Gold’s Gym International, Dallas, awarded the Lowell Group as its Franchisee of the Year during the Gold’s Gym Global Convention in Las Vegas in early August, according to a company announcement.
The Lowell Group, led by Jeremy and Lori Lowell, operate eight Gold’s Gym locations in Virginia and one in Wisconsin. They have been with the brand for more than 20 years, according to the company.
Japan’s master franchisee Eiji Tazuka was honored as the international Franchisee of the Year due to the excellence with which his group operates 85 locations across the country, according to the media release. Tazuka plans to have 100 total gyms open and operating in Japan by the start of the 2020 Summer Olympics.
“The Gold’s Gym team looks forward to our Global Convention for many reasons each year, particularly because it gives us the chance to shine a spotlight on the outstanding individuals who represent the very best of what our franchise network is made of,” Adam Zeitsiff, president and CEO of Gold’s Gym, said in the announcement. “This year’s award winners were no exception to this standard, as they are all incredibly hardworking individuals whose dedication to the brand’s growth and success is apparent. I am confident that they will continue to exceed expectations and I am excited to see what the future brings for their world-class organizations.”
In addition to these two awards, Gold’s Gym also gave its domestic Gold’s Vision Award to Don Murphy of Gold’s Gym Middletown and Newburgh in New York, and the international Gold’s Vision Award to Andres Capriles, Venezuela’s master franchisee. This award recognizes the recipients as visionaries whose leadership qualities and achievements serve as inspiration for the rest of the global franchise network.
The company also inducted its Egypt franchise group co-chairman Ali Mahmoud into the Gold’s Gym Hall of Fame. Mahmoud is known across the brand and beyond as one of the key individuals who spearheaded Gold’s Gym’s 1996 entry to the Middle East, according to the company.
The Legacy Award was given to Belal Gaber of Alexandria, Egypt.
Other awards presented at the convention include the following with domestic recipients listed first and then international recipients:
- Best New Gym: Glendale, California, and Medina, Saudi Arabia
- Best-Improved Gym: Albemarle, North Carolina, and Independencia, Dominican Republic
- Best Group Exercise Programming: Edinburg, Texas, and Amman, Jordan
- Best Personal Training Programming: Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Lefort, Russia
- Best Community Engagement: Boardwalk Workout New Jersey and Salmiya, Kuwait
- Best Marketing Campaign: Glendale, California, and India
“Our global franchise network would not be what it is today without the superb investors that drive our brand’s continued growth and advancement,” said Craig Sherwood, chief development officer of Gold’s Gym. “We have high expectations of the owners we welcome into our system, so to earn special recognition as standouts from what is already an impressive group is a truly outstanding feat achieved by these award winners.”
Gold's Gym ranked No. 8 on Club Industry's 2019 Top 100 Clubs list with 2018 revenue from corporate-owned clubs and franchisee fees of $302 million. Its full franchise revenue (including revenue from individual franchisees) was reported by the company as $872 million in 2018. At the end of 2018, Gold's Gym had 144 corporate-owned locations and 547 franchised locations. Today, the company has more than 700 total locations.