Chuze Fitness, a family-owned, national fitness chain with more than 30 locations in the U.S., has acquired EP Fitness in El Paso, Texas. Founded in 1985 by Scott Kubitz, EP Fitness is a local brand with five locations in the city.
This is Chuze Fitness’ first acquisition and its first expansion into Texas.
According to Cory Brightwell, the CEO of Chuze Fitness, the two entities are perfectly aligned in their caring approach to customer service and family-like atmosphere.
“EP Fitness is a community, locally owned and operated health club chain that’s well known in El Paso and that has always had a family-friendly vibe,” said Brightwell. “The ownership has done a really good job of building a brand that is built on loyalty. We’re excited to take the reins and continue that legacy.”
In addition, Brightwell shared the acquisition marks a return to Chuze Fitness’ roots, with the co-founders of Chuze being from Texas.
“Our background is rooted in Texas hospitality, so we’re excited to get back to those roots with this acquisition,” said Brightwell.
The acquisition is set to close in November 2022, and the plan is to continue to operate the clubs under the EP Fitness name and branding into 2023.
“This acquisition is an exciting milestone for EP Fitness, and we couldn’t be happier that it’s with a company like Chuze that shares our same values and goals,” said Kubitz, in a statement. “They’ve been a tremendous partner over the past few months, so we’re excited to enter a new era for EP Fitness and continue to serve El Paso, a city I love with all my heart, with additional support and resources.”
Regarding Chuze Fitness’ future growth strategy, Brightwell shared they plan to continue expanding in existing and new markets, including Texas.
“We’re excited to go into Texas with an initial footprint of five locations via this acquisition, with hopes to grow that,” said Brightwell. “We’re continuing to plug away and fill in our pipeline to hopefully keep opening six to 10 new locations annually, and keep that responsible growth going.”
Following the acquisition of EP Fitness, Chuze Fitness locations can be found in Colorado, California, New Mexico, Arizona and Texas.
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