(Colts Neck, N.J.) – Retrofitness, 1980s-themed fitness chain, has recently opened its first LEED-certified franchise location in Deer Park, N.Y. LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system aimed at improving energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, indoor environmental quality and much more.
Owned and operated by franchisee NGA Group LLC, the 16,000 square foot facility features the following green elements: pipes with special environmental wiring and coding, toilets and faucets that run on electronic beam, low voltage lights on light settings, bathrooms and locker rooms made of recyclable materials, LEED-approved wood and sheet rock.
“With our first LEED-certified location in Deer Park, we have the perfect opportunity to both better the lives of our customers and help the environment,” says Retrofitness Founder and CEO Eric Casaburi. “Going green is quite similar to the principles of fitness — if you make the extra effort, it will pay off in the long run.”
Retrofitness first launched its franchising program in 2006. Bolstered by a 2008 partnership with Chicago-based private-equity firm, Lake Capital, Retrofitness already has 50 locations open in nine states with 80 more clubs in various stages of development. The company plans to open 100 gyms in each of the next three years, extending south and west from its East Coast roots. Projected system-wide revenue in 2009 is expected to be $40 million, an 82 percent increase over 2008 and the company has more than 130,000 members with membership increasing 56 percent from 2008.
