This month, Genesis Health + Fitness will mark 15 years of growing clubs throughout the Newcastle region.
John Pirlo opened the first club in the region at Maitland in 2008 and has since provided a further six clubs to the local Hunter community – Warner’s Bay, Mayfield, Cooks Hill, Cessnock, Rutherford, and a new gym is soon to open at Thornton.
He also owns two clubs in Coffs Harbour and one in Port Macquarie.
John is showing no sign of slowing down, with the Thornton club due to open soon with a first-of-its-kind offering to the local community, featuring a Reformer Pilates studio and a high-tech small group training area called Coaching Zone.
Clubs at Maitland and Warner’s Bay have also recently opened Reformer Pilates studios.
John, who also founded the Ninja Parc franchise and owns Ninja Parc Newcastle, said his 15 years of running businesses in Newcastle was ripe with memories, friendships, achievements, and conquered obstacles.
“We currently employ over 200 locals, service more than 30,000 members and we’ve raised well over $100,000 for local charity over the years,” John said.
“Some other highlights for me include helping dozens of trainers start their own business and helping them grow under the guidance of our team.
“We have more than 50 of our employees who have been working in the team for more than 10 years helping us inspire people to move and that makes me really proud too.”
John said he thanked the local community for their support over the years, including post-lockdown when gym doors re-opened.
“The Newcastle region was a stand-out nationally in terms of club post-lockdown statistics, with members flooding back into our gyms.”
“We’re so grateful for their enthusiasm and loyalty.”
Looking at the future of doing business in the Newcastle region, John said there were a few things on his radar.
“Evolving customer needs is a big one. The landscape of many industries is changing because people want different things and are reassessing their priorities. I believe we’re still seeing this play out even though life is, for the most part, getting back to normal for most people.
“For us, a strong focus on general wellness is a big one and the reason for the introduction of Reformer Pilates – but there will be more as time goes on.
“Attracting and retaining the right talent will also continue to be a challenge. We are developing pathways for people to start in the industry and creating opportunities for them to become owners or leaders.
We have a strong culture already but we will continue to give our teams a vision to strive for.”
John said Newcastle is growing rapidly and this brings with it many opportunities.
“More dense living in the city is creating industry growth and competition. As the growth area sprawls, these new growth areas need services to keep the community moving.”
“This growth means our community is more sophisticated than ever and expects a high level of standard and service while still remaining very community-minded.
“We are continuing to develop ways to create clubs inside clubs.
“Continuing to focus on building partnerships with local businesses and charities will also remain a constant commitment.”
IMAGE | Mermaid stretch on the reformer machine at Genesis Health + Fitness
