| CBI Interview |
Jim Mizes
is demonstrating how to grow a multifaceted club company, a lackluster
economy notwithstanding, as the president and CEO of Club One, Inc.
By Jennifer H. McInerney
Highlights
» Business diversity
CBI: One of the unique things about Club One, Inc., is its diverse portfolio » Managing growth
of clubs. How did the company’s current structure come about?
» Technological edge
JIm mIzes: We’re the only organization that I know of that participates in all three
» Fitness advantage
channels of this industry—commercial clubs, community centers, and corporate
facilities. We own 14 commercial clubs, but we also manage a number of Club One
sites that were either purchased from us or have been built from the ground up with
an investor partner. It’s almost a reverse-franchise arrangement, in that they own the
In 2002, Jim mizes joined
building, but we operate the business for them. The situation with the corporate and
Club One, the San Francisco-
community centers is similar; we’ve taken on a number of sites that were already
based company, as president
in existence, but we’ve also partnered with companies and communities to build
and CEO, following successful
brand-new fitness facilities. We’ve helped them with design,
executive stints with Taco
development, equipment procurement, and staffing, and
Bell, Noah’s Bagels, and
are now operating the centers. We operate as a manage-
Jamba Juice. Club One is
ment-services company.
a management-services
company active in three
business channels: commer-
CBI: What are the challenges inherent in
cial clubs, community fitness
running such a multifaceted business?
centers, and corporate fitness
Jm: One of the biggest challenges—but one that ulti-
facilities. It owns 10 Club One
mately pays true dividends—is hiring the right people to
and four Frog’s Fitness units;
help us build a successful organization. Basically, we
and manages another five
hire on the basis of values and cultural alignment,
Club Ones, one Frog’s,
and then teach employees the business from there.
10 community centers, and
We seek individuals who are collaborators and
60 worksite/tenant amenity
team-oriented, and who recognize the uniqueness
sites. The individual clubs
of the populations that we serve in each location.
range in size from 5,000 to
After that, it becomes less challenging because
100,000 square feet, with as
we’ve put support systems in place, behind the
few as 1,000 members to as
scenes, that ensure a seamless mana-
many as 15,000 members
gerial experience from
each, and monthly dues of
one site to the next.
from $29-$100 (single) to
That allows managers
$125-$200 (family). Its high-
to focus on what’s unique
profile corporate clients
about each club’s commu-
include eBay, Honda, Chevron,
nity and employee base.
Blue Shield, and Motorola.
Everything else—member
In all, Club One serves some
services, payroll, accounting,
140,000 people nationwide.
systems support, purchasing, and
Mizes holds a bachelor’s
procurement—are the same at all of
degree in economics from
our centers, across the board. >
Dartmouth College and an
MBA in finance/accounting
Club One President and CeO Jim mizes
from UCLA’s Graduate School
of Management. —|
www.ihrsa.org | DECEMBEr 2009 | Club Business International
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