Rodney Steven Talks Latest Acquisition

Image from December 2015 CS photo shoot.

Already the largest health club provider in the Midwest, Genesis Health Clubs recently announced they have purchased an additional Omaha area club from Nebraska Elite Sports and Fitness Complex (NESFC).

A massive 108,000-square-foot facility, the NESFC features a fitness floor, indoor running track, cycling studio, weight and cardio machines, spa, dry sauna, steam room, tennis, basketball, volleyball and a full-service day care.

In addition, its swimming pool and yoga studio have both been recently remodeled.

NESFC owner Larry Welch Jr. expressed excitement for the opportunity to hand over the reigns of the business to Genesis Health Clubs. “It was important to make sure that our members and employees ended up in good hands, and I’m thrilled to have Genesis Health Clubs continue our tradition of service and excellence,” he said in a statement.

NESFC members gained access to nine additional clubs in Omaha and Lincoln, as well as many more locations across the Midwest, because of the merger.

Genesis Health Clubs made its largest acquisition in club history in the spring and summer of 2016, doubling in size to 40 clubs between April and June. Along with clubs in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma, Genesis purchased seven clubs in Omaha, and two in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Here, Rodney Steven II, the owner of Genesis Health Clubs, shares his thoughts on the latest acquisition and future growth plans.

CS: Why was NESFC attractive to you?

RS: It’s a facility I’ve been looking at for years actually. It’s large, probably one of the largest clubs in town. It’s been here forever. It used to be a large tennis sports complex and over the years they’ve added fitness, basketball, group classes and swimming. Some of my best clubs are old tennis clubs that we’ve rehabbed and brought back to life, and I can see this as one of our premier flagships in Omaha. It’s going to take some time, some remodeling and some additions to the club, but it has a wonderful member base here already.

CS: What have been some of the challenges of growing so quickly over the past year?

RS: It’s been a challenge, for sure. What we’re learning more and more is that every time it comes down to the people. You have to have great people. Luckily I’ve been blessed with great people. Our staff is growing and growing every day. I see them and us handling the growth well.

CS: What’s your vision for Genesis in 2017? Do you have growth plans?

RS: It’s probably too soon for me to say exactly, but I do know we are going to grow. We do have a lot of opportunities that we’re pursuing. Right now my main focus is taking care of the facilities and members that we have currently. We have so many construction projects going on right now, a lot of rebranding going on, so my main focus is just getting the clubs in line and completed. We have eight construction projects going, so construction can probably be the hardest part of the business for me, it’s just really time consuming. But besides that, I think the team is handling it well.

Again, NESFC has been one of the longest standing nicest facilities for a lot of years, and I’m excited it’s getting an operator that loves fitness.