HEALTH CLUB PROMOTIONS

The Soffer Organization formally announced that LA Fitness plans to open a facility at the SouthSide Works in the former 23,189 square foot location of Joseph-Beth Booksellers on the corner of 27th and Carson Streets.The two-level fitness center plans to open by the end of the year and employ 40 people. It will be the seventh location in the Pittsburgh area for LA Fitness LA Fitness Latest from The Business Journals Gym business undergoes upheavalEdwards Marq*E renovation unveiled, retail space lostNine West to close at SouthSide Works Follow this company .Damian Soffer, president and CEO of the Soffer Organization, called LA Fitness a “perfect addition” for the development and the South Side as a whole.
William Horner, senior vice president and chief real estate officer of LA Fitness International, said the new location is expected to appeal to residents of the South Side, Mount Washington and Oakland.The location will offer more than 80 pieces of the latest cardio equipment with individual viewing screens, circuit training, and free weight areas as well as group fitness classes that include indoor cycling, dance, Pilates and yoga in a facility somewhat smaller than other LA Fitness locations in the region.LA Fitness has begun distributing fliers to recruit new membership for the new South Side location, offering month-to-month no contract memberships with $99 registration and monthly dues of $29.99.
By: Tim Schooley covers retail, real estate, small business, hospitality and media for the Pittsburgh Business Times

The Soffer Organization formally announced that LA Fitness plans to open a facility at the SouthSide Works in the former 23,189 square foot location of Joseph-Beth Booksellers on the corner of 27th and Carson Streets.The two-level fitness center plans to open by the end of the year and employ 40 people. It will be the seventh location in the Pittsburgh area for LA Fitness LA Fitness Latest from The Business Journals Gym business undergoes upheavalEdwards Marq*E renovation unveiled, retail space lostNine West to close at SouthSide Works Follow this company .Damian Soffer, president and CEO of the Soffer Organization, called LA Fitness a “perfect addition” for the development and the South Side as a whole.
William Horner, senior vice president and chief real estate officer of LA Fitness International, said the new location is expected to appeal to residents of the South Side, Mount Washington and Oakland.The location will offer more than 80 pieces of the latest cardio equipment with individual viewing screens, circuit training, and free weight areas as well as group fitness classes that include indoor cycling, dance, Pilates and yoga in a facility somewhat smaller than other LA Fitness locations in the region.LA Fitness has begun distributing fliers to recruit new membership for the new South Side location, offering month-to-month no contract memberships with $99 registration and monthly dues of $29.99.
By: Tim Schooley covers retail, real estate, small business, hospitality and media for the Pittsburgh Business Times

A Virginia company that owns five Gold’s Gyms in the Triangle is converting the health clubs to a new name and promising various improvements for members.McLean, Va.-based Titan Fitness is changing the local Gold’s locations to Fitness Connection clubs. Members will start to notice new signs as early as next week, said Titan spokesman Matt Amodeo.Health clubs changing hands often create hassles related to fees, contracts and other changes that spur complaints among members. But Amodeo said this transition should be seamless for local customers.The clubs’ staff, contracts and prices won’t change. The parent corporation is also the same and Titan plans to add new equipment, age-specific fitness programs, dietitians and other services.”We want to adopt an overall wellness approach,” Amodeo said. “We have more flexibility as an independent chain to add things members have been asking for.”Titan recently bought the Houston-based Fitness Connection chain and ended its affiliation with Gold’s. Titan owns 17 clubs in the Triangle; Greenville, N.C.; Houston, Texas; and Nevada.But one change will effect local members who travel. Previously, they could use other Gold’s Gyms across the country for free.Now members will have access to more than 9,000 clubs in other cities affiliated with the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association. Many will offer free access, but some will charge a small fee, Amodeo said.The conversion of the Gold’s locations in this market will happen over the next three or four months, including various marketing and education efforts to explain the switch, Amodeo said. After that, Titan will look to add more Fitness Connection clubs in this region.The Gold’s Gyms that are converting to Fitness Connection are located in Raleigh at North Hills, on Six Forks Road and on Glenwood Avenue; in Cary on Kildaire Farm Road; and in the Durham side of Research Triangle Park on Emperor Blvd.

