A Minnesota investment firm is taking Anytime Fitness Inc. to Poland. Wayzata Poland Z.O.O., a subsidiary of Wayzata Capital, signed an Area Development Agreement to operate Anytime Fitness Clubs in Poland with plans to open three clubs in Warsaw in the next two years.
The first club is already under development and is scheduled to open in Warsaw by November. The long-term plan is to have 10 clubs operational in Warsaw and then move into other Polish cities.
MG Kaminski and Robert Lada currently operate Wayzata Capital, a Minnesota-based assets management firm that deals in Eastern European securities. Kaminski is a native of Poland, and Lada has spent significant time there and speaks the language.
“This is a great business opportunity,” Kaminski said. “We’ve spent our lives helping clients achieve excellent long-term rates of return through smart investments, so we know what works. We see great potential for Anytime Fitness’ 24-hour business model to thrive in Poland.”
“Anytime Fitness is a natural fit for the emerging consumer class in Poland,” Lada added. “A fitness model like this doesn’t currently exist. Consumers will be drawn to the convenience, affordability and high level of customer service that Anytime Fitness offers.”
Wayzata Poland holds the right to expand the ADA into a master franchise agreement at a later time. This would include the option of selling sub-franchises to qualified individuals in Poland, in addition to owning and operating their own Anytime Fitness clubs.
“Polish consumers continue to gain economic power, and Anytime Fitness is well positioned to benefit from their emerging interest in health and fitness,” said John Kersh, the vice president of International Development for Anytime Fitness. “We are also fortunate to be working with business partners who are experienced in getting things done on the ground in Poland.”
Membership fees at the Polish clubs are expected to be in the U.S. range of $30 – $40 per month. Similar to Anytime Fitness clubs in the U.S., the gyms in Poland will feature a wide variety of cardio equipment and strength training machines, and be accessible to members 24 hours a day.
The signing comes just weeks after Anytime Fitness announced plans to open clubs in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg) and Japan.
