LOS ANGELES & SAN FRANCISCO & FORT WORTH, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TPG Growth, the middle market and growth equity platform of alternative asset firm TPG, today announced it has invested in Club Pilates, the largest franchisor of Pilates studios in the United States. Additional terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Club Pilates is the nation’s largest and fastest growing Pilates brand. Founded in 2007 by Allison Beardsley, Club Pilates has sold more than 475 franchise locations across 35 states. The company’s business model is focused on small group reformer Pilates classes, providing consumers a tailored, high-end workout at a manageable cost. In 2015, Club Pilates was acquired by Anthony Geisler, the former owner and CEO of a Santa Ana-based franchisor LA Boxing. As CEO, Geisler has led Club Pilates through robust growth, with the number of franchise territories sold increasing from 80 in 2015 to more than 475 today.
“At Club Pilates, we’ve worked to differentiate our business by offering a best-in-class workout, taught by experienced and knowledgeable instructors, at an affordable price,” said Anthony Geisler, CEO of Club Pilates. “With the support of our new investors at TPG Growth, we are well positioned to expand our footprint, enhance capabilities, and further execute on our vision of providing customers from coast-to-coast with the finest strength-training workout available. TPG Growth’s strong network and deep experience building businesses make them the right partner to help scale our business as we enter our next stage of growth.”
To ensure quality of service and experience across its studios, the Club Pilates team offers franchisees hands-on training and operational support throughout the entire process, from site selection to marketing and recruitment assistance. Franchisees adhere to the highest standards of quality for equipment, studio maintenance, and staff. For example, the company offers a comprehensive 500-hour teacher training program for instructors. Studios offer a wide range of classes that appeal to all fitness levels and are equipped with the latest, state-of-the-art Pilates reformers and tools. In 2017, Club Pilates was named to Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500 and Top New Franchises lists.
“The fitness sector has experienced meaningful growth as more and more consumers continue to make health and wellness a priority. This is especially true for boutique fitness brands, as they resonate with consumers’ desire for a workout founded in experience, community, and value,” said Mark Grabowski, Partner at TPG Growth. “For many years, the Pilates method has been a staple of the fitness industry – it consistently attracts more than 8 million participants across the country. As the largest player in the sector, Club Pilates is well positioned to capitalize on industry tailwinds. We are very excited about Club Pilates’ growing store base, ongoing commitment to quality, and successful, turnkey franchise solution.”
TPG Growth has a strong track record of investing in leading consumer brands as well as companies in the health and wellness space. Investments include Angie’s, one of the nation’s fastest-growing healthy snack players, and Schiff Nutrition, a developer, manufacturer, marketer, and distributor of vitamins and nutritional supplements. TPG Growth also has significant experience building franchise businesses, such as Taco Bueno, a fast-growing tex-mex quick service plus (QSR+) chain, and PJ United, the largest domestic franchisee of leading pizza delivery brand Papa John’s.
About TPG Growth
TPG Growth is the middle market and growth equity investment platform of TPG, the global private investment firm. With over $8.3 billion of assets under management, TPG Growth targets investments in a broad range of industries and geographies. TPG Growth has the deep sector knowledge, operational resources, and global experience to drive value creation, and help companies reach their full potential. The firm is backed by the resources of TPG, which has approximately $72 billion of assets under management. For more information, visit www.tpggrowth.com.
About Club Pilates
Founded in 2007 and franchising since 2012, Club Pilates is the nation’s largest and fastest-growing Pilates franchise. Class formats target a wide range of clients’ needs – from young to more senior, from beginner to advanced. Club Pilates is the first studio to create a 500-hour Teacher Training Program designed to thoroughly and safely teach group Pilates apparatus classes along with TRX, Trigger Point, and Barre techniques. Club Pilates has already sold over 475 territories throughout the United States and Canada. Its 600-plus instructors provide a current annual rate of over 4 million workouts to tens of thousands of members. For more information, visit www.clubpilates.com.