A Virginia company that owns five Gold’s Gyms in the Triangle is converting the health clubs to a new name and promising various improvements for members.McLean, Va.-based Titan Fitness is changing the local Gold’s locations to Fitness Connection clubs. Members will start to notice new signs as early as next week, said Titan spokesman Matt Amodeo.Health clubs changing hands often create hassles related to fees, contracts and other changes that spur complaints among members. But Amodeo said this transition should be seamless for local customers.The clubs’ staff, contracts and prices won’t change. The parent corporation is also the same and Titan plans to add new equipment, age-specific fitness programs, dietitians and other services.”We want to adopt an overall wellness approach,” Amodeo said. “We have more flexibility as an independent chain to add things members have been asking for.”Titan recently bought the Houston-based Fitness Connection chain and ended its affiliation with Gold’s. Titan owns 17 clubs in the Triangle; Greenville, N.C.; Houston, Texas; and Nevada.But one change will effect local members who travel. Previously, they could use other Gold’s Gyms across the country for free.Now members will have access to more than 9,000 clubs in other cities affiliated with the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association. Many will offer free access, but some will charge a small fee, Amodeo said.The conversion of the Gold’s locations in this market will happen over the next three or four months, including various marketing and education efforts to explain the switch, Amodeo said. After that, Titan will look to add more Fitness Connection clubs in this region.The Gold’s Gyms that are converting to Fitness Connection are located in Raleigh at North Hills, on Six Forks Road and on Glenwood Avenue; in Cary on Kildaire Farm Road; and in the Durham side of Research Triangle Park on Emperor Blvd.

A former NBA star and Bethel Park native died Tuesday night while playing a pickup basketball game at LA Fitness in Collier Township.

Armen Gilliam, 47, collapsed around 9 p.m. while playing basketball in the gym’s indoor courts. A bystander performed CPR on him until paramedics from Kirwan Heights could arrive at the scene.

“He just collapsed on the court,” said Joe Wissel Jr., the EMS director at Kirwan Heights. “We basically did everything we could for him.”

Gilliam was taken to St. Clair Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 9:28 p.m., according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office. The cause of death is pending an autopsy, which has yet to be performed.

Gilliam was a star player at Bethel Park High School before playing college ball at UNLV. He was the second overall choice in the 1987 draft and played professional basketball for 13 seasons before retiring in 2000.

“Armen was just a down-to-earth guy,” said Jon Burton, a friend of Gilliam. “You would never know he was a NBA star—very unassuming. I’m sad to lose him, but at least he went out doing what he loved to do, playing basketball.”

A former NBA star and Bethel Park native died Tuesday night while playing a pickup basketball game at LA Fitness in Collier Township.

Armen Gilliam, 47, collapsed around 9 p.m. while playing basketball in the gym’s indoor courts. A bystander performed CPR on him until paramedics from Kirwan Heights could arrive at the scene.

“He just collapsed on the court,” said Joe Wissel Jr., the EMS director at Kirwan Heights. “We basically did everything we could for him.”

Gilliam was taken to St. Clair Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 9:28 p.m., according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office. The cause of death is pending an autopsy, which has yet to be performed.

Gilliam was a star player at Bethel Park High School before playing college ball at UNLV. He was the second overall choice in the 1987 draft and played professional basketball for 13 seasons before retiring in 2000.

“Armen was just a down-to-earth guy,” said Jon Burton, a friend of Gilliam. “You would never know he was a NBA star—very unassuming. I’m sad to lose him, but at least he went out doing what he loved to do, playing basketball.”

Q: “With natural disasters occurring around the world in Japan, New Zealand and, most recently, the American South, what steps should a health club that’s been affected by such a disaster take to begin the recovery process?”

A: Responding to a national disaster is all about prioritization. The extent of the damage to both the club and the regions infrastructure will determine what these priorities are. You may have to go through a simple clean up or find new premises.

One thing that should be at the top of the list in all circumstances is staff. Make sure that they feel safe and their home life is as secure as possible. Not only will every staff member’s situation be different (some may be relatively unaffected, others may have lost their homes, or loved ones), but how they react to this will vary considerably. We all know how home life issues can distract people at work, and a natural disaster is an extreme case of this. Until people feel safe in their home life, their ability to constructively add value to any recovery process of a club is hindered, and the workplace may be one of the few places where any scene of normality takes place for some months.

Another important consideration is preparing for an insurance claim. Before starting any remedial work, photos should be taken and as much evidence recorded to support any insurance claim. For business more significantly affected, a loss of business, or business interruption claim may also need to be prepared, and this will often require substantial financial calculations to be made before a claim can be. Of course this assumes that the club has the correct type and level insurance – and it is a timely reminder to all to ensure that the club is insured for not only the likely, but the unlikely, and potentially catastrophic events. (After all until 2010 everyone knew that Christchurch was not on a fault line, and did not have large earthquakes. Oh how wrong we all were!)

