In 2010, Forrest Walden, the CEO of Iron Tribe Fitness, founded the fast-growing fitness franchise that’s centered around group training. Since, the company has sold 51 franchises, 18 of which are expected to open by the end of 2013. Eight franchises are currently in operation, in addition to six corporate-owned clubs.
Iron Tribe Fitness is unique for a few specific reasons, aside from its focus on group training. One, its price point is at the high-end of the scale — memberships cost $250 per month. Second, each club caps its membership at 300 members. In addition, 90 percent of the club’s franchisees (including those recently sold) were members before purchasing clubs of their own.
Jim Cavale, the COO of Iron Tribe Fitness, believes the franchise has been successful due to the tight-knit community it fosters — one result of its membership cap. “We won’t take more than 300 members because we want to stay committed to giving members a first-class experience,” he said. “The fact that we’re essentially selling a community and lifestyle that’s truly making an impact on someone’s life is compelling people to become a client, tell their friends about it or become franchisees.”
The recently sold franchises will open in Denver, Colo., Nashville, Tenn., Charlotte, N.C., Atlanta, Ga., St. Louis, Mo., Montgomery and Huntsville, Ala. According to Cavale, the company’s goal is to boast 100 locations by 2015.
Although more locations are one focus of Iron Tribe Fitness, Cavale explained that ensuring current franchisees and clubs are operating efficiently is the main focus. “We want to hit our goals, but we want all our franchises to be open with happy franchisees,” he said.
By Rachel Zabonick
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Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
