Florida-based Corporate Fitness Works has been sold to husband-and-wife team Beth and Michael Vivio. The purchase was finalized on August 1, making the Vivios 100-percent owners of the corporate wellness brand.
Previously, Beth served as executive director of a 13-county Girl Scout council; while Michael served as CEO of Valpak Direct Marketing and publisher of the Austin American-Statesman in Austin, Texas.
“This was really a culmination of a search for something that was a perfect fit for our family,” said Michael. “When I left the corporate world and my last job, Beth and I had a conversation about where life would go next. We decided what we really wanted to do was buy a company together, something we could operate and go all in on — making it successful and bringing our respective talents to it.”
Michael explained they had two criteria in their search for the ideal company: One with solid business fundamentals, and that was in an industry they could believe in. “Corporate Fitness Works was a perfect fit for us in meeting that criteria,” he said.
Corporate Fitness Works serves more than 80 companies across 140 sites nationwide, offering health and wellness programming, fitness center design, equipment procurement and fitness center management.
According to Michael, they plan to grow the company’s client base across the U.S. “We bought the company as a platform for growth,” he said. “It’s very strong and stable right now. It has large clients across the country — some of the best names in American business and employee culture. We intend to take that history and record of success into more clients. We’ll go deeper in the categories of clients that we work in, and we’ll go deeper in the regions and areas of the country where we are.”
In addition, Beth explain the couple is pleased to join the health and fitness industry — an industry they personally believe in. “We both have experienced the benefits of being active,” she said. “We feel we model the average person we’re serving within corporations. We’re not serious athletes, but we recognize our performance in our lives and jobs is improved when we’re physically active, when we’re just being more healthy.”
In addition, they are excited to maintain the brand’s woman-owned status, with Beth maintaining majority ownership in Corporate Fitness Works. The brand was launched 30 years ago by Brenda Loube and Sheila Drohan.
“When we first began speaking with Brenda and Sheila and learning more about Corporate Fitness Works, we just fell in love with the concept, business model and mission of this organization,” said Beth. “They spoke so passionately about their clients and their employees and they really sold us on what a great company it is.”
The Corporate Fitness Works’ name, services and team will remain in place under the Vivios.
“This is a fantastic industry,” continued Michael. “All of the partners involved are fighting the good fight to help people, and it’s been awesome as we’ve learned about it to join that. We’re really proud to join this industry.”
Stay ahead in the fitness industry with exclusive updates!
Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
