” said Butcher, 38, who prides himself on turning around underperforming clubs. “We needed some synergy in the corporation. Really the only way of doing that I felt was with a franchise.”
Butcher, who began managing health clubs at 23 and bought his first at the tender age of 26, first researched the idea of creating his own unified brand. After determining costs were prohibitive, he tossed his hat in the ring with Gold’s in March 2009, spending about $50,000 on franchise fees and another $250,000 on physical upgrades to meet the company’s requirements. Full story.
