The Thoreau Club Acquired by Private Equity Firm, COO

Todd Pulis and Faith Pulis have sold The Thoreau Club, Concord, Massachusetts, to the Pinebrook Group, a real estate private equity firm owned and operated by JB Gough and Malachy Burke, according to a May 12 announcement from The Thoreau Club.

Partnering with Pinebrook on the purchase of the club and the 33 acres on which it sits is Keith Callahan, who served for six years as general manager and COO of The Thoreau Club. Callahan, Gough, and Burke will jointly manage the club.

All current staff and coaches will remain in their roles, according to the announcement.

The new owners plan to launch Elements Outdoor Fitness, an outdoor synthetic turf field that will feature outdoor group classes including yoga, cycle and more. In anticipation of the summer season, the new ownership group is updating The Thoreau Club’s aquatics complex to include additional seating, summer programming, and an expanded poolside café menu.

The Pulis family founded The Thoreau Club in 1951 as a day camp but over time it transitioned from a traditional summer camp to a year-round multi-sport athletic club that features tennis, swimming, fitness programming and more. In recent years, The Thoreau Club added services such as Pilates, nutrition, personal coaching, massage and other lifestyle-based programs.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to lead The Thoreau Club after many years of successful ownership and community building by the Pulis family,” Callahan said. “For over seven decades, they seamlessly guided The Thoreau Club as it grew to become the community center that it is today. I know that JB and Malachy share a deep commitment to continuing the successful operation of the club.”

With more than 40 years of experience in the health, fitness and recreation industry, Callahan helped the club roll out a suite of virtual fitness classes, outdoor classes and lessons.

“Malachy and I are grateful that Keith already has the confidence of the membership, and we look forward to building new relationships with current members of The Thoreau Club and the broader Concord community,” Gough said.