Most clubs insure physical assets well, but many do not fully insure business interruption and more significantly, depopulation insurance (the terms used in different countries may vary – but any insurance broker should know these terms) – and unfortunately it’s too late once the disaster strikes.

A: From an insurance standpoint, be sure your facility is covered for disasters, before they strike.

If your club is in a flood zone, you will need to secure flood insurance. If your club is not in a flood zone you still have the ability to purchase flood insurance through the NFIP (National Flood Insurance Program). If your club is in an earthquake zone, you will want earthquake coverage. For wind damage caused by storms or tornadoes, ensure that your existing property and casualty insurance provides wind and hail coverage.

Property insurance covers building repair or replacement when damage is caused by the stated covered causes of loss. If your building is badly damaged or destroyed, it can take months to get running again. So be sure to secure business interruption insurance to pay your ongoing expenses while you get your business back on track.

Another disaster planning coverage is contingent business income coverage. This covers you for business income loss caused by the inability of a service you depend on to provide such service, such as a local power or water supply company.

Be sure that all your insurance is with an A+ rated company with the resources to actually pay your claim. There have been instances where lower-rated companies have been so burdened by claims that their ability to pay claims is jeopardized. This is not the case with an A+ rated company. It has the resources necessary to pay all claims.

A: The best way to emerge from a disaster is to prepare ahead of time. All membership and accounting data should be backed up at an off-site, secure location; you should have an up-to-date list of all your FFE items, especially fitness equipment (photos or videos are helpful); have an email data-base for your entire membership; assure adequate insurance to cover loss of income while you are rebuilding; have a Facebook Fans page, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts. After a disaster, communication with your staff, members and the community is critical. Use email, phone chains, your social networking and local media to frequently update your plans.

INDEPENDENCE, VA —
What’s old is new again in Grayson County, as Nautilus fitness equipment once again rolls off the manufacturing line in Independence.

Med-Fit Systems Inc., the manufacturer of Nautilus products, announced Thursday afternoon that the first treadmill had been finished at the manufacturing plant in Grayson County, after bringing the production line back from China. Med-fit bought Nautilus in February of 2010.

“In an era when more and more suppliers to the industry are taking their products and jobs overseas, we are doing just the opposite, said Dean Sbragia, CEO of Med-Fit Systems, Inc., in a news release. “After careful analysis, we determined that we could compete favorably on price and exceed quality and innovation criteria by returning it to our own plant.”

Med-Fit added that it anticipates adding new jobs to the plant, as other product lines return to the Independence facility.

“The recent efforts made by Med-Fit Systems to return production of many of Nautilus’ product lines back to U.S. soil are greatly appreciated by the County and it demonstrates the strong commitment the Med-Fit leadership has to its community, its employees and its future,” stated Jonathan D. Sweet, Grayson County Administrator, in the news release. “Moreover, we are pleased to see that employment levels are increasing as a result of the strategic positioning Med-Fit is making in the market place and we are encouraged that Nautilus® products will continue to be the industry leader in strength equipment.”

Before the treadmill line returned to Grayson County, Med-Fit brought back the Nautilus F3 Free Weight line to the Independence plant.

INDEPENDENCE, VA —
What’s old is new again in Grayson County, as Nautilus fitness equipment once again rolls off the manufacturing line in Independence.

Med-Fit Systems Inc., the manufacturer of Nautilus products, announced Thursday afternoon that the first treadmill had been finished at the manufacturing plant in Grayson County, after bringing the production line back from China. Med-fit bought Nautilus in February of 2010.

“In an era when more and more suppliers to the industry are taking their products and jobs overseas, we are doing just the opposite, said Dean Sbragia, CEO of Med-Fit Systems, Inc., in a news release. “After careful analysis, we determined that we could compete favorably on price and exceed quality and innovation criteria by returning it to our own plant.”

Med-Fit added that it anticipates adding new jobs to the plant, as other product lines return to the Independence facility.

“The recent efforts made by Med-Fit Systems to return production of many of Nautilus’ product lines back to U.S. soil are greatly appreciated by the County and it demonstrates the strong commitment the Med-Fit leadership has to its community, its employees and its future,” stated Jonathan D. Sweet, Grayson County Administrator, in the news release. “Moreover, we are pleased to see that employment levels are increasing as a result of the strategic positioning Med-Fit is making in the market place and we are encouraged that Nautilus® products will continue to be the industry leader in strength equipment.”

Before the treadmill line returned to Grayson County, Med-Fit brought back the Nautilus F3 Free Weight line to the Independence plant.