Philadelphia, one of America’s oldest cities, has several notable attractions, such as Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. While it’s not as old or historical, Club La Maison has still been a pillar of the Philadelphia fitness community for over three decades.
“Club La Maison opened in 1983 as a health and racquetball facility,” said Paul Meshyock, the general manager. “And after 35 years of business, we are still proudly owned by the Sposato family.”
A 38,000-square-foot, full-service fitness facility, Club La Maison specializes in turning members into raving fans. According to Meshyock, there are three central areas of focus that have driven its success: a great team, exceptional services and member relationships.
Meshyock explained the most important component is the staff. “The No. 1 key to our success is our outstanding team,” he said. “We are incredibly fortunate to have so many employees who genuinely care about our members’ success, and our management team is top-notch.”
Strong leadership is often the driving force of long-term success, and Club La Maison is no different. This high level of leadership has helped the club overcome recurring challenges.
“Although our staff is one of our keys to success, attracting and retaining exemplary, caring employees is an ongoing challenge,” said Meshyock. “As our market becomes more and more competitive, it is equally as difficult to attract great people who match our culture.”
No matter the turnover, Club La Maison’s culture has remained the same.
And while staying true to its original values is important, the club’s leadership team has also recognized the need to stay relevant. “A challenge is predicting industry trends and consumer needs to adapt and grow our business,” said Meshyock. “Our market is very saturated with health and fitness options, so we do our best to stay a few steps ahead.”
In addition to 120 weekly complimentary classes and over 100 weekly team training sessions, Club La Maison has an exceptional youth fitness and childcare program, as well as several social events to help members get to know each other.
“Social activities have proven successful in engaging our members,” said Meshyock. “Our two largest and favorite events of the year are ‘Night Out at the Phillies’ and our end-of-summer luau.”
Whether it’s a baseball game or a barbecue, Club La Maison has no shortage of ways to bring people together. “We have completely embraced the concept of bringing our members closer together as a group or family,” said Meshyock.
Group X classes and new equipment aside, a “members as family” mentality has driven the success of Club La Maison since the mid-1980s. And in an increasingly competitive industry, this differentiator is critical for individually owned clubs.
“Smaller, privately-owned health clubs can thrive in the face of a super-competitive market when the proper strategies align with great people offering exceptional services,” said Meshyock.
Club La Maison has succeeded because it makes members feel at home. And no matter how the industry shifts, creating a welcoming atmosphere should keep the Sposato’s club around for several more years.
“Over our 35 years of business, we have established strong and authentic relationships with our members and our community,” said Meshyock. “Club La Maison is large enough to meet most of our members’ needs, but small enough to know their names. This is a unique part of our club that we cherish.”
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Bobby is the former assistant editor of Club Solutions Magazine.
