| News & Know How | On The Move


of America-Merrill Lynch to build and renovate his fourth, and largest, health club location. The 51,500-square-foot space will include a luxury private rooftop


club with a 60' pool, fire pit, outdoor waterfall, and food and beverage service. The health club will feature state-of-the-art equipment, personal training services, top-of-the-line cardio equipment, and a host of other luxurious amenities. The completion of VIDA Fitness-U Street is slated for August 2011. —|


Making News American Specialty Health Makes Inc.’s 5000 List ®


American Specialty Health, Inc. (ASH), an IHRSA associate company, was recently named to Inc. magazine’s fourth annual list of the top 5,000 fastest-growing privately held companies in the U.S. The company, which provides wellness, prevention, and fitness services to health plans, insurance carriers, employer groups, and trust funds, made the list for the second consecutive year. “After 23 years of doing


business and achieving more than $150 million in annual revenues, ASH continues to be named to ‘fastest-growing company’ lists,” said George DeVries, ASH’s cofounder, CEO, and chair- man. “Through an entrepreneurial legacy and a culture that consistently innovates and influences the standard approach to healthcare delivery, ASH is able to stay relevant and expand its services year after year.” —|


ASH CEO George DeVries


Strategic Partnerships


Life Time Fitness Strikes Deal with Timberwolves Life Time Fitness (NYSE: LTM), the Minnesota-based operator of multi- service health clubs nationwide, has signed the first-ever naming rights partnership with the Timberwolves NBA and Lynx WNBA teams. The teams’ practice facility will soon be expanded, which will follow with a rebranding of the facility and team jerseys, as well as changing the venue’s name to Life Time Fitness Training Center. “The Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx have had a tremendous partnership


with Life Time Fitness for several years,” said Chris Wright, the Timberwolves’ president. “We’re thrilled to have them become our first-ever training center naming rights sponsor.” —|


34 Club Business Internat ional | JANUARY 2011 | www. ihrsa.org


Life Time Fitness CEO Bahram Akradi, l., Timberwolves star Kevin Love


TriFit Launches soOlis.com, a New Industry Portal


TriFit, LLC, a Nashville, Tennessee-based com- pany and new IHRSA associate member, has launched soOlis.com, an innovative new health and wellness Website that’s designed to serve many needs and a number of constituencies. “Whether you’re looking for information about everyday wellness issues or the latest fitness products, soOlis can help you find the answer,” says Brad Bishop, the firm’s founder, president, and CEO. Taking its name from that of a Celtic goddess,


Sulis (pronounced soo’lis), associated with health and healing, the site is dedicated to providing individuals, club companies, and others with the most compre- hensive health and wellness material available. The site focuses on the fitness and medical fields, and the fitness side is comprised of three separate areas: commercial fitness equipment, home fitness equipment, and used fitness equipment. With respect to “commercial,” soOlis.com users can easily learn about and compare the products of leading equipment manufacturers. The site also boasts a Fitness Facility Locator and


a Community component, which features articles and videos on a wide range of fitness-related topics. Bishop, a 16-year fitness industry veteran, saw


a need for soOlis because of what he regarded as the disconnect between useful wellness information and the media-driven confusion between physical appearance and wellness. “Wellness is a feeling, not an image,” he explains. “While people want to look better, feeling better is what gives them quality of life. soOlis strives to provide valuable health and wellness information that helps people pursue a healthier lifestyle.” —|


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