Anthony Geisler is at it again. After franchising LA Boxing in 2004 and growing the business to 200 locations in over 30 states, Geisler decided to take some time off in 2014 to spend time with his newborn daughter.
This free time did not last long. Soon he was approached with the idea of franchising Club Pilates, which was created by Allison Beardsley in 2007. All Club Pilates studios are equipped with reformers, chairs and springboards and offer a variety of classes for all levels of experience.
Pilates seems like a far departure from boxing, so what drew Geisler to the brand? “I liked the market segment,” explained Geisler. “There is no chain of Pilates gyms and no franchise of Pilates gyms so there is no where for private equity to put their money. I like that there is not another other player in the industry.”
According to Geisler, Club Pilates is the largest and fastest growing chain of Pilates studios in the country. Before Geisler became involved with the company, Club Pilates was already thriving.
“I really like the fact that the current seller had sold over 81 territories and had done it all without any franchise experience and very little marketing and advertising,” said Geisler. “That told me that if I added infrastructure, marketing, advertising and really supported what she was doing, we should have a great recipe for success.”
Club Pilates currently has 35 open studios throughout the U.S. and Australia, with more than 50 additional locations in development. Now that Geisler is involved he plans to grow the company quickly.
“We plan to expand the brand as fast as we possibly can, so we are currently in the process of building the team and the infrastructure and opening clubs,” added Geisler. “We plan to grow internationally and nationally. I am really excited to be a part of this venture.”
Luckily this isn’t Geisler’s first time around the block. He is taking his experience with LA Boxing and implementing lessons learned with the Club Pilates venture.
“I learned just how important it is to support the franchisees,” said Geisler. “At the end of the day they are the ones out there working and in the clubs, so it is very important to support them on all levels and build a business based on something solid.”
By Emily Harbourne
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Emily Harbourne is the former assistant editor of Club Solutions Magazine.
I just want to point out that Joseph Pilates started off in Germany training boxers. So for Anthony to have an interest in Pilates isn’t so far off from Pilates. If all boxers added training in Pilates they would be a lot more effective athletes.