Subscribe
Community
World Gym expands third time
Friday, March 20, 2009
 Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photos by DARWIN WEIGEL
The new large Prince Frederick center at the Patuxent Health Center on West Dares Beach Road
|
E-Mail This Article
With so many businesses just trying to hold their own, one Southern Maryland business, World Gym Fitness Centers, continues to expand its facilities and customers.
In February, World Gym moved its Prince Frederick location to the former Patuxent Athletic Center at Patuxent Health Center on West Dares Beach Road, giving the facility more than three times the fitness space.
In January the unexpected opportunity came up to move and enlarge the Prince Frederick club, one of four World Gyms in Southern Maryland. The expansion wasn't planned, and "sometimes you just need to go on faith," said owner John Parker.
"Trust me, we have our challenges like other businesses," he said after commenting on his business expansion during the downturn in the economy.
"It's been exciting and scary." A lot of nice people have supported the business and "we're thankful," Parker said.
Parker said he thinks gym membership continues to increase because people need an outlet for stress during difficult times and he's made it affordable.
"It's a good value."
Operations manager Beth Peterson said despite being an exhausting move, the extra space was needed to accommodate the membership. At night "there was nowhere to move around … we couldn't grow," she said.
"Owings was busting at the seams," Peterson said of its Owings location. World Gym took over the Owings site in the fall of 2007 with 1,800 members and now has about 4,000 members, she said.
A lot of people are now coming to the Prince Frederick location instead, Peterson said.
Member Cathy Lupfer said she used to go Owings, but goes to the new location mostly and likes its bigger aerobic room. Member Kelly Ridgewell, who also went to Owings, responded, "I love it" when asked what she thought of the new gym. Both Kim Briscoe and Karen Tabor said they enjoy the extra space, newly remodeled locker and the "uplifting colors" of the new gym.
"The bigger aerobic room is nice," Briscoe said of the room that is about four-times the size of the room at the old Prince Frederick location.
In 2003 Parker purchased a franchise for World Gym and opened the first one in Prince Frederick just south of the town center.
In 2006, World Gym partnered with the Yachtsmen in St. Mary's County and expanded with a gym in Leonardtown and Lexington Park, Peterson said.
"Three years in a row we've done something."
Peterson commended Parker, who grew up in Calvert County, for his motivation and dedication to creating friendly, clean and family-oriented fitness centers. Peterson also commended the staff and their friendly attitudes. Even the younger people are responsible, and "that trickles down from John," she said.
"Except for being a track star, he really didn't have a whole lot," she said of Parker. He found people to help him financially and he's been going ever since, Peterson said, adding, "It's truly a success story."
Peterson, who worked as a group fitness manager in 2001 at Tri Fitness, met Parker when he opened a personal training business there. Peterson spoke about Parker's past track awards and his medal-winning performances at the Pan-American games in Venezuela.
Parker, who was on the three-man state winning track team from Calvert High School in 1982, said he did not want to focus on past accomplishments, but instead credit and thank all the people who have helped him along the way.
Parker went through a list of people that he wanted to thank like an Academy Award recipient, wanting to mention everyone, especially his staff. Parker said his financial supporters were past clients of his when he was a personalized trainer in the early 2000s. Parker thanked Calvert County resident Mary Collins for giving him his first financial loan, partners Susan and Tim Yatman, Cumberland and Erly LLC, Scheibel Construction and even the Calvert County Department of Planning and Zoning.
"It was people helping people," Parker said.
World Gym is looking into another expansion in Lusby, as several members have asked Parker about a club in the south end of the county.
At the new Prince Frederick location, a massage therapist recently signed on to offer sessions by appointment and spray tanning and a hair salon are expected to open soon.
Along with the four Southern Maryland clubs, members may request travel passes that allow them to attend any World Gym in the country, said Parker, who is part of the World Gym franchise.
"At the end of the day, we're blessed," Parker said.
See related stories
